Burned Out Right Tail Light

“Our person of interest has some information for us. Apparently our suspect fled in a dark sedan with a burned out tail light. It’s not a lot to go on but at least it is something.”

With that bit of information Orange County Sheriffs were scouring the city of Orlando and the surrounding areas for vehicles that met the description. They weren’t only pulling over vehicles with burned out right tail lights, they were stopping cars with tag lights out, busted tail lights right or left and just any suspicious looking dark sedan. Crimes would certainly be solved and prevented that faithful night, just not the crime they expected.

From the trunk of a 2005 Monte Carlo you could hear muffled whimpering between the kicks and snares coming form the speakers. Bound by rope, silenced by duct tape a terrified Barbara Walker wondered if she would ever see her parents again. The nine year old was snatched and smuggled out of a popular water park earlier that day. Her kidnappers used chloroform and a large trash bin to abduct her. Struggle mightily she did to free herself from bondage, kicking and struggling. Being small for her age, she could really move around in the trunk using every bit of her strength to kick loose. Barbara’s kicks against the trunk caused the left tail light and break light to short out. Her captors blasted their music unaware of what peril their prisoner had placed them in.

Three miles away from their destination where the young girl was to be warehoused that Monte Carlo was pulled over. The driver wasn’t concerned; he knew everything on the car was in good working order and his papers were legit. What he didn’t count on was Barbara fighting so hard for her life. She kicked and screamed through the tape causing the sheriffs to order that the trunk be opened.

In saving that young girl’s life and apprehending those horrible criminals an investigation was kicked off that brought down a sex trafficking ring saving countless lives. After years of counseling Barbara would marry and have a family of her very own. Understandably she would become quite the overprotective mother.

Thirty minutes prior to the rescue of Barbara Walker a man drove erratically through the Metro West Community on the other side of town. He is driving a dark blue 2015 Toyota Avalon and his tag light is out. Emotionally out of control is the thirty-five year old Terrance Cummings. His ex-girlfriend was seeing another guy and he couldn’t get over losing her love. On the passenger seat of his car sat an old 45 revolver. He didn’t figure to need many shots; Terrance just wanted to put big holes in his victims. Diane had put a hole in his heart and now he wanted to put a hole in hers and that damn church going Jacob!

Through his tears Terrance could see the flashing lights in his rear view mirror. He had no idea why the police would be pulling him over but he was almost relieved. He knew that he needed help and any good reason to not do what he was doing. As he pulled the car to a stop he just wept with his head on the wheel.

“Are you okay sir? Sir?”

Terrance stared up into the beam of the flashlight of the officer. That’s when the sheriff spotted the weapon on the seat. Terrance was in need of therapy and tough love to help him work though his emotional issues. Fortunately for Jacob and Diane, Terrance never made it to her residence but he could certainly see her building in the distance from where he took his last breaths. The overzealous second year sheriff Jeff Baines allowed his fear to cause him to misdiagnose the situation and empty his service revolver into the love sick fool. Under the street light the revolver shown bright, sitting comfortably on the seat with light blood spatter across it after causing the death of Terrance without even firing a shot.

There was another traffic stop, nine miles east of where Terrance’s spirit left this world. Behind the wheel was a well known polarizing politician in the company of two young women, neither of them being his wife of twenty-two years. The three of them were under the influence of narcotics and alcohol but it wasn’t reflected in his driving. He was pulled over because of a burned out right tail light. The vehicle he was driving was from the fleet of vehicles owned by his family business. He often took them out when he wanted to go undetected while being a little naughty.

Mark Wise portrayed himself as a Christian family man who lived his life by the rules and teachings of “The Good Book”. The vehicle he was driving that day had a burned out tail light because he fired the gentleman who was responsible for maintaining the maintenance on his vehicles simply for him supporting another candidate and party in an election.

Raphael Reyes worked hard for everything that he had in the world and his life was unlike the privileged life his boss Mr. Wise lived. They were in very different tax brackets and social circles. Mark Wise was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and he felt that Raphael’s sole purpose in this life was to polish that silver spoon. How dare he not support his employer as a candidate even though he was going to further suppress lower income families and the middle class as a whole? For voting in his own interest he was terminated after seven years of dedicated service. Being so diligent in his duties paid off as he was offered numerous jobs over the years by clients and business partners of Mr. Wise. Many of the jobs paid more but Raphael was loyal to the man who gave him his first opportunity when he arrived in this country in search of citizenship. After years of paying, studying and red tape; he was a full citizen and wanted to participate in the electoral system.

After being fired Raphael was hired within three days at a third more pay. His disassociation with Mark Wise was a Blessing in disguise and now because of his rash and cruel decision to fire a valued employee Mark was about to face a nightmare. When Raphael was servicing the fleet every vehicle stayed in tip top shape. Three months after his departure some of the vehicles were having minor issues like blown bulbs, needing their oil changed or brake pads replaced.

Mark tried at first to use his clout to get out of the predicament he found himself in. It was obvious to the officer that all three occupants of the vehicle were intoxicated and he intended to do his job by the book. With body cam rolling he conducted a sobriety test after calling for back up. It was apparent to him that all three would need to be transported back to the station and the car would need to be impounded.

Inside that vehicle three grams of a controlled substance was found as well as half drunken bottles of liquor. The young ladies that Congressman Wise was in the company of had lengthy criminal records for prostitution, fraud and assault. It was all over the news and social media before he could even speak to his wife about what occurred. Great shame was brought to his family’s name and his office. Within weeks Mark was forced to resign under pressure. His wife filed for divorce. Mrs. Wise was a good Christian woman who always stood by her man but she would not stand for that!

The scandal would make national news and stay in the cycle for weeks. After his legal issues were wrapped up he was forced to move from Central Florida so that he could get a fresh start. To the Carolinas he migrated in search of a quiet, almost anonymous life. The now broke and broken man would eventually find himself again through his faith.

The broken tail light was a myth, a false lead given in an unsolved murder case. The information however led to so much more, rescuing, havoc and redemption. Fortunately in the case of the burned out tail light justice was already being served. The guilty party was already doing time for another serious crime and would never be released from prison. Things seem to have a way of working themselves out… for the better or for worse.