ALINA BROOKS: "So do the people whose cases may have been affected by missing evidence."
That silenced him.
Alina continued.
ALINA BROOKS: "If the records are accurate, they will support your department. If they are not, hiding them will only make the consequences worse."
Lawson looked at her for several seconds.
Then he walked away without another word.
Alina watched him disappear through the administrative corridor.
She turned toward Chief Hayes.
ALINA BROOKS: "Chief, I need a list of every person with administrative access to the evidence system."
CHIEF MARTIN HAYES: "I can have that prepared."
ALINA BROOKS: "I also need the list of employees who can authorize evidence transfers and destruction certificates."
CHIEF MARTIN HAYES: "That will take some time."
ALINA BROOKS: "Then start now."
The chief nodded.
But as he turned away, Alina noticed that he looked toward the private office where Lawson had disappeared.
Something was wrong.
And she was beginning to suspect that the problem reached higher than the evidence administration supervisor.
At 11:20 a.m., Nathan returned with an update.
NATHAN BROOKS: "We recovered part of the security footage."
ALINA BROOKS: "How much?"
NATHAN BROOKS: "The operations-floor recording is incomplete, but we have the reception footage and a portion of the corridor camera."
ALINA BROOKS: "What does it show?"
NATHAN BROOKS: "Someone entered the evidence administration office at 10:17. The person left six minutes later carrying a folder."
ALINA BROOKS: "Can you identify them?"
Nathan paused.
NATHAN BROOKS: "The camera angle is partially obstructed. But the person appears to be Deputy Chief Lawson."
Alina looked at the screen.
The figure was wearing a dark uniform shirt.
The face was not completely visible.
But the build, posture, and movement were consistent with Lawson.
ALINA BROOKS: "What did he carry?"
NATHAN BROOKS: "We can't tell from this recording."
ALINA BROOKS: "What about the reception camera?"
NATHAN BROOKS: "It shows Peter Dawson leaving the building."
ALINA BROOKS: "With the black case?"
NATHAN BROOKS: "Yes."
Nathan enlarged the footage.
Peter Dawson was walking quickly through the reception area.
He looked over his shoulder before reaching the exit.
Then he stepped outside and entered a dark sedan.
The vehicle pulled away.
NATHAN BROOKS: "We have the license plate."
ALINA BROOKS: "Find the registered owner."
NATHAN BROOKS: "Already requested."
Alina examined the time stamp.
Peter had left at 10:27 a.m.
Two minutes before the first security footage deletion request.
She looked toward Nathan.
ALINA BROOKS: "Someone may have warned him."
NATHAN BROOKS: "Or he knew the inspection was coming."
ALINA BROOKS: "We need to establish which."
Nathan opened another record.
NATHAN BROOKS: "There's something else. The sedan is registered to a company called Eastbridge Property Services."
ALINA BROOKS: "Who owns it?"
NATHAN BROOKS: "The company is registered to a private holding firm. The director is listed as Daniel Mercer."
Alina recognized the surname.
ALINA BROOKS: "Related to the chief?"
NATHAN BROOKS: "We're checking."
She returned to the operations floor.
The investigation was moving quickly, but the department's behavior suggested that some people were already aware of the danger.
She needed to find the original records before they were moved again.
At the evidence administration corridor, a federal agent had secured the entrance.
Alina approached the door.
ALINA BROOKS: "Has anyone entered?"
FEDERAL AGENT: "No. The door has remained secured since the preservation notice."
ALINA BROOKS: "Who has access?"
FEDERAL AGENT: "The evidence supervisor, the deputy chief, the chief, and two authorized property clerks."
Alina examined the electronic access panel.
ALINA BROOKS: "Can we retrieve the entry history?"
FEDERAL AGENT: "Nathan is working on it."
She looked through the glass window.
Inside the office, filing cabinets lined the walls.
A large desk stood near the center.
Several boxes were stacked beside a metal shelving unit.
The room appeared ordinary.
But the original records were supposed to be stored there.
And Peter Dawson had left with a black document case.
Alina wondered whether the case contained the only remaining copies.
She turned toward the federal agent.
ALINA BROOKS: "I want the office searched under the existing authorization. Photograph everything before moving it."
The agent nodded.
The door was opened.
Alina entered first.
The room smelled faintly of paper and cleaning products.
A computer monitor was switched on.
Several folders lay open on the desk.
One drawer had been left partially open.
Alina approached the desk.