Peter Evans: "He said I should remember that officers are expected to support each other."
Emily looked toward Peter.
Emily Carter: "Did he ask you to change your statement?"
Peter Evans: "Not directly. But he suggested that I leave out the part where he touched Agent Carter."
Mitchell's expression became stern.
Captain Mitchell: "Did he explain why?"
Peter Evans: "He said it would make the incident look worse than it was."
Emily made a note.
Emily Carter: "Did you preserve that conversation in any way?"
Peter Evans: "I sent myself a message immediately afterward, recording the time and what was said."
Emily nodded.
Emily Carter: "That was sensible. Keep the original message."
Mitchell placed the incident report on his desk.
Captain Mitchell: "Peter, I want you to understand that no employee should feel pressured to change an honest statement. If anyone approaches you again, report it immediately."
Peter Evans: "Yes, sir."
Captain Mitchell: "You may return to your duties."
Peter left the office.
Emily looked at the captain.
Emily Carter: "We should include his account in the documentation, but keep the incident report separate from the evidence investigation."
Captain Mitchell: "Agreed."
Emily closed her notebook.
Emily Carter: "There is another person I would like to interview."
Captain Mitchell: "Who?"
Emily Carter: "Thomas Reed. He works in evidence management."
Mitchell considered the request.
Captain Mitchell: "Thomas is a records technician. He has no authority over the evidence itself."
Emily Carter: "That may be exactly why he is important. People who maintain records often notice inconsistencies that senior officers overlook."
Mitchell reached for the phone.
Captain Mitchell: "I'll ask him to come here."
Emily stopped him again.
Emily Carter: "Please don't send a message that reveals the subject of the conversation. Simply ask him to attend a meeting about the preservation process."
Mitchell nodded and contacted the records supervisor.
While they waited, Emily reviewed the original transfer list.
There were seven items in total.
Three witness statements.
Two digital storage devices.
One financial ledger.
And one envelope containing handwritten notes from a confidential informant.
The last item was particularly sensitive.
According to the federal case file, the informant had provided information about a network of individuals involved in fraudulent property transactions and the movement of illegal payments through several shell companies.
If the informant's identity had been exposed, that person could be placed in serious danger.
Emily turned the page.
The transfer receipt for the envelope contained a handwritten note.
"Transferred to secure storage by authorization of R. Collins."
Emily read it again.
Captain Mitchell noticed.
Captain Mitchell: "What is it?"
Emily showed him the note.
Mitchell's face changed.
Captain Mitchell: "Collins authorized the transfer?"
Emily Carter: "That is what the receipt says."
Captain Mitchell: "I don't remember approving this."
Emily Carter: "Was he authorized to move confidential evidence independently?"
Mitchell shook his head.
Captain Mitchell: "Not without the case officer's approval."
Emily Carter: "Then we need to establish whether that approval exists."
Mitchell looked toward the door.
Captain Mitchell: "I'll have the original authorization located."
Emily Carter: "Please make sure nobody is informed about the specific envelope until it has been secured."
Mitchell nodded.
The office became quiet.
Both of them understood that the stakes had changed.
The missing documents were important, but the possible exposure of a confidential informant made the investigation much more urgent.
At 10:16 a.m., Thomas Reed arrived.
He stood near the doorway, holding a small notebook.
Thomas Reed: "You wanted to see me, Captain?"
Mitchell gestured toward the chair.
Captain Mitchell: "Please sit down, Thomas. This is Agent Carter. She is assisting with a review of several evidence records."
Thomas glanced at Emily.
Emily Carter: "Good morning, Mr. Reed. Thank you for coming."
Thomas Reed: "Good morning."
Emily indicated the folder on the desk.
Emily Carter: "We are reviewing a number of transfer records from September and October. I understand that you work with the evidence management system."
Thomas Reed: "Yes. I maintain the records and process the transfer documentation."
Emily Carter: "Have you noticed any inconsistencies in the records recently?"
Thomas looked toward Mitchell.
The captain nodded slightly.
Captain Mitchell: "Answer honestly. This is an official review."
Thomas took a breath.
Thomas Reed: "Yes. I have noticed several things that did not seem right."
Emily did not interrupt.
Thomas Reed: "Some transfer receipts have signatures that don't match the original personnel records. A few items were moved in the database without a corresponding physical transfer form. There were also requests to change case references after the records had already been closed."
Emily wrote down each point.
Emily Carter: "Did you report these problems?"
Thomas Reed: "I mentioned them to my supervisor."
Emily Carter: "What happened?"
Thomas looked uncomfortable.
Thomas Reed: "I was told that the changes had been approved by senior management and that I should not delay the work."
Captain Mitchell leaned forward.
Captain Mitchell: "Who told you that?"
Thomas hesitated.
Thomas Reed: "Lieutenant Collins."
The captain's expression tightened.
Captain Mitchell: "Did he give you written instructions?"