"Rebecca, do not go anywhere alone. Keep your records secure, and do not contact anyone from the department unless we arrange it through the external investigators."
"Understood."
"I'll contact you again."
He ended the call.
Iris looked at him.
"Now do you understand why I was afraid?"
Marcus nodded.
"Yes."
She looked down at the brown envelope.
"I tried to tell them. I tried to tell everyone. But nobody wanted to listen."
Marcus gathered the documents carefully.
"I believe you."
Iris looked up.
"Do you?"
"Yes."
She seemed close to tears.
For months, she had been treated as a troublesome former employee.
Her evidence had been dismissed.
Her requests had been ignored.
And the people she believed responsible had continued working inside the institution she had once served.
Now, for the first time, someone with authority was examining the records.
Marcus placed the documents back inside the envelope.
"But believing you isn't enough," he said. "We need to prove every allegation. We need the original records, the system logs, and the testimony of everyone involved."
Iris nodded.
"I know."
"Can you identify the person who gave the instruction to remove your access?"
"Yes."
"Who?"
She looked at him.
"Deputy Commissioner Harold Bennett."
Marcus remained silent.
Iris continued.
"He came to the archive himself. He told me that the department had decided to close the matter. He said I had become a liability."
"Did he threaten you?"
"He told me that if I continued, I would lose everything."
Marcus looked toward the storage unit door.
"Did anyone else hear that conversation?"
"Daniel Price."
"Then his testimony is important."
Iris nodded.
"He recorded part of it."
Marcus looked up sharply.
"He recorded it?"
"Yes. He had been documenting the changes because he knew the official records were being altered."
"Where is the recording?"
"With him."
Marcus immediately called Daniel Kim.
"Sergeant, I need an update."
Daniel answered.
"Commander, we've found something."
"What?"
"We checked the department vehicle logs. The black sedan seen outside Iris's apartment was assigned to Deputy Chief Voss's office."
Marcus looked at Iris.
"Who was driving it?"
"Officer Michael Turner."
Marcus's expression hardened.
"Where is Turner now?"
"He's currently assigned to the central records unit."
"Has he left the building?"
"Not yet."
"Do not confront him. Have an external investigator secure his workstation and preserve the access logs. We need to know which records he has accessed recently."
"Understood."
Marcus continued.
"Also, we've located a former evidence officer named Daniel Price. Do you have his current address?"
"Not yet, sir. But we've found a vehicle registered to him near the northern industrial district."
"Send the location to me. Arrange a team through the external investigation unit."
"Yes, Commander."
Marcus ended the call.
He looked toward Iris.
"We need to move you somewhere safe."
She tightened her grip on the envelope.
"Where?"
"A protected location arranged by the independent investigators."
She hesitated.
"What about the documents?"
"They will be secured and copied under a documented chain of custody."
Iris nodded.
Marcus called the external liaison team.
He explained the situation and requested immediate assistance.
Within twenty minutes, two investigators arrived at the storage facility.
They introduced themselves, reviewed the evidence, and began documenting the boxes and folders.
Every item was assigned a reference number.
Photographs were taken.
The contents were recorded.
The original documents were placed in secure containers.
Marcus watched the process carefully.
He wanted no opportunity for anyone to claim that the evidence had been altered after leaving Iris's possession.
One investigator approached him.
"Commander, we have completed the initial inventory. There are thirty-seven physical folders, two notebooks, and several digital storage devices."
Marcus looked at the containers.
"Are the digital devices secured?"
"Yes. We'll create verified forensic copies before examining their contents."
"Good."
The investigator continued.
"We also found a separate envelope inside the filing cabinet. It appears to contain photographs and handwritten notes."
Marcus looked at Iris.
She nodded.
"That's the material Daniel Price gave me."
The investigator opened the envelope carefully.
Inside were several photographs of the old evidence archive.
One showed a row of metal shelves.
Another showed a man carrying a box toward a service vehicle.
The third showed a close-up of an evidence transfer sheet.
Marcus studied the photographs.
The man carrying the box was Graham Voss.
The date printed on the photograph was seven years earlier.
Marcus looked at Iris.
"Where was this taken?"
"At the old archive building."
"What was in the box?"
"Evidence records from the Eastbridge investigation."
Marcus stared at the photograph.
The Eastbridge case.
His case.
The case that had built his reputation as a careful investigator.
He had believed that the evidence was complete.
He had believed that the final report accurately reflected everything the department knew.
Now he was looking at a photograph suggesting that a senior official had personally removed records connected to that investigation.
Marcus felt a deep sense of anger, but he kept his expression controlled.
He turned toward the investigator.
"Make sure this photograph is included in the evidence inventory."
"Yes, Commander."
The investigator placed it inside a protective sleeve.
A few minutes later, Marcus received a message from Daniel Kim.
The message contained an address.