Then I remembered that this time I had signed the paperwork myself
The difference mattered
At the shop Peter introduced me to a technician named Celia Ruiz
Celia was younger than I expected and carried a flashlight with a worn rubber grip
She listened while Peter described the work
Then she asked whether the Mustang had ever been fitted with replacement brake lines
I told her Laura had purchased the parts but had not completed the installation
Celia examined the underside of the car and found a bracket bent near the rear axle
She photographed the damage before touching it
The bracket had not been mentioned in the original towing report
Peter asked whether I wanted them to repair it immediately
I asked them to document it first and let the investigators decide whether they needed another look
Celia gave me a copy of the photographs
She said the damage might have several possible causes and that she would not guess which one applied
Her caution made the report more useful than a dramatic accusation
I drove home in my ordinary pickup and stopped for coffee at the diner where Laura and I used to eat breakfast
The waitress recognized me and asked whether I wanted our usual booth
I almost said there was no longer an our
Instead I nodded and sat by the window
A man at the next table was reading a local newspaper
The front page carried a photograph of the warehouse gate
I could see my own street reflected in the glass beside the headline
The story described an investigation into questionable vehicle removal practices
It did not name every person who had complained
I was grateful for that restraint
The man with the newspaper looked over and asked whether I had heard about the case
I said I had
He shook his head and said he could not understand how anyone could steal a car in broad daylight
I thought about Meredith standing in my driveway and calling the tow truck an enforcement measure
I told him that a confident voice could make an unlawful act look ordinary for a few minutes
He folded the newspaper and considered that
Then he said those few minutes were sometimes all a dishonest person needed
I finished my coffee without answering
At noon Marcus called and asked whether I could come to the county office
He said he had received the copies of Irenes notebook through the attorney
