Elena looked at the next page.
"There's another name."
She pointed to a column of administrative approvals.
James Vance.
The deputy chief's name appeared beside several authorizations.
Daniel did not speak.
He had suspected that the corruption extended beyond one aggressive officer.
Now he had a collection of records suggesting that misconduct, financial irregularities, and evidence suppression might have been connected.
The evidence team continued documenting the room.
They found boxes containing complaints from residents, copies of internal emails, and financial records from several previous administrations.
Some documents were damaged.
Others had been deliberately separated from their original files.
The team worked for hours.
By the time they finished the initial inventory, the Shadow Vault had become the most important source of evidence in the investigation.
Daniel looked at the shelves one last time.
"Secure the entrance. Nobody enters this room without written authorization."
The evidence specialist nodded.
"What happens next, Chief?"
Daniel closed his folder.
"Now we find out who put these records here, who ordered them hidden, and who benefited from keeping them out of sight."
***
At 1:40 p.m., Daniel returned to the second floor.
He had barely entered the corridor when Olivia approached him.
"Chief, Internal Affairs is ready for the interview with Officer Hayes."
"Good. Has his suspension been formally recorded?"
"Yes. His equipment was collected, his access was restricted, and the original incident footage has been secured."
Daniel nodded.
"Make sure the independent investigators receive the evidence inventory from the basement."
"Understood."
Daniel entered the interview room.
Victor Hayes was seated at a metal table.
His uniform shirt was still on, but his badge and duty belt had been removed. He looked tired and irritated.
When Daniel entered, Victor immediately stood.
"Chief."
"Sit down, Officer Hayes."
Victor sat.
Daniel placed a folder on the table.
"You have been given an opportunity to provide a formal statement about the incident at reception."
"I already explained what happened."
"Then explain it again."
Victor rubbed his hands together.
"I saw someone entering the building. I didn't recognize him, and I thought he might be a threat."
"Did you ask for identification?"
"No."
"Did you tell him to stop?"
"I told him he couldn't enter."
"Did he refuse to cooperate?"
Victor hesitated.
"He didn't immediately explain who he was."
Daniel looked at him.
"Did you grab him?"
"Yes."
"Did you strike him?"
Victor lowered his eyes.
"Yes."
"Why?"
"I thought he was being disrespectful."
Daniel remained silent for a moment.
Then he opened the folder.
"This is not the first complaint involving your conduct."
Victor looked up.
"What does that mean?"
"It means we have identified previous complaints involving unnecessary force, intimidation, and the handling of incident reports."
Victor shifted in his chair.
"Those cases were closed."
"Some were closed without complete investigative records."
"That's not my responsibility."
Daniel removed a document from the folder.
"This complaint concerns an incident two years ago. A civilian alleged that you struck him during an arrest while he was already restrained."
Victor's face tightened.
"That was investigated."
"Where is the original footage?"
"I don't know."
"Why does the official report say the camera malfunctioned when the original recording is listed in the archive we discovered today?"
Victor stared at the document.
For several seconds, he did not answer.
Daniel continued.
"Another complaint concerns an incident at a private business where officers were reportedly paid to provide security while ignoring suspected criminal activity."
Victor shook his head.
"I don't know anything about that."
Daniel opened the financial ledger.
Your name appears here."
Victor looked down.
His expression changed.
"That doesn't mean anything."
"What does it mean?"
"I did private security work. Officers do that all the time."
"Was it authorized?"
Victor said nothing.
"Were the payments declared?"
"I'd have to check."
"Did you receive payments from businesses that were under investigation by this department?"
Victor looked toward the door.
"I want a lawyer."
Daniel nodded.
"That is your right. The interview will stop here."
He closed the folder.
Victor looked relieved.
But Daniel was not finished.
"One thing before we end. You should understand that the investigation is not limited to what happened this morning. We will examine every relevant record and every transaction. No one will be asked to confess to something they did not do, but no one will be protected from evidence that establishes misconduct."
Victor lowered his head.
Daniel left the room.
***
By late afternoon, the first independent review of the Shadow Vault had identified a significant number of records that had been deliberately excluded from the department's normal reporting system.
The financial ledgers suggested that certain officers had received payments from private businesses.
The complaint files showed that some civilian allegations had never been properly investigated.
The evidence inventory contained original recordings that had previously been described as lost or corrupted.
And several administrative documents connected the storage operation to the office of James Vance.
Daniel requested an emergency meeting with the independent investigation lead.
The meeting began at 4:00 p.m.
Elena presented the initial findings.
"We have identified three broad categories of material," she explained. "First, internal complaints that were never entered into the official system. Second, original evidence recordings that were reported as unavailable. Third, financial records connected to private security arrangements and procurement transactions."