Its door was closed.
A red indicator light above the electronic access panel had begun blinking.
Alina Brooks: "Who is inside that office?"
Captain Whitaker checked the staff directory.
Captain Whitaker: "Peter Dawson. He's the evidence administration supervisor."
Alina Brooks: "Has anyone spoken to him this morning?"
Whitaker looked at the telephone records.
Captain Whitaker: "He was supposed to be in a meeting."
Alina Brooks: "Where?"
Captain Whitaker: "Room 204."
Alina looked toward the closed corridor.
Alina Brooks: "Then why is his account being used to access the evidence system?"
Nobody answered.
A few seconds later, the telephone on Whitaker's desk rang again.
He picked it up.
Captain Whitaker: "Whitaker."
The person on the other end spoke quickly.
Whitaker's face went pale.
Captain Whitaker: "What do you mean he's gone?"
He listened again.
Then he slowly turned toward Alina.
Captain Whitaker: "Peter Dawson has left the building."
Alina's eyes narrowed.
Alina Brooks: "When?"
Captain Whitaker: "About five minutes ago."
Alina Brooks: "Did he sign out?"
Captain Whitaker: "No."
Alina Brooks: "Did anyone see where he went?"
Captain Whitaker: "The security officer says he was carrying a black document case."
Alina glanced at the case beside her.
Then she looked at the computer screen.
The deletion attempt.
The supervisor account.
The missing records.
And now the evidence supervisor had disappeared.
She took her phone out again.
Alina Brooks: "Control, this is Brooks. I need an immediate response team at Eastbridge Police Department."
She listened.
Alina Brooks: "Possible evidence tampering in progress. Evidence supervisor has left the building without authorization. Original records may be at risk."
She looked toward Chief Hayes.
Alina Brooks: "I also need an independent forensic team to secure the evidence administration server."
The chief's expression had become unreadable.
Ryan stood silently beside the desk.
The officers who had laughed at the beginning of the confrontation were no longer looking at one another.
And somewhere outside the building, Peter Dawson was carrying a document case that might contain the only remaining copies of the original evidence records.
Alina ended the call.
Then she turned toward the chief.
Alina Brooks: "Chief, I need you to tell me exactly who knew about this inspection before I arrived."
Chief Martin Hayes: "I don't understand what you're suggesting."
Alina Brooks: "Someone accessed the evidence system while I was being confronted. The access was made through a senior administrative account. The evidence supervisor has disappeared, and someone has left a warning telling me that the original records are about to be removed."
Chief Hayes said nothing.
Alina stepped closer.
Alina Brooks: "Who knew I was coming?"
The chief looked toward the floor.
For the first time, he appeared unable to maintain his usual expression of authority.
Then his eyes moved toward Ryan.
Ryan noticed.
Ryan Mitchell: "Why are you looking at me?"
Chief Martin Hayes: "I didn't say anything."
Ryan Mitchell: "You don't think I had anything to do with this, do you?"
Alina watched the exchange.
There was something between the two men that she had not yet understood.
A shared secret.
A fear of being exposed.
Or perhaps a realization that the situation had become too dangerous to control.
Before she could ask another question, the computer emitted a sharp alert.
Sarah, the administrative clerk, hurried toward the monitor.
Sarah Miller: "Agent Brooks!"
Alina turned.
Sarah pointed at the screen.
Sarah Miller: "The system has received another access request."
Alina approached.
The screen displayed a new login notification.
This time, the account belonged to someone who was not supposed to have access to the evidence administration system at all.
The access request had originated from a terminal located inside the chief's private office.
Alina stared at the notification.
Then she looked toward the hallway.
The chief's office door was closed.
But the light beneath it was on.
Alina Brooks: "Who is in the chief's office?"
Nobody answered.
She picked up her document case.
Alina Brooks: "Nobody touches that computer. Nobody deletes anything. And nobody leaves this floor without being accounted for."
Captain Whitaker moved toward the hallway.
Chief Hayes stepped in front of him.
Chief Martin Hayes: "Wait."
Alina looked at the chief.
Alina Brooks: "What are you trying to prevent, Chief?"
Hayes swallowed.
For several seconds, the only sound in the room was the continuous electronic alert.
Then, from somewhere inside the chief's office, a telephone began ringing.