Chapter 62

“He’s a field agent in West Bumfuck, North Dakota, last I heard. Anyhow, that’s why I think we can trust Nick to do right by us on this case.”

Crystal said, “May I ask a question?”

“Sure.”

“Why is it that local police everywhere have so little respect for the FBI?”

“In a nutshell, it’s because they have a well-earned reputation for stepping in, whether you want them to or not, taking over a big case, and then taking credit for all the positive results.”

Clarence nodded, pointed at me, and said, “What he said.”

“Oh,” she said.

“Talk to any law-enforcement type who’s been around a while,” I said, “and you’ll hear a lot of horror stories. It’s their culture, and it goes all the way back to J. Edgar Hoover. The DDO even admitted as much the day the sheriff talked to him. He said the only way he could effectively put a stop to it would be to clean house and start over with all new people. Now there’s a good documentary for you to think about filming—the culture of the FBI.”