Chapter 4
Deep within the damp basement of the sheriff's department, the old analog telephone switchboard clicked and whirred, faithfully routing calls through copper wires that had been installed during the Eisenhower administration. Deputy Jim Harker sat in the dim light of the communications alcove, his hands trembling as he stared at the blinking red light of line four. He knew Miller was upstairs finishing his paperwork, believing the intake was securely wrapped up. But the heavy wooden door to the basement archives was unlocked, and Harker had made a decision that would either save his career or ruin his life forever.
He quickly plugged the manual patch cord into the secure trunk line, routing the call directly to the Kentucky State Police headquarters twenty miles away. On the third ring, a crisp, professional voice answered, identifying the desk sergeant on duty. Harker leaned close to the heavy black receiver, his voice dropping to a hurried, panicked whisper that barely registered over the ambient hum of the electrical transformers.
"Listen to me very carefully," Harker said, his eyes darting toward the basement stairs. "My name is Deputy Jim Harker, badge number four-zero-two. I am calling from inside the Oak Ridge precinct. You need to send a detachment immediately. Sheriff Miller has detained a state investigator—Maya Vance—under false pretenses. He's got her locked in holding cell two."
"Slow down, Deputy," the voice on the other end commanded with professional calm. "State your location and repeat the name of the detainee. Are you saying Sheriff Miller made an unauthorized arrest?"
"Yes! Exactly that!" Harker hissed, wiping sweat from his forehead with the back of his sleeve. "She was auditing the asset forfeiture accounts this morning. Miller lost his temper, went out to her stakeout house, and dragged her in here in handcuffs. He's panicking. He’s burning financial ledgers in the back incinerator right now. If you don't get here within twenty minutes, there won't be any evidence left to find."
"Stay put, Deputy Harker," the sergeant replied firmly. "A tactical unit is already patrolling near the county line. We are dispatching them to your location with lights and sirens. Do not let the sheriff remove Ms. Vance from the building under any circumstances."
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The line went dead with a sharp click. Harker pulled the plug out of the switchboard, his heart hammering against his ribs like a trapped bird. He replaced the heavy receiver onto its cradle and stood up, his knees trembling slightly. As he turned toward the stairs, a heavy shadow fell across the concrete floor. Sheriff Miller stood at the bottom of the landing, his sunglasses resting on his head, a dark, knowing smile curling the corners of his mouth.
"Who were you talking to on the secure line, Jim?" Miller asked softly, his voice dangerously quiet as he took a slow step down into the basement.
