She wrote down the time and the names of the people present.
Then she turned toward the chief.
Alina Brooks: "Before we continue, I need the security footage from this room preserved."
Chief Martin Hayes: "Naturally."
Alina Brooks: "The footage must include the period before I entered the operations area and the period after I contacted federal control."
Chief Martin Hayes: "That shouldn't be a problem."
Alina Brooks: "I also need confirmation that no one has accessed or modified the evidence inventory since this morning."
The chief's expression became more serious.
Chief Martin Hayes: "Why would anyone modify it?"
Alina Brooks: "That is what the inspection is intended to establish."
For several seconds, they looked at each other.
Then Captain Whitaker's telephone rang.
He answered.
Captain Whitaker: "Whitaker."
He listened.
His expression changed.
Captain Whitaker: "When did that happen?"
Another pause.
Captain Whitaker: "Are you certain?"
He slowly lowered the telephone.
Chief Hayes turned toward him.
Chief Martin Hayes: "What is it?"
Whitaker glanced at Alina.
Captain Whitaker: "Someone has accessed the evidence inventory system."
Alina immediately stepped closer.
Alina Brooks: "When?"
Captain Whitaker: "The system recorded an administrative login at 10:26 a.m."
Alina looked at the clock.
It was now 10:34.
Alina Brooks: "Who accessed it?"
Whitaker looked at the screen.
Captain Whitaker: "The login was made through a supervisor account."
Alina Brooks: "Whose account?"
Whitaker hesitated.
Captain Whitaker: "Chief's administrative credentials."
The room became silent.
Chief Hayes turned sharply.
Chief Martin Hayes: "That's impossible."
Captain Whitaker: "The system shows your account."
Chief Martin Hayes: "I haven't accessed that system this morning."
Alina watched him.
Chief Hayes looked genuinely surprised.
But surprise alone did not establish innocence.
Alina Brooks: "I need the complete login history."
Chief Martin Hayes: "Agent Brooks, let's not jump to conclusions."
Alina Brooks: "I'm not jumping to anything. I'm asking for the record."
Captain Whitaker looked back at the computer.
Captain Whitaker: "There's something else."
Alina Brooks: "What?"
Captain Whitaker: "The account didn't just open the inventory."
He paused.
Captain Whitaker: "It attempted to delete several transfer entries."
Alina's expression hardened.
Alina Brooks: "Which entries?"
Whitaker opened the system report.
A list of evidence identification numbers appeared on the screen.
Alina recognized three of them immediately.
They were among the numbers highlighted in the anonymous report.
The same records that had supposedly been transferred to the regional warehouse.
The same records that had no matching receiving receipts.
And the same records that had disappeared from the digital inventory several weeks earlier.
Someone was trying to erase them again.
Alina slowly closed her notebook.
Alina Brooks: "Chief Hayes, I need everyone to remain in this room until the federal response team arrives."
Chief Martin Hayes: "You cannot simply detain my employees."
Alina Brooks: "I am instructing everyone to preserve the scene and avoid disturbing potentially relevant evidence."
Ryan Mitchell: "This is unbelievable."
Alina turned toward him.
Alina Brooks: "Officer Mitchell, you may want to stop talking."
Ryan Mitchell: "You can't threaten me."
Alina Brooks: "I'm not threatening you. I'm documenting what happens next."
She turned toward Ethan.
Alina Brooks: "Officer Miller, do not leave the operations floor. I may need your statement."
Ethan nodded.
Ethan Miller: "Understood."
Alina then looked toward Rebecca, who had appeared at the entrance of the operations room.
Rebecca Lawson: "Agent Brooks?"
Alina Brooks: "Yes?"
Rebecca looked frightened.
She was holding a small folded piece of paper.
Rebecca Lawson: "I think you need to see this."
Alina took the paper.
It contained a handwritten list of three evidence identification numbers.
At the bottom was a name.
PETER DAWSON.
Alina looked up.
Alina Brooks: "Where did you get this?"
Rebecca glanced toward Chief Hayes.
Rebecca Lawson: "I found it on the printer near the evidence office."
Alina opened the paper completely.
On the back was another sentence.
"IF THEY KNOW YOU ARE HERE, THE ORIGINALS WILL DISAPPEAR."
Alina felt the situation change.
The missing evidence was no longer simply an administrative discrepancy.
Someone inside the department knew exactly what she had come to investigate.
Someone had attempted to delete the relevant records while she was standing in the building.
And someone was now warning her that the original evidence might be in immediate danger.
She looked toward the corridor.
The evidence administration office was at the far end.