Who’s the helper no one can thank?
In Merrimack County, someone seems to have a knack for knowing the right thing at exactly the right time. For a while now, there’s been talk of a good spirit watching over the region — or a bad one, depending on which side of the law you’re on.
When a malfunction threatened operations at Peterson Chemical Plant this summer, an anonymous caller phoned in with an eerily precise warning.
When a planned break-in at the Middlesex County Department of Justice was stopped, the credit again went to an anonymous tip.
And when several inmates escaped from the County Jail last month, a key call came in just minutes beforehand — though not every fugitive was caught.
Police began referring to the unknown informant as “Merrimack Sentinel .”
Now, social media has rebranded him as the Concord Sentinel, calling for him whenever another corruption scandal surfaces. Of course, one man can’t be everywhere at once — but somehow, he almost is.
Whoever’s behind it seems to have uncanny timing. If it’s even one person.
What organization would bother with such a mix of cases? Then again — what individual would have the time, the access, and the information? Not to mention the motive.
Here in our lovely Concord, people think they’ve solved the mystery: rumor has it that Officer Marc Brunner of the Concord Police Department might be the man behind the anonymous calls.
Brunner, 27, works in the department’s dispatch center — coincidentally, where most of those tips first arrive.
He himself refuses to comment.
Colleagues describe him as witty, helpful, and with a habit of knowing things he officially shouldn’t.
“He’s probably got half the city council on speed dial.”
But also as the one who turns down every promotion and dodges questions about his future.
Detective Asher told us, “Brunner could be a politician if he weren’t so incredibly lazy — he’s got the ambition of a housefly.”
(A career path we, admittedly, hadn’t considered before.)
Brunner just smiles. “I’m doing my job. I’ve got a good memory and not enough free time.”
He says it with that small, knowing grin that’s hard to take entirely at face value.
Maybe Officer Brunner is simply someone who likes to help.
Maybe there’s more to it.
Do we have our mysterious Merrimack Sentinel right here — or are there, in the end, not one but two secrets hiding in Merrimack County?
Editor’s note: If the Sentinel happens to be reading this — please get in touch. You’ve got a superfan in our newsroom.
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