"Then what is it about?"
Reigns lowered his voice.
"Voss."
Marcus said nothing.
"He lied to me. He said the towing setup was approved. He said the money was legal. He told us there were discretionary administrative fees we could collect to resolve minor issues."
Marcus felt no satisfaction.
"Talk to your attorney."
"I'm trying to tell you he set me up."
"Then tell the prosecutor."
"You don't understand. Calvin has records on everybody. Favors. Complaints. Personal stuff. He keeps insurance."
Marcus wrote the exact words in his notebook.
"Where?"
Reigns went silent. Marcus recognized the danger immediately. He was crossing from command management into evidence gathering.
"Stop. Don't answer that."
"What?"
"You are represented. I am the complainant in a case against you. I am not going to question you about potential evidence. Call your lawyer and ask for a proffer with the prosecutor."
"You're really going to hide behind procedure after everything?"
"Procedure is the only reason I'm back in this office."
Reigns hung up. Marcus immediately documented the call and notified the prosecutor without interpreting it. The next morning, Reigns's attorney requested a proffer session. The alliance had begun to fracture.
Reigns admitted that Voss had coached him on how to describe certain stops, especially when drivers challenged searches or towing. He claimed Voss told officers that "articulation wins cases," a phrase that was legitimate in itself but became corrupt when used to invent facts after the encounter. He also admitted taking cash. Not every allegation, not every amount, and not with the full honesty prosecutors wanted. But enough.
He described it as "informal roadside resolution," insisting Voss had normalized the practice and told him small cash payments were tolerated as long as citations were reduced or warnings issued. The prosecutor asked whether Reigns ever believed department policy allowed officers to keep money personally. According to the summary Marcus later received, Reigns stared at the table for a long time before answering.
"No."
That single word changed the case. Reigns also identified a locked filing cabinet Voss maintained in a rented storage office behind the towing yard. He said the cabinet contained copies of complaints, handwritten tow notes, and records Voss used to track which motorists had challenged impounds. Investigators obtained a warrant. Inside the cabinet they found exactly what Reigns described.
The most damaging item was a spiral notebook. Pages listed dates, vehicle descriptions, initials, towing fees, and short notations. PAID. REFUSED. TOWED.
COMPLAINED. CLOSED. Some entries contained dollar amounts. One page included Harold Jennings's name.