Miller sighed heavily and pointed a finger at himself.

“I got the original mechanic’s report from Deputy Parker that night,” Miller confessed quietly.

“I passed it up the chain of command to the county supervisor and the insurance representative.

When the supervisor realized that a pre-existing mechanical failure caused by road hazards would expose the county to massive multimillion-dollar liability, he strongly suggested a second mechanical inspection.”

“And you just stood by and let them falsify the official record?!” I asked in utter disgust.

“The second mechanic the county brought in claimed the original inspector was inexperienced,” Miller offered weakly.