“It’s on the arrow and possibly in the dust bunny, and if so that suggests they may have come from the same source,” I add. “They may have been in the same location at some point. We should be able to tell microscopically and by using X-ray spectroscopy to give us chemical and elemental information as well.”

“Got it. I’ll explain it to Ernie word for word. I know Anne’s already sent him something. Well she didn’t send it per se. Since we’re on the subject of chain of evidence? She did it the right way, walked it up there and receipted it etcetera etcetera so if anyone tries to nail her in court? All to say we’re holding down the ship here.”

My compulsive talking chief of staff for whom so much ends in question marks is well known for his malapropisms. I have a diplomatic way of correcting him that he never notices. I simply repeat what he said and do a word substitution or two.

“I appreciate your holding down the fort,” I say to him. “While you’re at it I’d like the CFC security recordings checked for anybody who might have been in our parking lot tampering with the truck or anything else.”

“But how would they get over the fence or through the gate?”

“Good question but where else would the tampering have been done? What day did you say the vehicles were washed and detailed?”

“Let me think. Today’s Friday. So day before yesterday. Wednesday.”

“I think we can safely conclude that the damage was done during or after the truck was washed. Otherwise a chrome mount barely attached by one screw would have been noticed. What did Anne receipt to Ernie? Did she find something important?”

“I can’t wait to dash to his lab and ask.”

I end the call and say to Marino, “We don’t get dust bunnies inside our trucks.” I climb out and it’s like walking into a waterfall. “You know better than anybody how meticulously we wash and decon them inside and out. It’s not possible for dust bunnies, dust balls, cobwebs or any such thing to form inside any of our vehicles.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” he asks, and the taillight’s chrome mount, gasket, outer lens, foam seal and housing are all the way off but still connected to the pigtail harness.

“Did you hear what I just told Bryce?”

“I can’t hear a damn thing out here. I feel like I’m in a washing machine. This definitely has been messed with and for the obvious reason of planting something inside the truck. So the person had to have mechanical know-how and be familiar with trucks like this.”

“Or specifically with this one.” It’s as if I’m standing under a shower.