There was Deputy Willis, Deputy Marsh and Jacob on the hearing board, Rose was to be a spectator.
The door opened and a small woman stepped in, stated her name and sat down.
�You may begin,� Deputy Willis said.
"It was one of those nights that a lot of people call 'real Fern City weather,' " Suze Figueroa said to the board. "It had started to snow at about three in the afternoon, just as Officer Bennis and I came on duty. We knew immediately that the rush hour was going to be very difficult. People had started coming into town, too, for the big game. By four o'clock it was snowing so hard you couldn't see across the street. By five there were already cars backed up spinning their wheels on the steeper access ramps to Lake Shore Drive and the Kennedy Expressway. Some of them had run out of gas, blocking the streets, and would be there until Streets and San made it through to tow them. It was constant from the moment we hit the street. We picked people out of stalled cars who were too scared to get out. We found several street people and ran them to shelters. We-"
"Yes, sir. But the weather played a very large part-"
"We know what the weather was last night. Move forward."
"Yes, sir."
Rose knew that Deputy Marsh was going to be trouble. She used her voice like the blade of a guillotine and Rose had vibes, sometimes, when she felt sure that another cop didn't like young women on the department. Rose didn't want to think that this woman was out to get Officer Figueroa, personally and specifically, but she'd bet if she could prove that some young cop had run scared, she'd enjoy doing it.
"At 2140 hours we got a call . . ." the officer continued.