Daniel Mitchell stared at the empty locker as if he expected the missing folder to suddenly reappear.
The white envelope remained in Victoria's hand. Its message was written in thick black ink, each letter deliberately formed.
YOU WERE WARNED. NOW STOP DIGGING.
Mitchell swallowed.
"Captain, I swear I didn't tell anyone about the folder."
Victoria looked at him.
"I believe you."
"But how did they know?"
"That's what we're going to find out."
She examined the locker without touching its contents. There were no obvious signs of forced entry. The lock appeared undamaged, and Mitchell's personal belongings had been moved only slightly.
Someone had known exactly which locker to open.
That meant the person responsible either had access to the locker assignments or had been watching Mitchell.
Victoria stepped away.
"Don't touch anything else."
Mitchell nodded.
She called the duty supervisor and requested that the area be secured. Within minutes, two officers arrived to establish a temporary perimeter.
Detective Marcus Reed appeared shortly afterward.
"What happened?"
Victoria showed him the envelope.
Reed read the message and looked toward Mitchell.
"They took the folder?"
Mitchell nodded.
"Yesterday's documents. Everything."
Reed's expression darkened.
"That folder may have contained the original case summaries."
"Exactly," Victoria replied.
She turned toward the security camera above the locker room entrance.
"Let's see who entered this area."
The duty supervisor accessed the security system from a nearby terminal. The footage covered the corridor, the entrance to the locker room, and part of the adjacent equipment storage area.
The recording from the previous evening showed several officers passing through.
At 7:18 p.m., a uniformed employee entered the corridor.
At 7:21 p.m., another person appeared.
At 7:24 p.m., the camera briefly went black.
The screen returned eleven minutes later.
Victoria leaned closer.
"Go back."
The supervisor replayed the footage.
The same sequence repeated.
"Why does the camera lose eleven minutes?"
"Could be a network interruption," the supervisor answered.
"Was there a maintenance request?"
"I'll check."
Victoria shook her head.
"Don't assume it's a technical problem. Preserve the original footage and the system logs."
The supervisor nodded.
Reed folded his arms.
"Someone knew where the camera's blind spot was."
"Or someone created it."
The supervisor looked uncomfortable.
"Captain, I should tell you that the security system is managed by the administrative technology unit."
"Who has access?"
"Lieutenant Bennett, Deputy Chief Sullivan, and two technical administrators."
Victoria exchanged a glance with Reed.
Three possible access points.
One of them had already become a central figure in the investigation.
"Get me the access history for the past thirty days."
"Yes, Captain."
After the supervisor left, Mitchell stepped closer.
"There's something else."
Victoria turned.
"What is it?"
"Yesterday, after Lieutenant Bennett gave me the folder, he asked whether I'd reviewed the Sentinel cases. I told him I hadn't had time."
"And?"
"He said I should be careful. He specifically told me not to discuss the documents with anyone, especially you."
Reed looked at him.
"Did he explain why?"
"No."
Mitchell rubbed his forehead.
"I thought he was just trying to protect the department. I didn't realize..."
He stopped.
Victoria's voice softened slightly.
"Officer, understanding what happened is more important than blaming yourself for what you didn't know."
Mitchell nodded.
"I want to help."
"Then tell the truth, even when it's uncomfortable."
Before he could respond, Victoria's phone vibrated.
A message had arrived from the independent oversight office.
Captain Hayes, we have reviewed your preliminary report. An external investigator has been assigned. Please preserve all related evidence and avoid conducting interviews without coordination.
Victoria read it twice.
Then she showed Reed.
"Good. We're getting additional support."
Reed nodded.
"Maybe now Bennett will have to answer some questions."
Victoria looked toward the corridor.
"Not just Bennett."
She turned to Mitchell.
"I need you to prepare a written statement about the folder, the conversation, and the missing documents. Include every detail you remember."
Mitchell agreed.
As he walked away, Reed lowered his voice.
"Do you think he's telling us everything?"
Victoria considered the question.
"I think he's frightened."
"That's not the same thing."
"No. But fear can make people remember details they previously ignored."
Reed glanced at the empty locker.
"Someone is trying to make an example of him."
Victoria placed the threatening envelope inside an evidence sleeve.
"Then we need to establish who benefits from his silence."
She looked at the security camera again.
Its small red indicator light continued blinking.
For the first time, Victoria wondered whether the person responsible for the missing folder had been watching her since the moment she entered the precinct.
And if that was true, the threat was much bigger than she had initially imagined.
Because the enemy was not standing outside the building.
The enemy was already inside.