Corruption in Law Enforcement

The criminal justice system can be corrupt when convicting the innocent and equally corrupt when freeing the guilty. Calloway’s actions and attitudes lead Tracy and Meyers to believe that corrupt law enforcement officials framed Edmund for a crime he did not commit. Dugoni demonstrates that even though Calloway did not have legal evidence against Edmund, he takes matters into his own hands to ensure that Edmund will go to jail. Dugoni uses Sarah’s story to make readers think about the failings of the justice system not only when an innocent man is convicted of a crime but also when a guilty man is set free for lack of evidence.

Through the first part of the novel, it appears that Calloway framed Edmund because he was a convenient scapegoat for Sarah’s murder. Calloway threatens both Dan and Tracy in an attempt...