"I heard there was some kind of review happening with Officer Reigns. I filed a complaint last year. Nobody ever called me back after they said it was closed."
Marcus glanced at Hayes, who was still in the room.
"Mr. Jennings, because I'm personally involved in a current complaint, I'm going to connect you with an independent investigator. But before I transfer you, are you in immediate need of assistance?"
The man hesitated.
"Depends what you mean."
"Are you safe?"
"Yes."
"Do you have transportation?"
A short, humorless laugh came through the line.
"Not since your department took my car eight months ago."
Marcus straightened.
"Your car is still impounded?"
"Westbridge Towing wants more than four thousand dollars now. I can't pay it. I take the bus."
Hayes was already opening her laptop.
"Why was it impounded?" Marcus asked.
"Officer Reigns said it was unsafe after I refused to give him money."
The room became silent. Marcus spoke carefully. "How much money?"
"Five hundred dollars."
Hayes stopped typing. Marcus closed his eyes for half a second.
"Mr. Jennings, do not discuss this call with anyone from the department except Lieutenant Hayes or Detective Kim unless your attorney is present. I'm transferring you now. They will take a formal statement."
After the call moved to Hayes, Marcus stood at the office window and watched Reigns laughing with another officer across the room. The laugh lasted until Reigns looked up and saw Marcus watching him. Then it stopped. By noon, the first day had become something larger than a complaint about the new captain.
Harold Jennings's case file showed that his vehicle had been towed by Westbridge Towing Services after Reigns documented a series of vaguely described "roadworthiness concerns." The inspection form was incomplete. No independent mechanical evaluation appeared in the file. Sergeant Voss had approved the impound and later closed Jennings's complaint when Reigns's body-camera video proved unavailable. The storage charges had reached nearly five thousand dollars.
Marcus called the city attorney before doing anything else.
"Can we administratively freeze fees and release the vehicle without compromising the investigation?"
The attorney reviewed the documents and called back forty minutes later. "If the impound basis is under active integrity review and the city accepts temporary liability, yes. Do not order the tow company to erase charges. Issue a written administrative hold and arrange release through the city." Marcus followed the advice exactly.