"Because the person who removed it knew exactly where to look."

The captain swallowed.

"Detective... are you saying someone inside this department—"

Daniel interrupted him.

"I'm not saying anything yet."

He glanced at the small earpiece.

A faint voice came through.

"Detective Cross, we've got confirmation."

Daniel's eyes narrowed.

"Go ahead."

The voice responded:

"The evidence was transferred tonight. We identified the vehicle."

Daniel looked at Captain Hayes.

"Whose vehicle?"

There was a brief pause.

Then the voice delivered the answer.

"Captain Robert Hayes."

Silence.

Mitchell slowly turned toward his superior.

Hayes stood motionless.

For the first time that night, Daniel smiled.

"Captain," he said quietly, "I think you and I need to have a very different conversation."

THE COP CUFFED THE WRONG MAN — HE HAD NO IDEA WHO WAS LISTENING

Chapter 2 — The Captain's Biggest Mistake

The silence that followed Daniel Cross's final words was almost unbearable.

Captain Robert Hayes stood beneath the flashing emergency lights, his face illuminated in alternating shades of red and blue. For nearly twenty years, he had built a reputation as a disciplined, respected officer. He had survived internal investigations, political pressure, departmental scandals, and countless difficult nights on the streets of Chicago.

But now, standing only a few feet from Daniel Cross, he understood that something had gone terribly wrong.

His own name had just been connected to missing evidence.