“But this case was a murder,” I told her.
She shrugged. “Might be, but that doesn’t mean it can’t also involve anything I just listed for you.”
I sighed. I suddenly had a splitting headache. “And how do I unseal a record?”
“A court order is the only way to unseal a record,” she said. “A judge has to agree that your need outweighs the need of the state or a citizen or citizens effected by your record. That rarely happens, by the way, and could take years.”
“Thank you,” I said with a resigned sigh.
“Where’s your friend?” she asked, ignoring my thanks.
“He’s gay.”
She looked crestfallen. I felt guilty―barely, sure, but a little. “They always are.”
I walked away. I made it to my car. A lightbulb went off above my head. I snapped my fingers. “Witness protection, she said! Carl’s family
