"The truck wasn't alone."
Cross waited.
"There was another vehicle behind it. White pickup. No visible company markings. The driver was someone I recognized from the old transfer records."
"Who?"
"Adrian Pike."
Cross's face tightened.
Tessa looked between them.
"Who is Adrian Pike?"
Cross answered.
"He's the owner of North Ridge Security Solutions. His company was involved in the transportation contract connected to the missing equipment."
Tessa looked at her father.
"And you saw him?"
Walter nodded.
"Briefly."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because I wasn't sure it was him until I checked the old photograph."
Tessa leaned back.
"Then the sheriff's department may have been trying to find out whether you had identified him."
Walter nodded.
"That's what I think."
Cross stood.
"I need to notify the investigative team."
Tessa looked at him.
"Do it."
Cross left the room.
Tessa turned back to her father.
"Tell me everything from the beginning."
Walter did.
He described the warehouse, the vehicle, the old equipment records, and the conversation with Thomas Reed. He explained that he had initially agreed only to help identify a component.
He also told her about the first time he noticed a patrol car following him.
Tessa listened without interrupting.
When he finished, she looked down at his hands.
"How long have you suspected they were watching you?"
"About a week."
"And you didn't tell me?"
"I didn't want you distracted."
Tessa let out a breath.
"Dad, I command people who operate in places where a wrong decision can put lives at risk. You don't protect me by withholding information."
Walter looked at her.
"I know."
"Then why?"
He was silent for a moment.
"Because I spent most of your childhood making you worry about whether I was coming home."
Tessa's expression changed.
Walter continued.
"When your mother died, I promised myself I wouldn't make you carry any more of that."
She reached across the table and took his hand.
"You don't get to decide that I would rather be kept in the dark."
Walter nodded.
"I understand."
She squeezed his hand.
"Good."
For the first time that evening, Walter looked genuinely relieved.
The hospital confirmed that Walter had a mild concussion, bruising to his ribs, and a shoulder injury that required further examination.
The doctor recommended observation overnight.
Walter objected.
Tessa ignored him.
"You can complain tomorrow."
"I can complain now."
"Then do it from the hospital bed."
He looked at her.
"You've become bossy."
"I learned from you."
Walter laughed, then winced.
The nurse adjusted his pillow.
"Careful, sir."
Tessa stood near the window while the doctor finished reviewing the results.
Her phone vibrated.
It was a message from Daniel Cross.
We have identified a second recording source. The station's internal system appears to have been manually disabled for part of the interview.
Tessa read it twice.
Then she looked at her father.
"Did you know the camera wasn't working?"
Walter shook his head.
"No."
"Did Mercer mention it?"
"No."
She typed a reply.
Preserve the system logs and obtain the original maintenance records. Do not rely on exported footage alone.
The response came quickly.
Already requested. There may be a second incident involving the same camera.
Tessa frowned.
A second incident?
She called Cross.
He answered immediately.
"Commander."
"What second incident?"
"We found a maintenance report from six weeks ago. The same camera was reported as malfunctioning during another interview."
"Who was being questioned?"
Cross paused.
"A man named Robert Ellis."
Tessa searched her memory.
The name meant nothing to her.
"Who is he?"
"Local contractor. He filed a complaint against North Ridge Security Solutions after a dispute over unpaid work."
"Was he assaulted?"
"We don't know yet."
"Then find out."
"We're working on it."
Tessa glanced at her father.
"Could the same deputy have been involved?"
"Mercer was present."
She closed her eyes briefly.
"Then this isn't an isolated incident."
"That's our concern."
Cross continued.
"We're also reviewing the department's evidence logs. Several items connected to the equipment investigation were entered into the system and later marked as returned or destroyed."
"Who authorized that?"
"That's what we're trying to establish."
Tessa looked at the hospital floor.
"How many?"
"At least seven entries."
She was silent.
"Commander?"
"I'm here."
"I want to make sure you understand something. This may become a much larger case than the assault on your father."
"I understand."
"Your father may be a witness in multiple investigations."
"I understand that too."
"Then we need to protect him without compromising the process."
Tessa looked through the window.
"I agree."
She ended the call.
Walter watched her.
"Bad news?"
"More people may have been involved."
He nodded slowly.
"I was afraid of that."
Robert Ellis lived in a small house on the eastern edge of Pine Ridge.
He was fifty-four years old and had spent most of his life repairing industrial electrical systems. Six weeks earlier, he had filed a complaint against North Ridge Security Solutions, claiming that the company had withheld payment for several months of work.