red flares reach the top of the pole. >> reporter: did you think that might be a murder weapon? >> that might have been plan a. he didn't use it. he went to plan b. >> reporter: which he believed was to push or throw jody off that cliff. detectives asked steven the obvious. what was a hammer doing in that picnic bag? >> he told us he fixed a drawer in his kitchen with the hammer. and he just forgot to put it back in the garage. he put it in the bag with the picnic items. it was convenient. it was a convenient excuse for having that hammer. >> reporter: detectives asked if they would check out the drawer and the rest of steven's house that night. he agreed. as it turned out, something potentially far more telling was happening away from the action. >> i said, look, i'm your local police department. >> reporter: he was a local officer told to keep an eye on steven that night as detectives combed through his house.