ELENA MARSHALL: Chief Donovan, I need you to issue an immediate order preserving every record connected to that warehouse.
CHIEF RICHARD DONOVAN: I'll contact the appropriate department.
ELENA MARSHALL: No. I need the order issued now.
CHIEF RICHARD DONOVAN: Agent Marshall, you're asking me to act on the basis of an unverified photograph.
ELENA MARSHALL: I'm asking you to preserve records connected to an active investigation.
CHIEF RICHARD DONOVAN: We need to be careful.
ELENA MARSHALL: We have been careful for six months. During that time, forty-seven evidence files disappeared.
The chief fell silent.
Elena turned toward her phone.
ELENA MARSHALL: This is Marshall. I need a preservation team dispatched to the municipal warehouse. Secure the property records, surveillance footage, and any available access logs. No one should enter until the evidence team arrives.
She listened.
ELENA MARSHALL: Correct. Treat it as a potential evidence destruction site.
Another pause.
ELENA MARSHALL: And notify the regional supervisor that Deputy Chief Carter may be directly connected to the unauthorized transfers.
She ended the call.
Marcus was standing near the reception counter, staring at her.
His earlier confidence had disappeared.
He had begun to understand that the woman whose identification he had thrown into the trash was not someone who could be intimidated by a police uniform.
But there was something else bothering him.
He recognized the name of the warehouse.
He had been there twice.
Once to deliver a sealed envelope to Detective Foster.
And once to collect a black case that had never been entered into the department's evidence system.
He had convinced himself that those errands were ordinary assignments.
He had never asked what was inside the case.
Now, standing in front of Elena, he suddenly remembered something.
The second delivery had taken place on the same night as one of the unauthorized evidence transfers.
His stomach tightened.
ELENA MARSHALL: Officer Hale.
Marcus looked up.
MARCUS HALE: What?
ELENA MARSHALL: Have you ever visited the municipal warehouse?
MARCUS HALE: No.
The answer came too quickly.
Elena studied him.
ELENA MARSHALL: Are you certain?
MARCUS HALE: Yes.
ELENA MARSHALL: We have vehicle records that may suggest otherwise.
Marcus's face changed.
MARCUS HALE: What vehicle records?
ELENA MARSHALL: Departmental vehicles are equipped with location tracking systems. We have requested the relevant records.
Marcus glanced toward the chief.
The chief looked back at him.
Neither man spoke.
Thomas noticed the exchange.
THOMAS REED: Marcus?
MARCUS HALE: Stay out of this.
THOMAS REED: You told me you were working an assignment near the industrial district last month.
MARCUS HALE: I said stay out of this.
THOMAS REED: Was that the warehouse?
Marcus stepped toward Thomas.
MARCUS HALE: You need to shut your mouth.
ELENA MARSHALL: Officer Hale, remain where you are.
Marcus stopped.
Elena took a moment before speaking again.
ELENA MARSHALL: I am giving you an opportunity to clarify your involvement before we proceed with the formal interviews.
MARCUS HALE: I haven't done anything wrong.
ELENA MARSHALL: Then you should have no difficulty answering a straightforward question.
MARCUS HALE: I don't remember going there.
Elena nodded.
ELENA MARSHALL: That's different from saying you never went there.
Marcus looked at the floor.
For several seconds, the only sound in the room was the printer producing another page of the access report.
Then Thomas spoke.
THOMAS REED: I remember that night.
Everyone turned toward him.
THOMAS REED: It was the night the evidence room alarm went off. I was assigned to the east entrance. Marcus came back around midnight and said he'd been ordered to deliver something to the warehouse.
Marcus stared at him.
MARCUS HALE: That's not what happened.
THOMAS REED: You told me Detective Foster needed assistance.
MARCUS HALE: You're making things up.
THOMAS REED: I remember because you asked me to sign the vehicle inspection sheet after you returned.
Marcus took another step forward.
But before he could respond, the main entrance doors opened.
Two uniformed officers entered with a man wearing a dark gray suit.
The man carried a leather document case and showed his identification to the receptionist.
He looked directly toward Elena.
FEDERAL SUPERVISOR JAMES WALKER: Agent Marshall.
Elena turned.
ELENA MARSHALL: Supervisor Walker. You're early.
JAMES WALKER: We received your preservation request and the new system alert. I brought the authorization documents.
He placed a folder on the counter.
JAMES WALKER: The regional office has approved an expanded evidence preservation operation.
The chief looked uncomfortable.
CHIEF RICHARD DONOVAN: Supervisor, I would appreciate being informed about the scope of this operation.
James turned toward him.
JAMES WALKER: Chief Donovan, your department has been notified of the investigation's legal requirements. The preservation order is being served now.
He handed the document to Robert.
JAMES WALKER: Please ensure that the original copy is delivered to your legal office.
Robert accepted it.
ROBERT GAINES: Of course.
James looked at Marcus.
Then at the wastebasket.
He noticed Elena's identification wallet still lying among the discarded papers.
JAMES WALKER: Is that yours?
ELENA MARSHALL: It is.
James bent down and carefully retrieved the wallet.
He examined it briefly before handing it to her.