“Just one.”
“And how many coffee shops?”
I can see where this is going. “One. My mother owns it.”
“Yet you chose to get your coffee at the bank. Where Ms. Campbell works.”
“The bank has free coffee. It’s convenient.”
“Is that the only reason?”
I meet her eyes. “At first, yes. Then I started going more frequently for other reasons.”
“Alice?”
“Yes ma’am.”
Detective Morrison exchanges a glance with her colleagues. “Let’s talk about the GPS tracker. You discovered this device during what you’ve described as an off-duty encounter?”
“I was on my lunch break. Alice had a flat tire and texted me for help.”
“She has your personal number?”
“We’d exchanged numbers prior.”
“For what purpose?”
“I’d told her about a library event. She asked for details.”
The detective makes another note. “So you’d moved from professional interactions to personal ones.”
“Yes.”
“And during this tire change, you conveniently discovered evidence that supported Ms. Campbell’s claims about being stalked.”
The skepticism in her voice makes my jaw tighten. I keep my hands flat on the table. “I discovered a GPS tracking device that was illegally attached to her vehicle. She didn’t know it was there until I found it.”
Morrison's expression doesn't change, but I see the shift—she's not just skeptical.
She's trying to rattle me.
“How did you know what it was?”
“I recognized it. They’re sold online, easy to obtain. Most people wouldn’t know what it is unless they’re actively looking for it.”
“Have you seen them before?”
“In training materials and online.”
“But you immediately knew it was a tracking device?”
“Yes.”
Detective Morrison leans forward. “Officer Edwards, don’t you find it convenient that you, Ms. Campbell’s romantic interest, happened to be the one to discover the key piece of evidence in her case?”
“No ma’am. I find it alarming that someone was tracking her movements without her knowledge or consent for an unknown period of time.”
“According to the complaint filed by Lance Carlston’s family, Ms. Campbell planted that device herself to frame their son.”
