Victoria did not respond immediately.
She looked at Foster, who had stopped writing.
"Mr. Dawson," the investigator said carefully, "are you certain?"
Dawson nodded.
"I have the original configuration request."
"Where?"
"In the archived authorization folder."
"Can you retrieve it?"
He hesitated.
"Yes, but I need to explain something first."
Victoria folded her arms.
"Go ahead."
Dawson glanced at the door.
"The request came from Deputy Chief Sullivan's office. It was submitted as an emergency access arrangement for executive oversight."
Foster asked, "Who authorized it?"
"Sullivan's signature was attached."
"Did he personally submit it?"
"I don't know."
Dawson opened another file.
A scanned document appeared.
The signature was visible at the bottom.
Victoria studied it.
It looked authentic.
But that proved only that the document contained Sullivan's signature, not that he had personally requested the access profile.
"Preserve the original," Foster instructed. "Don't modify or export anything until our forensic team arrives."
Dawson nodded.
Victoria stepped away from the desk.
"Special Investigator, we need to determine whether Sullivan knew how the profile was being used."
Foster agreed.
"Yes. But we also need to consider that he may have been involved from the beginning."
Victoria did not like the possibility.
Sullivan had personally introduced her to the precinct. He had spoken about reform and accountability. He had also warned her about sensitive investigations.
She remembered his expression when she showed him the payment records.
The hesitation.
The fear.
The request to stop accessing the Sentinel files.
At the time, she had interpreted those reactions as concern about institutional instability.
Now she wondered whether they were something else.
At 2:15 p.m., Sullivan called her office.
"Captain Hayes. I need to see you."
Victoria glanced at Foster.
"Can you come to my office?"
"No. My office. Now."
The call ended.
Foster looked at her.
"Don't go alone."
Victoria nodded.
They walked to Sullivan's office together.
The deputy chief was standing behind his desk.
His expression was unusually tense.
"I understand you've been questioning Eric Dawson."
"We're conducting an authorized review," Foster replied.
Sullivan looked irritated.
"I was not informed that my technology staff were being interviewed."
"That's because the interview concerns evidence access and system integrity."
Sullivan looked at Victoria.
"Captain, we need to talk."
"Then let's talk."
He gestured toward the chairs.
Victoria remained standing.
Sullivan noticed.
"Fine. I received information that you have been examining an administrative access profile associated with my office."
"That's correct."
"That profile was created for emergency system oversight."
"Who requested it?"
"I did."
"Did you authorize Lieutenant Bennett to use it?"
Sullivan frowned.
"Not to my knowledge."
"Did you authorize access to confidential witness recordings?"
"Absolutely not."
"Did you authorize the deletion or alteration of investigation records?"
"No."
Victoria watched him closely.
"Then you should have no objection to a complete audit of your office's access history."
Sullivan's jaw tightened.
"This is getting out of control."
Foster stepped forward.
"Deputy Chief, the review is being conducted through the appropriate oversight channels. We need your cooperation."
Sullivan looked at her.
"Do you understand the damage this could cause?"
Foster replied calmly.
"I understand the damage caused when evidence is compromised."
Sullivan turned back to Victoria.
"You came here to improve this department. Instead, you've created a crisis."
Victoria's expression remained firm.
"I didn't create the irregularities. I found them."
He walked around his desk.
"Listen to me. There are people in this department who have spent decades building relationships. You cannot simply walk in and dismantle everything based on a handful of suspicious documents."
Victoria took a breath.
"And you cannot use decades of service as a reason to avoid scrutiny."
Sullivan stared at her.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then his phone rang.
He looked at the screen.
His expression changed.
He answered.
"Yes?"
A voice spoke too quietly for Victoria to hear.
Sullivan's face grew pale.
"Where?"
He listened again.
Then he slowly lowered the phone.
Foster stepped forward.
"What happened?"
Sullivan looked at Victoria.
"Lieutenant Bennett is gone."
Victoria frowned.
"What do you mean, gone?"
"His office is empty. His vehicle is missing."
"Has anyone confirmed whether he left the building?"
Sullivan nodded.
"Security says he exited through the rear parking area forty minutes ago."
Foster immediately reached for her phone.
"Has he been contacted?"
"No."
Victoria looked toward the door.
"Then we need to locate him before he has an opportunity to destroy anything else."
Sullivan said nothing.
But Victoria noticed something.
He was not surprised.
He looked as if he had been expecting this.