The investigation was becoming increasingly complicated, but the basic approach remained unchanged.
Every claim needed verification.
Every document needed a reliable origin.
Every missing record needed to be described accurately, without turning an absence into proof of wrongdoing.
At midday, Marcus received a formal notification from the oversight office.
The department had approved an independent review of the original case.
Because of his family connection, Marcus would not be responsible for making the final findings. He would remain available to provide relevant information and help identify records, but an external investigator would evaluate the evidence.
He read the notification and signed the acknowledgment.
Then he called his mother.
MARCUS: "The old case is being reviewed independently."
MOTHER: "Does that mean they're finally going to admit they were wrong?"
MARCUS: "It means someone outside the original investigation will examine the records."
MOTHER: "And if the records prove your father was telling the truth?"
MARCUS: "Then the findings should say so."
His mother was quiet for several seconds.
MOTHER: "He waited years for someone to take him seriously."
MARCUS: "I know."
MOTHER: "He never wanted revenge. He wanted someone to explain why it happened."
Marcus looked out the window.
MARCUS: "That's what I'm trying to establish."
MOTHER: "Then make sure you don't let them turn this into another argument about the family."
MARCUS: "I won't."
After the call, Marcus returned to his work.
He had no authority to decide the outcome of the independent review. He would not try to influence the investigators or pressure witnesses into supporting a particular conclusion.
But he could ensure that the records he had found were preserved, that the unexplained discrepancies were documented, and that the questions surrounding the missing ledger were not quietly forgotten.
Later that afternoon, Sergeant Brooks contacted him again.
BROOKS: "The body-camera device has been examined."
MARCUS: "What did they find?"
BROOKS: "The recording ended before the confrontation, but the device log doesn't establish why. There is no confirmed evidence of a deliberate shutdown."
MARCUS: "And the vehicle camera?"
BROOKS: "It captured part of the encounter, though the angle is limited. The footage is being reviewed alongside the witness recording."
MARCUS: "Good."
BROOKS: "There is another issue. The original incident report was saved twice under different timestamps."
Marcus took out his notebook.
MARCUS: "Was the content changed?"
BROOKS: "Some wording differs between the versions. The later version describes the packet as having been discovered before the physical confrontation. The earlier version is less specific."
MARCUS: "Who made the second entry?"
BROOKS: "The system identifies Officer Miller's account, but we still need to verify the login details and the revision history."
Marcus wrote down the information.
The two versions of the report might reflect a correction, an attempt to clarify the sequence, or something more serious.
The revision history would help establish when the changes occurred and what had been altered.
MARCUS: "Preserve both versions and the full audit trail."
BROOKS: "Already requested."
MARCUS: "Thank you for the update."
When the call ended, Marcus sat quietly for a moment.
The roadside incident had now generated its own set of questions about evidence, recording systems, and the accuracy of official reports.
He did not know whether Ryan's conduct had any connection to the older case.
It was possible that the two matters were entirely separate.
But the same principle applied to both.
An official account could not be accepted simply because it had been entered into a system.
It had to be tested against the available evidence.
That evening, Evelyn brought him an update from the records archive.
The contractor's transfer inventory had been located.
Several boxes from the temporary records room had been moved to the central archive during the renovation, but the inventory contained gaps. One group of boxes had been recorded as received without individual contents being listed.
The missing ledger number appeared in a handwritten note beside one of those entries.
EVELYN: "We can't establish that the ledger was inside the box, but the notation is significant."
MARCUS: "Has the box been located?"
EVELYN: "The storage location exists. The box itself hasn't been found yet."
MARCUS: "Who has access to that section?"
EVELYN: "The archive manager is compiling the access records."
Marcus studied the inventory.
MARCUS: "We need to search the location under independent supervision. No one should move anything until the current contents have been documented."
EVELYN: "I'll arrange it."