"Because in four days I become Garrett Kessling's supervisor," I said, "and I'm also a homeowner who bought one of these houses, a complainant against the HOA president, and the daughter of the man she called the police on. I have about four different conflicts, and I want them on the record before I touch anything. I don't want anybody, ever, to be able to say that I went after this because a woman flipped me off over a truck."
Rafferty looked at Nwosu. Nwosu looked at her legal pad.
"You're right that you can't investigate it," she said. "Not personally. Not your department, either, not if the deputy chief is potentially implicated. This needs to go outside. The State Bureau of Investigation will take it at the request of the district attorney or the chief of police. Once you're sworn in, you can make that request. I'd suggest you make it jointly with the DA."
"I'd suggest I make it in writing, the day I'm sworn in, and copy you both," I said. "And I'll put a written recusal in the file the same day. Anything involving my property, the Bittern Ridge HOA, or Mrs. Vasbinder personally goes to a captain I don't supervise on it. My father's incident report, my complaint about it, any appeal of my own nuisance designation, all of it."
"Who would you designate?" Rafferty asked.
"Who's the most boring captain you've got?"
He actually laughed. "Yarbrough. Patrol division. Thirty-one years. Has never once been in the newspaper. Goes to bed at nine."
"Then Yarbrough."
Nwosu wrote it down. Then she looked up, and for the first time her face did something other than think. "Mrs. Quarterman. The Pettiford property. Your property. If what you're describing is accurate, there may be a question about whether that foreclosure sale should have happened at all. You understand what that could mean for you."
"I understand."