in the CPU. Brandon Munro’s been with us about a year and a half. He’s based in Sydney. Before that, he was undercover in Jakarta, rooting out terrorist cells. He has an enviable service record and we’re more than happy to have him on our team.”
Chloe added some notes under the heading “Family” and tried not to let her feelings show. To say that she was impressed was an understatement, but just because the man had a stellar family didn’t mean that had rubbed off on him.
“Tell me about Declan Munro.”
The superintendent drew in a deep breath. Chloe would have sworn the width of his chest almost doubled. He crossed his arms and eased the air out between his lips.
“Declan Munro is one of the best agents I’ve ever had the honor of commanding.”
Chloe held Julian’s gaze. It didn’t falter. Sincerity was reflected in even the darkest corners of his eyes. She scribbled a note on the paper, feeling more and more confused.
“What do you think about the accusations made by Agent Stanford?”
Julian shook his head in disbelief. “To tell you the truth, I don’t know what to think. Agent Stanford’s been in the unit for years. He’s a good investigator. Not necessarily as insightful or enthusiastic as Declan, but Stanford’s been in the game longer, and had more time to wear out. We all wear out eventually.”
“And what of the evidence? The computer access logs which clearly show unauthorized access from the computer Declan Munro has already agreed is the one he uses.”
“There are other agents who use that computer,” Gary protested.
“I know. That’s why I asked you to bring your timesheets and clock cards for the last six weeks. Did you do that for me?”
“Yes. They’re in here.” The superintendent reached inside his briefcase and pulled out a folder. Flipping it open, he handed the records to Chloe.
“Thank you. I’ll examine these later. I have the times and dates off the computer logs. If they match up with the times we know Agent Munro was on duty, it will be just one more burden he’ll have to overcome.”
She cleared her throat. “I understand agents are sometimes in the squad room outside their normal work hours. Is that correct?”
He shrugged. “Sure. Under normal circumstances, they usually pull an eight-hour shift. If we’re under pressure to close something down, they’ll work around the clock. But that doesn’t mean they can’t come in outside that time and finish paperwork, follow up leads, whatever. What they do in their own time is their choice.”
“So, it’s possible someone could have come in at a time when they weren’t rostered on and accessed the Unit’s computers?”
“Of course, it happens all the time.”
“So, even if the computer logs don’t match up with Agent Munro’s time sheets, it’s still possible that he was using the computer at the time the logs say he was?”
Gary nodded grimly. “Yes, it’s possible, just as it is for any of the staff working there, but you’re forgetting this is a man who goes above and beyond the call of duty. This is a man who has volunteered to do double shifts so he could make sure a ring of pedophiles operating out of Murrumbilla could be exposed and shut down forever. This is a man who’s received the State’s highest service awards. A man whose father is a former District Court judge. A man who has four brothers who are involved in law enforcement. This man cut his baby teeth doing the right thing. It is quite simply beyond my imagination to even begin to think he could be involved in this.”
Julian’s breath came fast. Chloe looked down at the notepad in front of her and gave him time to gather himself. She didn’t have any hesitation in knowing that he believed every word he said, but that didn’t necessarily mean his unshakable conviction wasn’t misplaced.
That was her job: To sift through the evidence and separate the facts from the emotions. To discover the truth and then act
Chloe added some notes under the heading “Family” and tried not to let her feelings show. To say that she was impressed was an understatement, but just because the man had a stellar family didn’t mean that had rubbed off on him.
“Tell me about Declan Munro.”
The superintendent drew in a deep breath. Chloe would have sworn the width of his chest almost doubled. He crossed his arms and eased the air out between his lips.
“Declan Munro is one of the best agents I’ve ever had the honor of commanding.”
Chloe held Julian’s gaze. It didn’t falter. Sincerity was reflected in even the darkest corners of his eyes. She scribbled a note on the paper, feeling more and more confused.
“What do you think about the accusations made by Agent Stanford?”
Julian shook his head in disbelief. “To tell you the truth, I don’t know what to think. Agent Stanford’s been in the unit for years. He’s a good investigator. Not necessarily as insightful or enthusiastic as Declan, but Stanford’s been in the game longer, and had more time to wear out. We all wear out eventually.”
“And what of the evidence? The computer access logs which clearly show unauthorized access from the computer Declan Munro has already agreed is the one he uses.”
“There are other agents who use that computer,” Gary protested.
“I know. That’s why I asked you to bring your timesheets and clock cards for the last six weeks. Did you do that for me?”
“Yes. They’re in here.” The superintendent reached inside his briefcase and pulled out a folder. Flipping it open, he handed the records to Chloe.
“Thank you. I’ll examine these later. I have the times and dates off the computer logs. If they match up with the times we know Agent Munro was on duty, it will be just one more burden he’ll have to overcome.”
She cleared her throat. “I understand agents are sometimes in the squad room outside their normal work hours. Is that correct?”
He shrugged. “Sure. Under normal circumstances, they usually pull an eight-hour shift. If we’re under pressure to close something down, they’ll work around the clock. But that doesn’t mean they can’t come in outside that time and finish paperwork, follow up leads, whatever. What they do in their own time is their choice.”
“So, it’s possible someone could have come in at a time when they weren’t rostered on and accessed the Unit’s computers?”
“Of course, it happens all the time.”
“So, even if the computer logs don’t match up with Agent Munro’s time sheets, it’s still possible that he was using the computer at the time the logs say he was?”
Gary nodded grimly. “Yes, it’s possible, just as it is for any of the staff working there, but you’re forgetting this is a man who goes above and beyond the call of duty. This is a man who has volunteered to do double shifts so he could make sure a ring of pedophiles operating out of Murrumbilla could be exposed and shut down forever. This is a man who’s received the State’s highest service awards. A man whose father is a former District Court judge. A man who has four brothers who are involved in law enforcement. This man cut his baby teeth doing the right thing. It is quite simply beyond my imagination to even begin to think he could be involved in this.”
Julian’s breath came fast. Chloe looked down at the notepad in front of her and gave him time to gather himself. She didn’t have any hesitation in knowing that he believed every word he said, but that didn’t necessarily mean his unshakable conviction wasn’t misplaced.
That was her job: To sift through the evidence and separate the facts from the emotions. To discover the truth and then act
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