EVELYN CARTER: "Did you authorize the use of your signature?"
ANDREW MITCHELL: "No."
EVELYN CARTER: "Did you review the revised equipment assessment?"
ANDREW MITCHELL: "No."
EVELYN CARTER: "Did you receive a draft from Thomas Reed?"
Mitchell hesitated.
ANDREW MITCHELL: "I received several documents from Mr. Reed."
EVELYN CARTER: "What did you do with them?"
ANDREW MITCHELL: "I did not approve anything."
EVELYN CARTER: "Did you tell anyone that the equipment had passed testing?"
ANDREW MITCHELL: "No."
The investigative team leader stepped forward.
INVESTIGATIVE TEAM LEADER: "Colonel Mitchell, we need a formal statement regarding the use of your signature and your involvement with these documents."
Mitchell looked toward the exit.
ANDREW MITCHELL: "I want legal representation."
INVESTIGATIVE TEAM LEADER: "You are entitled to seek legal advice. We are asking you to remain available while the matter is processed."
Mitchell lowered his eyes.
For a moment, he appeared older than he had when he entered the room.
ANDREW MITCHELL: "I knew this was going to happen."
Evelyn looked at him.
EVELYN CARTER: "What did you know?"
Mitchell did not answer immediately.
Then he spoke quietly.
ANDREW MITCHELL: "I knew the report was wrong."
The room became silent.
DANIEL REEVES: "You knew?"
ANDREW MITCHELL: "I saw the original results. I knew the equipment had failed."
EVELYN CARTER: "Then why was your signature on the revised approval?"
Mitchell looked down.
ANDREW MITCHELL: "Price told me it was only an administrative correction."
EVELYN CARTER: "An administrative correction does not authorize someone to copy your signature."
ANDREW MITCHELL: "I didn't know they had used it that way."
EVELYN CARTER: "Did you give them permission to use your previous signature?"
Mitchell remained silent.
The investigative team leader moved closer.
INVESTIGATIVE TEAM LEADER: "Colonel, this is important. We need a complete and accurate account."
Mitchell finally looked up.
ANDREW MITCHELL: "I sent Price an old report with my signature on it. He said he needed it to verify the historical review."
EVELYN CARTER: "When?"
ANDREW MITCHELL: "About three weeks ago."
EVELYN CARTER: "Did you know he intended to use it on the new assessment?"
ANDREW MITCHELL: "No."
EVELYN CARTER: "Did you receive any payment?"
Mitchell looked away.
That hesitation was enough to make the team leader exchange a glance with Daniel.
ANDREW MITCHELL: "I received a consulting payment."
EVELYN CARTER: "From whom?"
ANDREW MITCHELL: "Northbridge Advisory Group."
DANIEL REEVES: "For what service?"
ANDREW MITCHELL: "A review of old technical documentation."
EVELYN CARTER: "Did you actually perform that review?"
Mitchell rubbed his forehead.
ANDREW MITCHELL: "Not the way they described it."
Evelyn remained still.
EVELYN CARTER: "Then how was the payment justified?"
Mitchell looked toward the documents.
ANDREW MITCHELL: "Price said it was compensation for my previous work. He told me the new assessment had already passed and that my name was only being used to confirm the historical record."
EVELYN CARTER: "Did you know the original report had been rejected?"
ANDREW MITCHELL: "Yes."
EVELYN CARTER: "Did you know the revised report claimed that the equipment had passed additional testing?"
Mitchell nodded slowly.
ANDREW MITCHELL: "I knew."
EVELYN CARTER: "Then you knew the report was misleading."
Mitchell closed his eyes.
ANDREW MITCHELL: "I knew something wasn't right."
The investigative team leader interrupted.
INVESTIGATIVE TEAM LEADER: "Colonel Mitchell, we will arrange a formal interview with legal representation present. For now, do not contact any other individuals involved in this matter."
Mitchell nodded.
As the officers escorted him to another room, Evelyn remained beside the table.
Daniel looked at her.
DANIEL REEVES: "He admitted receiving money."
EVELYN CARTER: "Yes."
DANIEL REEVES: "But he still claims he didn't authorize the signature."
EVELYN CARTER: "We'll need the correspondence and payment records to establish what happened."
The team leader returned.
INVESTIGATIVE TEAM LEADER: "We have another development. Gregory Shaw has been located in the warehouse office."
EVELYN CARTER: "Is he cooperating?"
INVESTIGATIVE TEAM LEADER: "Not particularly."
They walked toward the office.
Gregory Shaw was sitting behind a desk with a laptop open in front of him.
He was a man in his early forties, wearing a company identification card.
An officer stood beside him.
GREGORY SHAW: "I've already told them I don't know anything about the missing files."
INVESTIGATIVE TEAM LEADER: "We haven't asked you about the missing files yet."
Gregory stopped speaking.
Evelyn stepped into the room.
EVELYN CARTER: "Mr. Shaw, your company submitted a technical validation certificate for equipment that had not passed the original assessment."
GREGORY SHAW: "I don't prepare technical reports."
EVELYN CARTER: "You created the revised assessment document."
GREGORY SHAW: "I only assembled information provided to me."
EVELYN CARTER: "Who provided it?"
GREGORY SHAW: "The compliance department."
EVELYN CARTER: "Who in the compliance department?"
Gregory looked toward the investigative team leader.
GREGORY SHAW: "I want a lawyer."
INVESTIGATIVE TEAM LEADER: "You may request legal representation."
EVELYN CARTER: "Before you do, I want to make one thing clear. The original laboratory report has been recovered. The document history shows that the revised report was created using your company credentials."
Gregory's expression changed.
EVELYN CARTER: "We also have the correspondence between your company, Samuel Price, and Northbridge Advisory Group."
GREGORY SHAW: "I don't know what you're talking about."
EVELYN CARTER: "Then the documents should make that clear."
She placed a copy of the recovered email on the desk.
Gregory looked at it.
His eyes moved across the page.
He recognized the message.
GREGORY SHAW: "That email is being taken out of context."
EVELYN CARTER: "What is the correct context?"
Gregory did not answer.
EVELYN CARTER: "You wrote that the original testing materials should be transferred before the next procurement review. Why?"
GREGORY SHAW: "It was a storage instruction."
EVELYN CARTER: "Then why were four containers transferred to an unlisted facility?"
GREGORY SHAW: "I don't manage the warehouse."