The courthouse security director, Amelia Grant, led Judge Whitmore and Agent Brooks through a restricted corridor to a smaller conference suite on the building's upper level. The new room had no exterior windows, and its access system required individual credentials and a separate verification code.
Two security officers remained outside.
Inside, Deputy Director Hayes appeared on a secure video display while Nina Patel continued reviewing the electronic records.
“We need to establish who had access to the room shown in the photograph,” Hayes said. “But first, I want to know whether the sender could have obtained that image from an existing directory.”
Amelia checked the courthouse's internal system.
“Photographs of conference room doors are not ordinarily included in public directories. However, facilities staff maintain a restricted database containing room numbers, maintenance records, and access-control information.”
“Who can access it?” Evelyn asked.
“Facilities administrators, certain security personnel, and designated records staff.”
“Could Paul Bennett have accessed it?”
“Yes. His position included limited administrative access before he disappeared.”
Judge Whitmore looked at the screen.
“Was his access revoked when he stopped reporting to work?”
Amelia checked the records.
“His main account was disabled after his disappearance was reported. However, the audit shows that a secondary service credential remained active for several days.”
Hayes leaned closer.
“Why?”
“The account was associated with an automated records-maintenance process. It was supposed to be disabled during the next scheduled system review.”
“Was it used?”
Amelia paused.
“Yes.”
Evelyn felt a chill run through her.
“When?”
“The system recorded a successful login at 2:16 p.m. today.”
The room became silent.
That was approximately one minute before Evelyn received the photograph of the sedan and five minutes before Mercer approached her in the garage.
“Where did the login originate?” Hayes asked.
“An internal workstation in the facilities department.”
“Can you identify the workstation's physical location?”
“I'm checking.”
Amelia opened another screen.
A floor plan appeared, showing offices, maintenance rooms, storage areas, and equipment closets. One location was marked with a red outline.
“Workstation F-12,” she said. “It's assigned to the records-maintenance office.”
Judge Whitmore frowned.
“I thought that office was closed for renovation.”
“It was supposed to be.”
“Who authorized the renovation?”
“The facilities director approved it two months ago. The work was delayed because of a contractor dispute.”
Evelyn examined the floor plan.
“Is there a room behind the records-maintenance office?”
Amelia zoomed in.
“There is a narrow storage area, but it's not listed as an occupied office.”
“Why isn't it on the standard building directory?”
“Because it was originally designed as a service compartment. It contains old network equipment and a secondary access panel.”
Nina interrupted through the video connection.
“I have a concern about that workstation.”
“Go ahead,” Hayes said.
“The login record indicates that the service credential was used interactively rather than through the scheduled automated process. That is unusual. It doesn't prove malicious activity, but it suggests that someone may have manually accessed the system.”
“Can you identify the person?”
“Not from the service credential alone. We need the workstation logs, access-control records, and possibly additional camera footage.”
Judge Whitmore looked at Amelia.
“Can the room be secured without disturbing anything?”
“Yes, Your Honor.”
“Then do so. No one enters until the appropriate technical team arrives.”
Amelia contacted the facilities security officer.
Within minutes, the team confirmed that the records-maintenance office was empty. The door was locked, and no one was visible through the narrow window.
The security director arranged for the area to be isolated.
Evelyn and Hayes discussed the next steps while the team prepared to inspect the room.
“If someone used Bennett's secondary credential,” Evelyn said, “they may have been trying to access records connected to the investigation.”
“Or they may have been using an account that was never properly disabled,” Hayes replied. “We must distinguish negligence from deliberate misuse.”
“I agree. But the timing is difficult to ignore.”
Hayes nodded.
“Which is why we investigate the access first and identify the user second.”
A security officer entered the conference suite.
“Director Grant, we've secured the records-maintenance office. However, there is a discrepancy in the access log.”
Amelia stood.
“What discrepancy?”
“The office door was opened at 2:11 p.m. using a temporary maintenance credential. The person who entered did not use the normal employee access system.”
“Who issued the credential?”
“We're checking.”
“Was anyone inside when the team arrived?”
“No. The room is empty.”
Evelyn gathered her notes.
“I want to examine the office after the forensic team clears it.”
Judge Whitmore nodded.
“You may proceed with the appropriate authorization and safeguards. I will remain here until the security director confirms that the route is safe.”
The forensic team arrived with equipment to document the workstation and preserve its contents. Evelyn accompanied them, while Amelia coordinated access.
The records-maintenance office was smaller than expected. A desk stood against one wall, and several shelves contained binders, spare cables, and outdated equipment. A workstation occupied the center of the desk.
Beside it was a metal cabinet with a narrow drawer.
The drawer was slightly open.
Evelyn did not touch it.
“Photograph everything before we move anything,” she instructed.
A technician documented the room, then examined the workstation.
“The computer is powered down,” he reported. “We'll preserve the storage device and review the logs under the approved procedure.”
Evelyn moved toward the metal cabinet.
The forensic technician photographed the drawer before opening it with permission from the evidence lead.
Inside lay a collection of old maintenance forms, several access cards, and a folded building diagram.
The diagram showed the courthouse's original layout, including the service compartment behind the records-maintenance office.
A handwritten note had been added to the bottom.
ARCHIVE ACCESS — SECONDARY PANEL — LEVEL B.
Evelyn studied the diagram.
“Is there a second panel on basement level B?” she asked.
The technician examined the building plan.
“There is an old network-access room near the document storage area. It was removed from the current directory after the renovation plan changed.”
“Is it still accessible?”
“According to the maintenance records, the entrance was sealed. But the original service corridor remains behind the storage wall.”
Evelyn immediately contacted Hayes.
“We've found a reference to an old archive-access panel on basement level B. It may be unrelated, but it appears in the same records-maintenance materials associated with the suspicious login.”
Hayes considered the information.
“Do not enter the area without a safety assessment and authorization. If the corridor was sealed, there may be electrical, structural, or security hazards.”
“Understood.”
The team documented the diagram and secured the cabinet's contents.
Before leaving the room, Evelyn noticed a small envelope tucked behind a stack of maintenance forms.
It bore no address and no official label.
The evidence lead photographed it, then opened it according to procedure.
Inside was a single access card and a short handwritten message.
IF YOU FOUND THIS, THEY HAVE ALREADY MOVED THE ORIGINALS.
Evelyn read the sentence twice.
The access card was old, its printed number partially worn away. A small label on the back identified it as a legacy archive credential.
The technician checked the number against the building's access database.
His expression changed.
“This credential was deactivated six weeks ago,” he said.
“Who was it assigned to?” Evelyn asked.
He examined the record.
“Paul Bennett.”
The missing records administrator.
Evelyn looked at the diagram again.
The suspicious login had occurred today. The anonymous threats referred to missing files. And now they had found a legacy access card belonging to the man who had disappeared.
Judge Whitmore arrived at the office entrance with Amelia Grant.
“What have you found?” she asked.
Evelyn held up the diagram, careful not to disturb the evidence.
“Your Honor, someone may have been using a hidden access route connected to the old archive system. We also found a card assigned to Paul Bennett.”
Whitmore studied the card through its evidence sleeve.
“Can we establish whether it was used after his disappearance?”
“Not yet,” Evelyn replied. “But the access records may tell us.”
The judge looked toward the technician.
“Then preserve the historical logs, including any records from the period when the credential was supposedly deactivated.”
He nodded.
As the team prepared to leave, Evelyn received a message from Nina.
The forensic analyst had identified a new event in the building's access system.
At 2:23 p.m., someone had attempted to open a door near the old archive corridor.
The attempt had failed.
But the system had captured the credential number.
Evelyn compared it with the card in the evidence sleeve.
They matched.
Someone had just tried to use Paul Bennett's deactivated credential.
And whoever had attempted the entry had done so only two minutes after Judge Whitmore ordered the records-maintenance office secured.
Evelyn looked toward the basement corridor on the building plan.
The hidden archive was no longer merely a possibility.
Someone appeared to be trying to reach it.
And if the original documents had been moved, the courthouse might be only one step away from discovering who had taken them—and why.