Shadows of Justice || Chenford / The Rookie

Chapter 2: The echo of Justice

As Tim and Lucy stepped into the patrol car, the radio crackled to life with a call no one wished to receive. Sergeant Wade Grey's voice came through heavy: "All units, we have a 187. Officer down. The address is 458 Westmoreland Avenue. Immediate support needed there."

Tim's grip on the steering wheel tightened upon hearing the address, a sense of dread creeping up in his stomach. With a sigh more akin to a gasp, he turned the key and set off toward the crime scene. Seeing the seriousness on Tim's face, Lucy softly asked, "You know that address?"

"Yes," Tim replied, his jaws clenched. "It's Ted Newton's house."

The drive to Ted Newton's house was filled with tense silence, broken by Lucy's attempts to learn more about the relationship between Tim and Ted. "You said you knew Ted?"

Tim nodded, his gaze fixed on the road. "We served together in the military. He saved my life more than once. I can't believe he..." His voice trailed off, unwilling or unable to finish the thought.

Upon arriving at Ted Newton's house, Tim and Lucy were met with a chaotic scene. Police barriers blocked the street, while officers and detectives were busy collecting evidence. Nyla Harper and Angela Lopez, who were in charge of the crime scene, beckoned them over.

The gravity of the situation was written on their faces. "We're dealing with a targeted attack," Harper began, her gaze firmly on her team. "Newton was shot right outside his own home. No witnesses, and the perpetrator left little behind. But we know Ted had been working on something big lately, something that might have put him in danger."

Lopez added, "We need to search everything, every possible connection. Tim, Lucy, you guys search Ted's house. Maybe you'll find something there that can help us understand why this happened."

Meanwhile, John Nolan and Celina Juarez were tasked with speaking to Ted's wife, hoping to learn more about Ted's last days and whether he had exhibited any recent changes in behavior or received threats. The conversation with Ted's wife was heart-wrenching; the shock and grief were raw and unfiltered. "Ted had been tense lately, more than usual," she shared, her voice trembling. "He said he was onto something big, something that would change everything, but he didn't want to tell me what, for fear of my safety."

In the study, hidden in a false bottom of a drawer, they found a folder filled with evidence on a case Ted apparently had been working on in secret. Lucy, flipping through the folder, looked up at Tim. "Do you think this has something to do with it?"

As they went through the documents, Bradford and Chen realized the magnitude of their discovery. This was no ordinary murder; it was a calculated attempt to bury the truth, to prevent Ted Newton from bringing justice to those who thought they were above the law.

With the folder firmly under her arm, Lucy looked at Tim. "This changes everything," she said, her voice imbued with the gravity of their find.