At 3:15 p.m., Olivia Brooks received a call from Lieutenant Marcus Reed.
She was standing near the windows overlooking the precinct parking lot, watching Harlan's patrol vehicle pull out of its space.
"Tell me you still have the envelope," Reed said.
"I have the report."
"Is the seal intact?"
Olivia glanced toward her desk.
"Not anymore."
There was a pause.
"What happened?"
"Sergeant Harlan came in, demanded the envelope, and tore it open in front of everyone."
Reed exhaled sharply.
"Did he read the first page?"
"And part of the second."
"Did he see the attachments?"
"No. I stopped him before he reached them."
"Good."
Olivia frowned.
"Marcus, why does that matter?"
"Because the attachments contain information that hasn't been disclosed to the department commander."
"Which information?"
Reed lowered his voice.
"The financial records."
Olivia walked toward her desk and closed the office door.
"Explain."
For several months, Reed had been investigating irregular payments involving a private security contractor named Northstar Protective Services.
The company had received several municipal contracts to provide security for city-owned buildings and assist with special police operations.
On paper, the arrangement appeared legitimate.
But its financial records contained suspicious transactions.
Payments had been made to shell companies with no identifiable employees. Several invoices described services that had never been performed. One account had transferred nearly $180,000 into a private bank account belonging to a relative of a former department supervisor.
The name associated with that account was not Harlan's.
It was his former partner's.
Detective Olivia Brooks had initially become involved after investigating an unrelated assault involving a Northstar employee.
During that case, she discovered a connection between the contractor and three officers from Harlan's former enforcement unit.
She reported the connection.
Instead of receiving support, she was quietly removed from the case.
Her supervisor told her that the investigation was being transferred because of "resource allocation."
Olivia knew what that meant.
Someone didn't want her asking questions.
Now Reed was telling her that the financial evidence was connected to the same people.
"Marcus, why wasn't this in the original report?" she asked.
"Because the original report was only supposed to establish reasonable grounds for the administrative investigation. The financial material is part of a separate evidentiary package."
"And where is that package?"
"Not in the precinct."
"Where?"
"Secure evidence storage. Different access authorization."
Olivia looked toward the hallway.
"Then Harlan doesn't have it."
"Not directly."
"Why did he ask about the second file?"
Reed was silent.
"Marcus?"
"I think someone warned him."
Olivia felt a familiar tension settle in her shoulders.
"Who?"
"I don't know yet. But there are only four people who knew the second file existed."
"Captain Mercer?"
"Yes."
"Your supervisor?"
"Yes."
"You?"
"And the forensic accountant handling the records."
Olivia considered that.
"Could the accountant have leaked it?"
"Possibly. But I don't think so."
"Why?"
"Because she called me this morning. Someone followed her home last night."
Olivia stopped moving.
"Did she report it?"
"She was too frightened. She asked to be removed from the case."
"What's her name?"
"Elena Ward."
Olivia remembered the name. Elena was a civilian financial analyst who had worked with the department for almost a decade.
"Where is she now?"
"At home. I told her not to leave."
"That's not enough protection."
"I know."
Olivia looked at the envelope again.
There was something else she wanted to ask.
"Marcus, did you know Harlan would come looking for this?"
"I suspected it."
"Then why did you send it to me?"
"Because I needed someone who wouldn't hand it over simply because he demanded it."
Olivia gave a humorless laugh.
"That's a dangerous compliment."
"I know."
She lowered her voice.
"There's another problem."
"What?"
"Someone just sent me a message telling me to leave the precinct because Harlan knows about the second file."
Reed became quiet.
"Did you recognize the number?"
"No."
"Don't respond. Screenshot it and send it to me."
"I already saved it."
"Good. And Olivia?"
"Yes?"
"Don't trust anyone who suddenly becomes interested in helping you."
Before she could respond, the call ended.
Olivia stood still for a moment.
Then she returned to her desk.
Detective Sarah Mitchell was waiting beside the filing cabinet.
"Everything okay?"
Olivia put her phone away.
"Not particularly."
Sarah looked toward the captain's office.
"Mercer wants to see you."
"When?"
"Now."
Olivia picked up her notebook.
As she walked toward the door, Sarah caught her arm.
"Olivia, I need to tell you something."
Olivia stopped.
"What?"
Sarah looked uncomfortable.
"About two weeks ago, Harlan came into the evidence room after hours."
"Why?"
"He said he needed to retrieve an old case file. I was finishing paperwork, so I stayed to help."
"Which case?"
Sarah hesitated.
"The Daniel Price case."
Olivia's expression changed.
"Did he sign the evidence register?"
"Yes. But something was strange."
"What?"
"He didn't retrieve the entire file. He only requested the original evidence inventory sheet."
Olivia stared at her.
"Why didn't you report that?"
"Because he was a sergeant, and he said the request had been approved."
"By whom?"
Sarah looked down.
"Captain Mercer."
Olivia said nothing.
She slowly closed her notebook.
Now the investigation had another problem.
Someone had accessed the original Price file after Internal Affairs began asking questions.
And if Harlan had been searching for the evidence inventory, he might have been trying to discover exactly what the investigators already knew.
Olivia looked toward Mercer's office.
"Thank you for telling me."
Sarah nodded.
"Are you going to confront him?"
"No."
Olivia opened the door.
"I'm going to find out why he signed that request."