Then she spoke.
"Mr. Price, I want you to listen carefully. We can discuss appropriate protective measures. You do not have to meet anyone from the precinct. You do not have to contact any of the people involved. We will arrange a secure meeting through my office."
Price whispered:
"Thank you."
"One more thing. Do you believe Officer Keller was involved in the evidence alterations?"
Price hesitated.
Then he answered.
"I believe he knew what was happening."
"That's not the same as proving he participated."
"I know."
"Can you explain the difference?"
Price took a deep breath.
"Because Keller wasn't the person changing the records. But he was the person who knew which reports needed to be changed."
Simone wrote down the sentence.
It was an important distinction.
"All right," she said. "We'll speak in person."
After the call ended, Elena looked at her.
"That changes things."
"Yes."
"Should we bring Keller in for another interview?"
"Not yet."
"Why?"
"Because we need the original recording first. We need to establish authenticity, preserve the chain of custody, and determine whether there are additional copies."
Elena nodded.
Simone looked toward the window.
The afternoon light was beginning to fade.
Somewhere inside the precinct, Daniel Keller was probably trying to understand how a single morning confrontation had turned into a federal investigation of his professional life.
He might have believed that throwing Simone's badge into the trash was the worst mistake he had made.
But it wasn't.
The worst mistake was believing that the people around him would remain silent forever.
The following morning, Simone arrived at the precinct before 8:00 a.m.
She had barely slept.
The new information from Daniel Price had changed the direction of the investigation. Her team was no longer examining isolated incidents of questionable administrative decisions. They were investigating a possible coordinated effort to manipulate official police records and conceal misconduct.
At 8:20 a.m., Chief Whitmore called her into his office.
He looked unusually serious.
"Investigator Brooks, I need to tell you something."
"What happened?"
"Captain Lawson has requested immediate medical leave."
Simone raised an eyebrow.
"When?"
"About thirty minutes ago. He submitted the request electronically."
"Did he provide a reason?"
"Personal medical circumstances."
"Has he left the building?"
"Yes."
Simone considered the timing.
"Was he aware that Daniel Price had agreed to cooperate?"
"Not according to anything I've been told."
"Then we shouldn't assume he knows."
Whitmore nodded.
"I also received a message from Deputy Records Administrator Mercer. He's requesting access to his personal files."
"Did he explain why?"
"He says he needs to retrieve documents for an employment matter."
Simone looked at him.
"Has he been told that his records are subject to preservation?"
"Yes."
"Then he should not access anything until the preservation process is complete."
Whitmore nodded.
"I'll make sure of that."
Simone stood.
"Chief, I need you to understand that the next twenty-four hours are important. We may need to secure several electronic devices and obtain additional records."
"Do you believe someone is going to destroy evidence?"
"I believe we have enough reason to take precautions."
Whitmore looked toward the door.
"I'll cooperate."
Simone paused.
"Chief, one more thing. I need you to think carefully about every complaint that was dismissed during the past year. Not just the ones connected to Keller. Every complaint involving evidence handling, unauthorized access, or pressure on witnesses."
Whitmore looked troubled.
"That's a lot of files."
"Then we'll review them one at a time."
At 10:30 a.m., Daniel Price arrived at a secure federal office outside the precinct.
He was a thin man in his late thirties, with tired eyes and a nervous expression. He wore a dark jacket and carried a small backpack.
Elena Morris met him at the entrance.
"Mr. Price?"
"Yes."
"I'm Elena Morris. Investigator Brooks is waiting for you."
Price followed her down the corridor.
When he entered the interview room, Simone stood.
"Thank you for coming."
Price nodded.
He sat down and placed the backpack on the table.
"I brought the recording."
Simone did not immediately reach for it.
"Is this the original device?"
"Yes. It's an old digital recorder. I used it for work notes."
"Has the file been copied?"
"Not since I saved it."
"Has the device been modified?"
"No."
Simone gestured toward the evidence specialist.
"Please document the device and create a forensic copy."
The specialist put on gloves and began the process.
Price watched nervously.
"Will this be enough?"
"It will help us establish what the recording contains and whether it is authentic."
He nodded.
Simone opened her notebook.
"Before we listen, I'd like you to describe what happened."
Price rubbed his hands together.
"I worked in the evidence division for six years. Most of my job was routine. Logging items, checking transfers, making sure everything was stored properly."
"Did you have access to the case-management system?"
"Yes, but only for evidence-related records."
"Who supervised you?"
"Lieutenant Harris."
"And Captain Lawson?"
"He oversaw the division."
Price looked down.
"At first, I thought he was just demanding. He wanted everything done quickly. He didn't like delays. If a report had an error, he wanted it corrected immediately."
"Was that unusual?"
"Not necessarily. But then I started noticing that some corrections weren't corrections at all."
"Explain."
Price took a breath.
"Sometimes the original record would show that an item had been transferred at a certain time. Then someone would request that the time be changed. The explanation was always that the officer had made a mistake."
"Was there supporting documentation?"
"Sometimes. Sometimes there wasn't."
"Did you refuse?"
"At first, yes."
"What happened?"
"Mercer told me I was making things difficult."
"Did he threaten you?"
"He said I should remember who approved my schedule and who could recommend disciplinary action."
Simone wrote that down.
Price continued.
"Then Lawson called me into the records room. Harris was there. Keller came in a few minutes later."
"What was discussed?"
"Lawson said the Walker case was becoming a problem. He said the attorney had started asking questions about the evidence transfer history."
"Did he mention the missing body-camera footage?"
"Yes."
Price looked directly at Simone.
"He said they needed to make sure the paperwork was consistent."
Simone remained still.
"What did Keller say?"
"He said the report already reflected the incident correctly. He said the footage was incomplete and that nobody could prove what happened during the missing section."
"And Harris?"
"He said the evidence log had already been updated."