But Elena had not come to the department to discuss a single officer's attitude.
She had come because money was disappearing.
Evidence was being mishandled.
Witnesses were changing their statements.
And someone with access to confidential information was apparently aware of her movements.
She opened her briefcase and removed a thin black folder.
ELENA MARSHALL: Chief Donovan, before we discuss anything else, I need you to answer one question.
CHIEF RICHARD DONOVAN: Certainly.
ELENA MARSHALL: Who authorized the transfer of the department's seized property records three weeks ago?
The chief's face became noticeably tense.
CHIEF RICHARD DONOVAN: I'm not sure what you're referring to.
ELENA MARSHALL: A transfer involving forty-seven evidence files and several financial records connected to the organized crime unit.
CHIEF RICHARD DONOVAN: Those matters are handled by the appropriate supervisors.
ELENA MARSHALL: Which supervisors?
The chief hesitated.
CHIEF RICHARD DONOVAN: I would need to review the documentation.
Elena nodded slowly.
ELENA MARSHALL: That's understandable.
She placed the folder on the counter.
ELENA MARSHALL: Then you won't mind if I review the original records myself.
CHIEF RICHARD DONOVAN: Of course not.
But his answer came too quickly.
His eyes moved toward the evidence hallway.
The same hallway that Elena had noticed earlier.
The same hallway where someone had disappeared moments before.
Elena followed his gaze.
Then she looked back at him.
ELENA MARSHALL: One more thing, Chief.
CHIEF RICHARD DONOVAN: Yes?
ELENA MARSHALL: I need the entire evidence storage area secured immediately.
The chief's expression hardened.
CHIEF RICHARD DONOVAN: That's a rather unusual request.
ELENA MARSHALL: It's not a request.
For the first time since entering the building, Elena's voice carried unmistakable authority.
ELENA MARSHALL: No one enters or leaves that area until my team arrives.
The chief looked toward Robert.
Robert did not move.
Marcus slowly lowered his arms.
And somewhere beyond the locked evidence corridor, a telephone began ringing.
Nobody answered it.
Elena's phone vibrated again.
This time, the caller ID displayed a federal office number.
She accepted the call and raised the device to her ear.
Her expression remained controlled, but the people standing closest to her noticed that her posture had changed.
She was no longer simply observing the room.
She was preparing to take control of it.
ELENA MARSHALL: Marshall speaking.
A voice on the other end delivered a short message.
Elena listened without interrupting.
Then her eyes shifted toward Chief Donovan.
ELENA MARSHALL: Are you certain about that?
Another pause.
ELENA MARSHALL: Understood.
She ended the call.
The chief attempted to smile.
CHIEF RICHARD DONOVAN: Is everything all right?
Elena placed the phone beside the black folder.
ELENA MARSHALL: No, Chief. It isn't.
She opened the folder and removed a photograph.
It showed a man standing beside a black vehicle outside the police headquarters.
The photograph had been taken several days earlier.
The man was wearing a police uniform.
And he was carrying a box that appeared to contain official evidence records.
Elena placed the photograph directly in front of the chief.
ELENA MARSHALL: Do you recognize this officer?
Richard Donovan stared at the image.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Then his eyes widened slightly.
Because the man in the photograph was not an ordinary patrol officer.
He was someone the chief had personally promoted.
Someone who had been given access to restricted evidence.
Someone who had recently submitted a report claiming that several missing files had never existed.
And the photograph was only the beginning of what the federal investigators had discovered.
Elena watched the chief's reaction carefully.
She had expected surprise.
She had expected denial.
But what she saw was something much more revealing.
Fear.
And that fear told her that the investigation had reached far higher than anyone at the regional office had initially suspected.
The photograph remained on the counter between Elena Marshall and Chief Richard Donovan.
Nobody spoke.
The chief stared at the image as though he were looking at something he had desperately hoped would never surface.
Marcus Hale leaned slightly forward, attempting to see what was so important about the photograph.
MARCUS HALE: Chief, what's going on?
Richard did not answer.
His attention remained fixed on the man in the photograph.
Elena noticed the hesitation.
ELENA MARSHALL: You recognize him.
CHIEF RICHARD DONOVAN: Yes.
ELENA MARSHALL: Would you like to tell me his name?
The chief slowly swallowed.
CHIEF RICHARD DONOVAN: Detective Daniel Foster.
ELENA MARSHALL: And what is his current assignment?
CHIEF RICHARD DONOVAN: He's assigned to the organized crime unit.
ELENA MARSHALL: More specifically?
CHIEF RICHARD DONOVAN: He supervises evidence transfers and coordinates several ongoing investigations.
Elena nodded.
ELENA MARSHALL: Interesting. Because according to the official records, Detective Foster was not authorized to remove any of those files.
The chief looked away.
CHIEF RICHARD DONOVAN: There may be an administrative explanation.
ELENA MARSHALL: That's possible. Which is why I intend to examine the original transfer logs.
She opened another section of the folder and removed several printed documents.
ELENA MARSHALL: These are copies of the records we obtained through the federal financial investigation. Forty-seven evidence files were marked as transferred. Twenty-nine were subsequently recorded as destroyed. The remaining eighteen were listed as missing.