He may also have been serving as a gatekeeper, taking documents from visitors and delivering them to the administrative office.
ADRIAN COLE: "Aaron, can you identify the employee who entered Voss's office?"
AARON BELL: "I'll check the personnel directory."
Adrian watched the recording again.
This time, he focused on the folder.
It was thick, with several papers visible along the edges.
A small yellow label had been attached to the front.
Even from the camera angle, Adrian could make out two words.
ORIGINAL EVIDENCE.
He felt a growing sense of urgency.
If the original documents had been removed from the ordinary complaint process, they might now be sitting in a private office, an archive, or somewhere else entirely.
And if those documents contained evidence of false reports, the people who had submitted them might have been denied the opportunity to challenge the accusations against them.
At noon, Adrian received a call from the independent oversight office.
The investigator introduced herself as Helen Carter.
She explained that she had been assigned to coordinate the initial review and would arrange a small team to examine the department's complaint records.
Adrian provided a summary of the situation without making unsupported accusations.
He described the incident outside headquarters, the footage showing Blake handing an envelope to Voss, the incomplete visitor records, and the repeated administrative referrals.
Helen listened carefully.
HELEN CARTER: "Commander, the most important thing at this stage is preserving the original evidence."
ADRIAN COLE: "Agreed."
HELEN CARTER: "We should also avoid allowing anyone involved in the complaint process to access or modify the relevant records while the review is underway."
ADRIAN COLE: "I've already requested an evidence preservation hold."
HELEN CARTER: "Good. We will need a complete inventory of every record connected to Iris Whitcomb and Peter Lawson."
ADRIAN COLE: "You will have it."
HELEN CARTER: "One more question. Has Deputy Chief Voss been informed?"
ADRIAN COLE: "Not by me."
HELEN CARTER: "I recommend that we coordinate any formal notification. We don't want to compromise the investigation or create an opportunity for relevant material to be lost."
ADRIAN COLE: "I agree."
HELEN CARTER: "I'll send a team to the headquarters this afternoon."
ADRIAN COLE: "Thank you."
After the call ended, Adrian looked through the glass wall toward the main administrative corridor.
He could see employees moving between offices.
Some were carrying folders. Others were speaking quietly near the elevators.
The department looked normal.
But beneath the ordinary routine, something was seriously wrong.
Adrian knew that the most difficult part of the investigation might not be finding evidence.
It might be convincing people to speak honestly about what they had witnessed.
At 12:40 p.m., Simone Hart arrived at his office.
She carried a thin folder and appeared more confident than she had earlier that morning.
OFFICER SIMONE HART: "Commander, I brought the statement you requested."
ADRIAN COLE: "Thank you. Please sit down."
Simone placed the folder on the desk.
OFFICER SIMONE HART: "I included the date of the incident I witnessed, the name of the civilian involved, and the supervisor I reported it to."
Adrian opened the folder.
The statement described an incident involving a man who had come to the headquarters to challenge a report about a traffic stop.
According to Simone, Blake had repeatedly interrupted the man and refused to let him explain why he believed the report was inaccurate.
When the man asked to speak with a supervisor, Blake told him that nobody would waste time listening to him.
Simone had intervened.
She had later submitted a written report describing Blake's conduct.
The complaint had been referred to the administrative office.
No formal findings had ever been returned to her.
ADRIAN COLE: "Did you keep a copy of your original report?"
OFFICER SIMONE HART: "Yes, sir."
ADRIAN COLE: "Where is it?"
OFFICER SIMONE HART: "In my personal work archive. I didn't want to lose it."
ADRIAN COLE: "Can you provide a copy through the evidence process?"
OFFICER SIMONE HART: "Absolutely."
Adrian turned to the last page.
A handwritten note appeared beneath the original statement.
It had been added several days after the complaint was submitted.
The note read:
SUPERVISORY REVIEW COMPLETE. NO FURTHER ACTION REQUIRED.
There was no signature.
No explanation.
No reference to interviews or supporting evidence.
ADRIAN COLE: "Who wrote this note?"
OFFICER SIMONE HART: "I don't know. It wasn't there when I first submitted the report."
ADRIAN COLE: "When did you notice it?"
OFFICER SIMONE HART: "When I checked the file about two weeks later."
ADRIAN COLE: "Did you ask anyone about it?"
OFFICER SIMONE HART: "I asked my supervisor. He told me the matter had been handled at a higher level."
ADRIAN COLE: "Did you accept that explanation?"
Simone looked uncomfortable.
OFFICER SIMONE HART: "At the time, I didn't know what else to do."
Adrian placed the statement on the desk.
ADRIAN COLE: "You should never have been put in that position."
Simone looked at him.
ADRIAN COLE: "A complaint cannot be considered properly resolved simply because someone writes those words on a page. There must be a process, supporting documentation, and an accountable decision."