Their conversation was quiet but tense.
Mercer kept looking toward the sealed envelope.
At one point, he glanced at Victoria.
She met his eyes.
He looked away first.
Naomi noticed.
“He knows more than he's saying.”
“Perhaps,” Victoria replied.
“You heard him on the phone.”
“I heard him say that Cole had brought the original.”
“That is not an innocent reaction.”
“No. But it is not proof of complicity either.”
Naomi shut her notebook.
“You are determined not to accuse anyone.”
“I am determined not to give them a reason to dismiss the evidence as a personal dispute.”
“You have been handcuffed in front of a full courtroom.”
“And I am still here.”
Naomi studied her.
“Doesn't any of this make you angry?”
Victoria looked down at her wrists.
The marks left by the handcuffs were faint but visible.
“Yes.”
“Then why do you keep smiling?”
Victoria was quiet for a moment.
“Because anger is what they expect me to show. If I lose control, they can describe me as unstable. If I accuse someone without evidence, they can call me reckless. If I react to every provocation, they can make the entire case about my personality instead of the records.”
She looked toward the bench.
“I refuse to make their job easier.”
Naomi's expression softened.
“You should have told me about the false death record sooner.”
“I told you Cole's identity was at risk. I did not know how far the problem went.”
“And now?”
“Now I know that someone has access to records they should not be able to change.”
Naomi lowered her voice.
“Do you think the department is involved?”
“I think someone inside the system has information they should not have. I think the evidence was altered. I think the warrant was based on material that was not properly verified.”
“That still leaves a lot of possibilities.”
“Exactly.”
Naomi glanced toward Mercer.
“Do you think he knows who did it?”
“I don't know.”
“Do you trust him?”
“No.”
“Do you trust anyone in that department?”
Victoria considered the question.
“I trust records that can be independently verified. I trust people who are willing to let their statements be tested. And I trust procedures that preserve evidence even when the evidence is inconvenient.”
“That wasn't what I asked.”
“I know.”
Before Naomi could respond, the judge returned to the bench.
The attorneys took their places.
Judge Whitaker addressed the room.
“The court has reviewed the preliminary materials and the parties' submissions. Several issues require immediate attention.”
He lifted the disputed affidavit.
“First, the statement attributed to Benjamin Cole has not been authenticated. Second, the digital exhibits contain discrepancies that have not been adequately explained. Third, the defense has presented evidence that the individual identified as a central witness was incorrectly recorded as deceased.”
He paused.
“These are not minor clerical questions. They go directly to the reliability of the materials used to support the arrest.”
Mercer stood.
“Your Honor, the prosecution requests additional time to review the records and determine whether the discrepancies affect the pending allegations.”
“How much time?”
“Forty-eight hours.”
Naomi rose.
“The defense objects to an open-ended delay. Ms. Hayes has been arrested on the basis of evidence that may have been altered. We request immediate relief from the restrictions imposed on her and an order preserving the relevant records.”
Judge Whitaker nodded.
“The preservation request is granted. No party or agency involved in the preparation, transmission, storage, or review of the disputed records may delete, overwrite, or modify relevant material. Any necessary technical intervention must be documented and performed in a manner that preserves the original data.”
He looked toward the prosecution.
“The court also orders the prosecution to identify the source of each disputed exhibit and provide a complete chain-of-custody record within the period I will specify.”
Mercer swallowed.
“Yes, Your Honor.”
“As for the arrest, I will hear further argument after the prosecution's initial review. I am not prepared to make a final determination today about every allegation, but I am equally unwilling to allow an unverified record to justify continued restrictions without a clear legal basis.”
Victoria listened without expression.
Judge Whitaker turned to Wallace, who was still present near the rear wall.
“Officer Wallace.”
Wallace straightened.
“Yes, Your Honor.”
“Did you personally verify the warrant before arresting Ms. Hayes?”
“No, Your Honor.”
“Did you personally verify the instruction from Lieutenant Reed?”
“No.”
“Do you have any evidence that Ms. Hayes attempted to flee, destroy evidence, or physically resist you?”
“No, Your Honor.”
“Then explain why you used handcuffs and escorted her through the courthouse as though she presented an immediate threat.”
Wallace's face reddened.
“I was following the procedure I was given.”
“Procedure is not a magic word that excuses the absence of judgment.”
“Yes, Your Honor.”
“You are not being asked to decide whether Ms. Hayes is guilty. You are being asked to explain what you did and why. Do you understand the distinction?”
“Yes.”
“Good. You will provide a complete written account to the appropriate reviewing authority. The court will not accept a summary that omits the source of your instructions or the steps you failed to take.”
Wallace nodded.
“Yes, Your Honor.”
The judge looked at him for another moment.
“Officer, you made a decision based on information you did not verify. You may believe you were following orders, but an order does not relieve you of the obligation to exercise lawful judgment.”
Wallace stared at the floor.
Victoria watched him.
For a moment, she remembered the corridor.
His hand on her arm.
His mocking voice.
His certainty that nobody in the courtroom would care what she thought.
She could have asked the judge to reprimand him further.
She could have demanded that the court publicly condemn his behavior.
Instead, she waited.
There would be time to address Wallace's conduct through the proper process.
The more urgent question was who had given him the instruction.
Judge Whitaker returned to the disputed evidence.
“Mr. Mercer, one final question. Has anyone from your office contacted Benjamin Cole directly?”
Mercer hesitated.
“Not to my knowledge.”
“Has anyone from your office contacted him through an intermediary?”
“I would need to review the communication records.”
“Then do so.”
The judge closed the file.
“We will reconvene tomorrow morning. The court expects the parties to return with verified information, not speculation.”
He struck the gavel.
The hearing was adjourned for the day.
People began gathering their belongings.
Victoria closed her notebook and placed it inside the blue handbag.
Naomi leaned toward her.
“You realize what happens now?”
“Yes.”
“The case may expand beyond the arrest. If the affidavit was fabricated, we could be looking at misconduct, obstruction, or more serious offenses depending on what the evidence establishes.”
“I know.”
“And if the original document identifies someone powerful?”
Victoria fastened the handbag.
“Then we will need to be even more careful.”
Naomi watched her.
“You still think this is about the records.”
Victoria stood.
“I think the records are the only reason this happened.”
Across the room, Mercer was packing his folder.
His phone vibrated.
He looked at the screen and stepped toward the hallway.
Victoria saw him read the message.
Then she saw his face go completely still.
He typed a response.
Deleted it.
Typed again.
Finally, he turned off the screen and slipped the phone into his pocket.
Naomi followed Victoria's gaze.
“What is it?”
“I'm not sure.”
“Do you want to ask him?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
Victoria lifted the blue handbag.
“Because if someone is communicating with him, I want to know who they are before he knows we are looking.”
She walked toward the courtroom doors.
For the first time that day, her smile was gone.
The hearing had exposed the false affidavit.
It had exposed the altered digital records.
It had exposed the death record of a man who was still alive.