***
At 8:05 p.m., Olivia was preparing to leave when Daniel called her back to the office.
"Olivia, one more thing."
"Yes, Chief?"
"Do you remember whether anyone contacted the reception desk before I arrived this morning?"
She thought for a moment.
"Not that I remember."
"Did anyone ask about my appointment?"
"No. The official announcement was sent to the department, but I hadn't opened it yet."
Daniel nodded.
"Was the announcement visible on the reception system?"
"Yes, but it required opening the administrative notification."
"Who normally checks those messages?"
"Usually me or the front office supervisor."
"Did anyone tell you not to announce my arrival?"
Olivia looked confused.
"No, Chief."
"Did anyone tell you to treat an unfamiliar visitor as a potential threat?"
She hesitated.
"Officer Hayes has always been very strict about people entering the lobby. But nobody gave me a specific instruction about you."
Daniel made a note.
"Thank you. You can go home."
Olivia picked up her bag.
At the door, she turned around.
"Chief?"
"Yes?"
"I hope you know that not everyone here is like Victor."
Daniel looked at her.
"I hope so too."
She gave a small nod and left.
Daniel returned to the documents.
He had spent years investigating cases in which powerful people tried to control the evidence before anyone had the opportunity to examine it.
The pattern was familiar.
First came intimidation.
Then came pressure to handle everything quietly.
After that, records disappeared, witnesses changed their statements, and the official explanation became impossible to challenge.
Bellwood appeared to be following the same pattern.
But Daniel had not come to the city to preserve appearances.
He had come to find out what had happened.
***
At 9:20 p.m., Elena sent him a message.
She had located an old architectural plan showing a lower level beneath the main station. The area was not included in the current building directory.
The plan identified a sealed storage section behind the boiler room.
There was no official description of what was stored there.
Daniel opened the attachment.
The lower-level drawing showed a narrow maintenance corridor leading to a reinforced door.
A handwritten note appeared in the margin.
EVIDENCE OVERFLOW B β RESTRICTED ACCESS.
Daniel zoomed in.
The note was old, but the handwriting was clear.
He called Elena.
"Where did you find this?"
"In the municipal property archive. It was attached to an old renovation plan."
"Does the room still exist?"
"The building records say it was sealed, but nobody has confirmed whether the contents were removed."
"Can you identify who authorized the sealing?"
"Not yet. The document references an administrative approval from the former chief's office."
Daniel looked at the date.
The room had been sealed shortly after Elena's original financial investigation was closed.
"Do not attempt to open it tonight," he said. "We'll arrange a proper evidence team and legal authorization."
"Understood."
Daniel looked again at the drawing.
For the first time since entering Bellwood, he had a physical location connected to the missing records.
He closed the document and placed it inside a secure folder.
The department's history was no longer hidden only in incomplete reports and unexplained transactions.
It might be stored behind a door beneath the building.
***
At 10:00 p.m., Daniel finally left his office.
The lobby was nearly empty.
The reception counter had been cleaned, and the grey tiled floor no longer showed any sign of the struggle from that morning.
But Daniel remembered exactly where he had fallen.
He looked toward the desk.
Olivia's computer was turned off. The appointment announcement had been preserved, and the reception footage was secured.
The evidence would remain.
As he approached the entrance, a night-shift officer stood near the hallway.
"Good night, Chief."
Daniel stopped.
"Good night."
The officer hesitated.
"Chief, I heard about what happened this morning."
Daniel waited.
"I just wanted to say... I'm sorry nobody stepped in."
Daniel studied him.
"What is your name?"
"Officer Daniel Price."
"Did you witness the incident?"
"Only part of it, sir. I was coming back from the locker room."
"Did you see what happened after I fell?"
Price lowered his eyes.
"I saw Officer Hayes standing over you. I should have done something."
Daniel remained silent for a moment.
"Why didn't you?"
Price swallowed.
"Because people who challenge Victor usually have problems afterward."
Daniel looked at him carefully.
"Has anyone threatened you?"
"Not directly."
"Have you seen him use force unnecessarily before?"
Price hesitated.
Then he nodded.
"Yes, Chief."
Daniel took out a small notebook.
"Would you be willing to provide a formal statement?"
Price looked toward the hallway.
"Will it be kept confidential?"
"We will protect your information as far as the law allows. But any formal investigation must be handled honestly."
Price considered the answer.
Then he nodded.
"Yes, Chief. I'll speak to Internal Affairs."
Daniel wrote down his name.
"Thank you."
He walked toward the glass doors.
Outside, the rain had stopped.
The city lights reflected across the wet pavement.
Daniel paused before stepping outside and looked back at the station.
He had expected to spend his first day reviewing budgets, meeting commanders, and outlining a new operational strategy.