Larson continued. "If you uncover credible evidence of a broader civil rights violation or coordinated interference with the review, bring it directly to me. I will make sure the matter is assessed by people who are not part of the local chain of command." Francis nodded. "And the Hartwell case?"
"You remain on your assigned work until we determine otherwise. But you will not use bureau access to investigate your personal complaint without authorization. That's important." Francis agreed immediately. He knew the appearance of self-dealing could undermine even the strongest evidence.
When he left the office, he felt neither reassured nor dismissed. Larson had drawn a boundary, but he had also opened a route forward if Francis could substantiate his concerns. The challenge was finding evidence without relying on resources he had no authority to use for a private dispute. Francis went back to his desk, worked through the Hartwell briefing, and gave his team the full attention they deserved. Only after leaving work did he return to the problem waiting at home.
That evening he searched public archives for prior complaints involving Mason. He began with local reporting and records available to any resident, not internal government databases. The first relevant article was buried in a small online newspaper three years earlier. A man named Wilmer Brown described being stopped outside his own apartment building after allegedly matching a vague description. The encounter had ended without charges. Brown filed a complaint about Mason's language and conduct, but a brief follow-up said the matter was closed without further action.
Francis printed the article. Then he searched again, using Mason's name with terms connected to traffic stops, citizen complaints, and dismissed charges. After nearly two hours, he found a second reference. Devon Ashper, then a college student, reported being pulled over twice within one month by the same patrol unit.
Ashper said the stated reasons changed between stops and that officers mocked him when he asked for clarification. His complaint, according to the brief article, was closed without a public explanation. Francis printed that report too.
Two old accounts did not prove that Mason had engaged in a criminal pattern. Francis knew that. Memories could be incomplete, reporting could omit key facts, and a closed complaint did not necessarily establish a cover-up. But the similarities were enough to justify contacting the men and requesting official records. Both involved young or middle-aged Black men, vague claims of suspicion, repeated challenges to the officers' stated basis for intervention, and resolutions that left little public record. Francis placed the articles in his folder and wrote the same word beside both: corroborate.
He was turning off the laptop when Regina entered carrying fresh tea. She noticed the names on the table and asked who the men were. Francis explained what he had found and emphasized what he could not yet establish. Regina read one article in silence.
"So it might have happened before," she said. "Yes." She looked at the second page. "And those men didn't have an FBI badge."
Francis thought about how quickly Mason lowered the taser after the credential confirmation. "No," he said. "They didn't."