He took her hands. "You're right," he said. She looked startled. "About what?"
"We need to think about our safety as seriously as the investigation." He promised they would make a plan, including staying elsewhere temporarily if the threat continued or an assessment recommended it. He also promised not to confront anyone over the note. Regina leaned forward and held him, relieved that her fear had finally become part of the decision instead of an obstacle he intended to argue around.
Francis remained awake for most of the night. He moved through the house quietly, checking doors once more and reviewing the sequence of events. The first incident had brought a false report. The complaint had produced delay. A witness had described pressure to change testimony.
The dispatch audio had disappeared. Then came an anonymous effort to discredit him, and finally a threat delivered to his doorstep. Each event might have a different explanation. Together they demanded an investigation independent of the department being accused.
At dawn, he made fresh coffee and opened his laptop. Regina found him at the kitchen table with notes arranged in careful rows. "You didn't sleep," she said. He shook his head. She sat down and wrapped both hands around the cup he poured for her.
"I meant what I said last night. I'm scared, Francis." He reached across the table. "I know. And I'm listening."
She watched him for several seconds. "What are you going to do?" Francis looked at the stamped complaint receipt, the anonymous message, the witness notes, and the reports about Wilmer Brown and Devon Ashper. "Stop treating this as a personnel dispute the local department can resolve on its own," he said.
Regina followed his gaze. "You think it's bigger than Mason?" "I think the evidence raises that possibility, and the missing records need independent examination."
Regina nodded slowly. "Then take it outside the department." Francis looked at her. "That's what I'm going to request."
He made a list of relevant concerns: potential civil rights violations, possibly false official statements, possible evidence mishandling, alleged pressure on witnesses, and a threat against a complainant. He separated confirmed facts from unverified allegations, using different headings so nobody reviewing the material could mistake one for another. Then he prepared to contact Howard Larson directly.