Danielle kept her voice low and gentle. Ma'am, I'm Special Agent Cross with Army Criminal Investigation. I need to ask you something important.
Leah's hands trembled as she gripped the counter edge. I I don't know anything about fuel problems. That's not what I need to know, Danielle said softly, glancing toward the office where Shaw's officers stood guard.
I need to know if those police officers have threatened you before. Leah's eyes darted toward the glass windows where Shaw's silhouette loomed against the morning light. Her fingers widened around the counter edge.
"I can't," she whispered. "You don't understand what happens after you leave." Danielle leaned closer, keeping her voice gentle but urgent. Leah, I'm not asking you to guess about anything.
I only need facts you saw with your own eyes, nothing more. They'll know, I talked. Look at me, Danielle said firmly.
Leah's frightened gaze met hers. That general outside has four stars. The army doesn't abandon federal investigations because local officers get upset.
We don't just drive away and forget. Leah glanced again toward Shaw, then back to Danielle. Her voice came out barely above a whisper.
The tanker trucks. What about them? They come at night, always after military convoys leave during the day.
Leah's words tumbled out faster now. Big commercial tankers. They pump fuel for maybe an hour, then disappear before morning.
Danielle felt her pulse quicken. How often? Three, sometimes four times a month.
Officer Voss was always here when they arrive. He parks his patrol car right where you were standing and watches the whole thing. Did you ever ask him about it?
Leah's face went pale. Once back in February, I noticed the fuel totals didn't match what the computer showed for military sales that day. The numbers were way off.
What did Voss say? He told me the army sometimes ran test transactions that didn't show up properly in civilian systems. Leah's voice dropped even lower.
But then he said something else. Danielle waited. He said businesses that caused problems for local police sometimes discovered how long emergency calls could take to get answered.
He said a lot of bad things could happen to a woman working alone at night while waiting for help that might never come. The pieces clicked together in Danielle's mind. Voss hadn't just been stealing fuel.
He'd been using his badge and official authority to terrorize the station manager into silence. The threat was clear. Cooperate or lose police protection entirely.
Did you report his threat? To who? Leah asked desperately.