“Thank you.”
Lucas looked uncomfortable.
“Is Officer Cole in trouble?”
“That's not something I can determine from this footage alone.”
“But he shouldn't have done that, right?”
Claire closed her notebook.
“I am not here to tell you how to evaluate your colleague. I am here to document what happened.”
Lucas nodded.
Claire looked back at the screen.
The recording continued.
Mercer entered the room.
His expression changed when he saw the wallet in the trash.
Claire asked Aaron to preserve that portion as well.
Then she requested footage from the corridor outside the evidence room.
Aaron clicked through the camera list.
“Camera six covers the hallway. Camera seven covers the evidence entrance.”
“Can we review both?”
“Sure.”
The hallway footage showed Patricia entering the evidence room at 8:42 a.m.
At 9:03, Cole appeared outside the door.
He looked down the corridor before entering.
He remained inside for approximately four minutes.
At 9:07, he exited carrying a small cardboard box.
Claire leaned closer to the monitor.
“Can you pause that?”
Aaron did.
“Do you know what that box contains?”
“No.”
“Is there a record of evidence leaving the room at that time?”
Aaron shrugged.
“That's not something I can see.”
Claire wrote down the timestamp.
She requested the corresponding access log.
Lucas looked at the screen.
“I thought Cole was working on old case files this morning.”
Claire turned toward him.
“Did he tell you that?”
“He said he needed to check something before the inspection.”
The room became quiet.
Claire looked back at the monitor.
“What time did he say that?”
“Just before nine.”
“Did you see what he carried into the room?”
“No, ma'am.”
“Thank you.”
Claire did not ask another question.
But she added the time to her notes.
8. The Missing Package
At 3:10 p.m., Claire returned to the conference room.
Patricia had located the original transfer form for case NR-24187.
It was stored in a separate archive folder.
The document showed that the original package number had been assigned at the time of seizure.
A handwritten note indicated that the package had been divided into two containers before transfer.
But there was no record identifying the second container.
Claire examined the handwriting.
“Who wrote this note?”
Patricia checked the initials.
“D.C.”
“Officer Cole?”
“I believe so.”
“Is there a signature?”
“No.”
“Was the division of the package witnessed?”
Patricia searched the file.
“I don't see a witness signature.”
Claire looked at the transfer date.
“Was the second container ever entered into the evidence system?”
Patricia searched again.
“No.”
“Was it sent to the laboratory?”
“Only the first container appears in the laboratory receipt.”
“Was the remaining material returned to the precinct?”
“I can't find a return record.”
Claire placed the documents in a clear protective sleeve.
“Please do not remove anything from this file. I will request a formal preservation order through the appropriate channel.”
Patricia looked worried.
“Are you saying the evidence is missing?”
“I'm saying the records do not account for it.”
Cole appeared in the doorway.
“What's missing?”
Claire did not answer immediately.
Patricia looked down.
Cole stepped into the room.
“Are you talking about NR-24187?”
Claire closed the folder.
“Yes.”
“That's old. The lab changed the packaging. I already explained that.”
“You explained that a new number may have been assigned. We have not found a record for the second container.”
Cole frowned.
“There wasn't a second container.”
Claire looked at the handwritten note.
“This document indicates that the original package was divided.”
Cole stepped closer.
“That's not what it says.”
Claire turned the document toward him.
“Can you explain the notation?”
Cole glanced at it.
For a fraction of a second, his eyes moved toward Patricia.
Then he looked at Claire.
“It's an old shorthand entry. It doesn't mean what you think.”
“What does it mean?”
“It means the package was repacked.”
“Where is the repackaging record?”
“I don't know.”
“Who performed the repackaging?”
“I don't remember.”
“Who witnessed it?”
Cole's face hardened.
“Are you accusing me of stealing evidence?”
Claire remained calm.
“I am asking you to explain an entry bearing your initials.”
“That's an accusation.”
“No. It's a question.”
Cole turned toward Mercer, who had just entered.
“Chief, this is getting out of hand.”
Mercer looked at the documents.
“What happened?”
Claire answered.
“The original package appears to have been divided before transfer. The record accounts for one container but does not identify the second.”
Mercer stared at the page.
“Patricia, have you seen this before?”
“I don't remember seeing it.”
Cole interrupted.
“Because it's meaningless. It's a routine notation.”
Claire placed the document back into the sleeve.
“Then the supporting record should clarify it.”
Cole shook his head.
“You're wasting everyone's time.”
Claire looked at him.
“Officer Cole, I suggest you stop discussing the contents of the records until the preservation process is complete.”
He laughed.
“Now you're giving me orders?”
“I'm advising you not to interfere with the inspection.”
Cole took a step toward the table.
Mercer moved between them.
“That's enough, Daniel.”
For a moment, the two men stared at each other.
Then Cole turned and walked out.
Claire watched him leave.
She had not expected the first day to be easy.
But she had not expected an officer to become so visibly agitated over a routine request for documentation.
9. A Phone Call From Washington
At 4:02 p.m., Claire stepped into the corridor and called her supervisor.
His name was Deputy Inspector General Martin Shaw.
He answered after the second ring.
“Bennett.”
“Sir, I need to update you on the North River inspection.”
“Go ahead.”