Nigel Williams sat up straight when he heard the soft voice on the other end of the line. Was this the call he had been waiting for? “Yes,” he said. “This is Detective Williams.” “I hear you wanted to talk to me.” “Dominiqua?” “Yes,” came the low reply. The murder victim’s girlfriend. Thank God. “You were there last night? When Garrett was shot?” “Yes.” The girl began to cry. “I need you to come in to the station,” Nigel said. “So we can talk about what happened.” “I—I’m scared. If I talk to you, people will find out. And…” Her voice trailed off, but her sentiment was clear. She was afraid to talk, because of the code on the streets—never snitch. It was an all-too-common conundrum. People were afraid to come forth with information for fear of retaliation against them.
