“It's difficult to tell from this copy,” the specialist said. “We would need the original paper document and a proper examination.”
“Preserve it.”
The specialist nodded.
Claire turned toward Olivia.
“We need the access history for this cabinet.”
Grant agreed.
“And we need to know whether the temporary storage location still exists.”
Claire looked toward Patricia.
“Can you identify the storage code?”
Patricia studied the old index.
She found the reference.
“Basement storage room B-4.”
“Is that room still in use?”
Patricia shook her head.
“Not officially.”
“What does that mean?”
“It was supposed to be cleared when the new evidence room opened.”
“When was that?”
“About a year ago.”
Claire looked at Olivia.
The room had supposedly been cleared.
Yet a box of unindexed narcotics records had been found in an archive cabinet.
And the records referred to packages that could not be accounted for.
Claire wrote down the storage location.
“Let's inspect B-4.”
22. The Locked Basement
The entrance to basement storage room B-4 was behind a maintenance corridor.
A metal door stood at the end of the hallway.
The lock was old, and the label above it had faded.
A small sign read:
TEMPORARY STORAGE — AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY
Mercer arrived with a key ring.
“This room hasn't been used in months,” he said.
“Who has access?” Claire asked.
“Evidence supervisors, facilities personnel, and certain command staff.”
“Is there an access log?”
“There should be.”
“Please locate it.”
Mercer unlocked the door.
The room smelled of dust, cardboard, and cleaning chemicals.
Several empty shelves stood against the walls. A broken filing cabinet occupied one corner. A stack of old plastic evidence containers sat beneath a table.
The room appeared mostly unused.
Claire entered with the preservation team.
They photographed the doorway, shelves, containers, and storage cabinets.
One specialist noticed a small electronic lockbox attached to the wall.
“Chief, what is this?”
Mercer looked at it.
“I don't know.”
“Does it belong to the evidence unit?”
“I've never seen it.”
Claire examined the lockbox without touching it.
There was a narrow label beneath the keypad.
NR-NARCOTICS TEMPORARY HOLD
She looked at Mercer.
“Do you know what that means?”
Mercer shook his head.
The specialist recorded the label.
“Is there a key?”
Mercer checked his ring.
“No.”
“Who installed it?”
“I'll have to ask facilities.”
Claire looked around the room again.
The lockbox had been installed more recently than the shelves. Its surface was cleaner, and the screws showed little corrosion.
It did not appear to have been there for years.
She asked the team to preserve the area and document the lockbox.
No one attempted to open it.
The proper authority and procedure would have to be established first.
As they left the room, Claire noticed a small mark on the floor near the wall.
It looked like the outline of a rectangular container that had been moved recently.
She pointed it out to the specialist.
He photographed it.
Mercer stared at the mark.
“I thought this room was empty.”
Claire looked at him.
“So did the records.”
23. The Chief's Breaking Point
At 3:30 p.m., Mercer asked Claire to meet him in his office.
This time, he did not offer coffee.
He closed the door and stood behind his desk.
“I need to know what you're finding.”
Claire placed her notebook on the table.
“We have identified several records that do not reconcile with the federal database. We have also located an unindexed archive box and a storage room containing an unexplained lockbox.”
Mercer looked stunned.
“An evidence lockbox?”
“Yes.”
“Why wasn't I told about it?”
“That is one of the questions we are trying to answer.”
Mercer sat down.
“Pike says the old storage room was cleared.”
“Then the access records should help establish when it was last used.”
Mercer shook his head.
“I have been chief for three years. I inherited a lot of these systems. I trusted the people responsible for them.”
Claire did not interrupt.
He continued.
“If someone has been moving evidence without authorization, I need to know.”
“You will receive the findings supported by the investigation.”
“Can I suspend Cole?”
“That is an administrative decision for your department, subject to applicable procedures. I cannot direct your employment decisions.”
Mercer looked frustrated.
“Then what can you tell me?”
“I can tell you that the records require further review, that the relevant materials are being preserved, and that no one should alter or remove anything connected to the cases under examination.”
Mercer leaned back.
“Do you think this goes higher than Cole?”
Claire considered the question.
“We have not established who else, if anyone, was involved.”
Mercer looked down at his desk.
Then he said something quietly.
“I remember the previous inspector.”
Claire looked up.
“Robert Hayes?”
Mercer nodded.
“He came here last year. He asked about the evidence room.”
“What happened?”
“He had questions about some old transfers. Pike handled most of it.”
“Did Hayes complete his inspection?”
“I don't know.”
“Did he leave voluntarily?”
Mercer hesitated.
“I was told he had been reassigned.”
“By whom?”
“Pike said it was an administrative decision.”
Claire wrote that down.
“Did you speak with Hayes directly?”
“Once. Briefly.”
“What did he say?”
Mercer looked toward the window.
“He told me there were records he couldn't reconcile.”
Claire waited.
“Did he explain which records?”
“No. He said he needed more time.”
“Was he granted access?”
“I don't know.”
Claire closed her notebook.
“Chief, I need you to provide a formal statement about that conversation.”
Mercer nodded slowly.
“I will.”
24. The Second Anonymous Message
At 5:06 p.m., Claire's phone vibrated again.