Callahan’s voice cut through the tension. “Let him move.”
Warden Gaines hesitated. “You’re restrained.”
“I know.”
After a long pause, Gaines nodded. Clarke loosened the leash slightly, guiding Valor a step closer to Callahan. The dog sniffed his former partner briefly, then returned his attention to Holt, growling with unmistakable intensity.
Callahan looked directly at the warden. “The night of the shooting, Valor tracked a second scent.”
Holt’s expression hardened. “This is theatrics.”
“No,” Callahan said calmly. “It’s memory.”
Officer Ruiz frowned. “The trial records said the K-9 search was inconclusive.”
“It wasn’t,” Callahan replied. “He alerted to a jacket discarded near the alley exit. They logged it as contaminated and pulled him off.”
Valor barked sharply again—this time lunging toward the glass so forcefully Clarke struggled to maintain control.
