not know Ronald had recorded every word out of professional habit.
His first impulse was physical.
He pictured the Higgins estate, the long driveway, and Luke answering the door.
He pictured Cheyenne watching confidence leave her son’s face.
Then Ronald looked at Anna’s casts.
He did not call Luke.
He did not drive to the estate.
He called Colonel Kenneth Cole, his former commanding officer.
Cole listened to the recording from beginning to end without interrupting.
When it stopped, the silence lasted several seconds.
“Gather your team,” Cole finally said.
Ronald waited.
“Not to fight,” Cole added. “To prove everything.”
The distinction became the center of Ronald’s plan.
He created an evidence log.
The log listed the 2:17 a.m. call, the hospital intake time, the physician’s summary, Cheyenne’s recording, and the names of the people who had received copies.
He stored duplicates separately.
He preserved the original audio
