"What?"
"Why did you specifically tell Officer Dawson not to let me reach the courtroom before 8:15?"
Harris didn't answer.
The judge repeated the question.
"Why 8:15?"
Harris's face became unreadable.
Then he said:
"I don't remember saying that."
Dawson immediately looked at him.
"You did."
"I don't remember."
"You said it twice."
Harris shook his head.
"I must have been mistaken."
The judge stared at him.
"No."
Harris looked confused.
"You weren't mistaken."
The judge's voice became very quiet.
"You were precise."
Harris said nothing.
The judge turned to Lewis.
"Secure Lieutenant Harris's badge."
Harris's eyes widened.
"What?"
"Until this is resolved."
"You can't do that."
"I can."
"I'm a sworn officer."
"So am I."
The judge looked directly at him.
"And right now, I don't know whether you're protecting this courthouse or compromising it."
Harris took a step backward.
"This is ridiculous."
"No."
The judge shook his head.
"What's ridiculous is that a senior security officer can't explain why he targeted the Chief Judge of the United States District Court using an unverified threat."
Harris's jaw tightened.
"You're making a mistake."
The judge looked at him.
"Perhaps."
Then he glanced toward the security cameras.
"But I have learned something this morning."
Harris waited.
"People who are innocent usually want the evidence examined."
Harris said nothing.
"People who are afraid of evidence usually want the conversation to end."
The judge nodded toward Lewis.
"Take him to an interview room."
Two security officers approached Harris.
He looked at Dawson.
She didn't move.
As they escorted him away, Harris turned his head.
"You have no idea what you're doing."
The judge watched him disappear through the door.
Then he looked at Dawson.
"Do you?"
She shook her head.
"No, Your Honor."
"Neither do I."
She looked surprised.
"But I intend to find out."
The investigation expanded rapidly.
By 10:15, the courthouse security team had preserved the camera footage.
By 10:40, the IT department had confirmed that someone had accessed the judge's chambers using a temporary administrator account.
By 11:05, they discovered that the same account had been used three days earlier.
Not to access the judge's files.
To access the building's security cameras.
Every camera.
North entrance.
Parking garage.
Courtroom corridor.
Evidence storage.
Judge's chambers.
Even the exterior cameras that captured the street.
The person wasn't simply watching the courthouse.
They were watching the judge.
Then the IT analyst found something else.
The temporary account had been created six weeks earlier.
The judge stared at the report.
"Who approved it?"
The analyst hesitated.
"Administrative services."
"Name?"
"David Mercer."
The same systems administrator.
The judge looked at Emily.
"Do you know him?"
"Yes."
"Have you ever had concerns?"
She hesitated.
"Not personally."
"That's not an answer."
She looked down.
"Some judges have complained that he's difficult."
"Difficult how?"
"He doesn't like questions."
The judge nodded.
"Anyone who controls information usually doesn't."
At noon, the judge received another call.
This time, the caller identified himself.
"Judge, my name is Samuel Reed."
The judge recognized the name.
"You're counsel for Calder."
"Yes."
"What do you want?"
"I think we need to talk."
"About?"
"The hearing."
"The hearing already happened."
"I know."
"Then what?"
"I was approached this morning."
The judge's expression changed.
"By whom?"
"Someone who told me to withdraw from the case."
"Who?"
"I don't know."
"Description."
"A man in his forties. Gray suit."
The judge closed his eyes briefly.
"Did he identify himself?"
"No."
"What did he say?"
"He said if I continued representing my client, something would happen to my family."
The judge sat down.
"Did you report this?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Because I thought it was a bluff."
"Is it?"
There was silence.
Then Reed said:
"I don't think so."
The judge looked toward Emily.
"Come to my chambers."
She entered.
"What's wrong?"
"Defense counsel was threatened."
Emily's face changed.
"Calder?"
"Yes."
The judge stood.
"Something is happening around this case."
He looked at the evidence report.
"Something someone is willing to threaten people over."
At 12:30, the judge requested the sealed exhibit.
He was told it had been transferred.
He demanded confirmation.
The evidence custodian arrived twenty minutes later.
Thomas Reed was an older man with gray hair and a permanent look of exhaustion.
He placed a secure container on the desk.
"This is Exhibit B."
The judge looked at the container.
"Where has it been?"
"In secure storage."
"Since when?"
"Three months."
"Who accessed it?"
"No one."
The judge looked at the access log.
"That's impossible."
Reed frowned.
"What?"
"Someone accessed the record this morning."
Reed checked.
His face changed.
"That doesn't mean they accessed the physical exhibit."
"How do you know?"
"Because the storage facility requires two-person authorization."
"Who has that authorization?"
"Me and the deputy custodian."
"Name?"
"Laura Jenkins."
"Where is she?"
"On leave."
The judge looked at him.
"Since when?"
"Yesterday."
"Why?"
"Family emergency."
The judge was silent.
"Was her absence scheduled?"
Reed shook his head.
"No."
The judge looked at Emily.
"Find out where she is."
Emily nodded.