That afternoon the independent investigators met Eli with Ruiz present. The room was small and plainly furnished, without the elegant glass walls Eli remembered from his final day at Ward. Sato explained what the investigators could share about the review, and Eli supplied his original inspection notes, email messages, and a photograph of the vehicle's identification panel. He also described precisely what Ron had said when asked to remove the hold.
"Did you ever observe Ron Keller personally alter a maintenance record?" Sato asked. Eli shook his head.
"No. I saw my report taken out of the bay. Later I saw a different status on the system. I don't know who made the change." Sato nodded and made a note. She asked whether he would be willing to review the technical report when it was completed, not as a company employee but as a witness who could explain his own observations.
Eli agreed. Then he asked a question that made the room quiet. "What happened to Aaron Phelps? The driver. People keep talking about what he did wrong. Has anyone checked on him?"
Sato looked at Foster. The attorney said Aaron had been treated for a concussion and a shoulder injury and was cooperating with investigators. His own recollection was incomplete because of the crash. The company had initially placed him on administrative leave while the accident was reviewed.
"If that truck failed before the crash, Aaron shouldn't have to carry all of this either," Eli said. He looked down at his bandage. "I know what happens when the first explanation gets put in a file. People start talking as though it's a conclusion." Sato promised that the driver's account would be evaluated against the technical evidence and that any employment decision would be reviewed separately.
Aaron Phelps was forty-six, a father of three, and a former school bus driver who had joined Ward's community outreach program because he liked working with children. He remembered rain striking the windshield hard enough to blur the road, a warning light appearing on the dashboard, and the engine losing power before he could bring the truck safely under control. He did not remember the exact instant of impact. At the hospital, he had been afraid to ask about Tommy because he was terrified of what the answer might be.
When Eli called to check on him, Aaron answered cautiously. "I thought you might blame me," he admitted. Eli sat at Mara's workbench and looked out at a row of cars waiting for service. "I wasn't in the cab with you," he said.
"I can't tell you what you did or didn't do. But I know those vehicles had a problem somebody should have investigated. I hope the evidence gives you an answer."
Aaron was quiet for a moment. "I owe you my boy's name," he said. Eli frowned. "What?"