Raymond hesitated.
"Well enough to know he was a good man."
Marcus studied his expression.
"Then why did you never tell me?"
Raymond looked toward the floor.
"Because I promised him I wouldn't."
Marcus went still.
"What?"
Raymond approached the table.
He placed both hands on its surface.
"Your father came to me eleven years ago."
Marcus stared at him.
"When?"
"Three days before he disappeared."
The room seemed to shrink.
Marcus slowly sat down.
"What did he tell you?"
Raymond looked at the key.
"He told me that Northbridge had infiltrated the department. He said they had access to restricted files and were using them to erase people."
Marcus nodded.
"I know that much."
Raymond continued.
"But he also told me something else."
"What?"
"He believed someone was preparing to use his identity."
Marcus frowned.
"Use his identity for what?"
"To authorize a transfer."
"What kind of transfer?"
Raymond paused.
"A transfer involving an evidence archive."
Marcus stared at him.
"Was that locker 417?"
Raymond nodded.
"Yes."
Marcus looked down at the key.
"Then why did my father give me no explanation?"
Raymond's expression softened.
"Because he believed the fewer people who knew about it, the safer you would be."
Marcus laughed bitterly.
"That didn't work."
"No."
Raymond looked directly at him.
"It didn't."
3. THE MAN WHO SIGNED THE TRANSFER
Captain Lewis moved away from the window.
"Chief, we need to talk about something else."
Raymond turned.
"What?"
Lewis placed his phone on the table.
"I just received a message from the evidence facility."
Sarah frowned.
"How?"
"An old contact."
Raymond looked at him.
"What did they say?"
Lewis opened the message.
It contained a photograph.
The image showed a metal locker door.
The number 417 was clearly visible.
Below the photograph was a short message:
IT HAS ALREADY BEEN OPENED.
Marcus immediately stood.
"That's impossible."
Raymond examined the timestamp.
"When was this taken?"
"Three minutes ago."
Sarah looked at the phone.
"Who sent it?"
Lewis shook his head.
"An old evidence technician."
Raymond turned toward Keller.
"Is there another entrance to the archive?"
Keller nodded.
"An emergency access corridor."
"Where?"
"Behind the loading dock."
"Can it be opened remotely?"
"No."
"Then how did someone get inside?"
Keller hesitated.
"With a physical access card."
Raymond looked at Lewis.
"Do we know who has one?"
Lewis shook his head.
"Not anymore. The old cards were supposed to have been deactivated."
Marcus studied the photograph.
Something caught his attention.
The locker door was open.
Inside was a dark rectangular space.
But there was something on the floor.
A white envelope.
He pointed at the image.
"Zoom in."
Lewis enlarged the photograph.
The envelope had a name printed on it.
MARCUS REED.
Marcus stared.
"That's mine."
Raymond looked at him.
"You're sure?"
Marcus nodded.
"Yes."
Sarah leaned closer.
"Why would your name be inside an evidence locker?"
Marcus shook his head.
"I don't know."
Raymond studied the image again.
The message had been sent three minutes earlier.
But the photograph showed something else.
The locker's interior was almost completely empty.
Only the envelope remained.
Raymond looked toward Lewis.
"Call your contact."
Lewis dialed.
The call rang.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Then a man's voice answered.
"Anthony?"
Lewis immediately asked:
"Where are you?"
"At home."
"Did you send me a photograph?"
A pause.
"What photograph?"
Lewis looked at the screen.
"The one from locker 417."
Silence.
Then the man said:
"I didn't send you anything."
Lewis's expression changed.
"Then who did?"
The voice became nervous.
"Anthony, listen to me. I think someone has been inside the archive."
"Who?"
"I don't know."
"Did you see anyone?"
A long pause.
Then:
"Yes."
Lewis leaned forward.
"Who?"
The man whispered:
"Someone wearing the chief's uniform."
Raymond went completely still.
Lewis looked at him.
"Chief..."
Raymond took the phone.
"This is Raymond Brooks. Describe the person."
The technician breathed heavily.
"Chief, I don't know if it was you."
"What did he look like?"
"Same height. Same uniform. Same nameplate."
Raymond's eyes narrowed.
"Was he alone?"
"No."
"Who was with him?"
The technician lowered his voice.
"Your deputy commissioner."
The call suddenly disconnected.
Raymond looked at the phone.
Then he looked at Marcus.
For the first time since the confrontation began, he appeared genuinely shaken.
"Someone is using my identity."
Marcus nodded slowly.
"Or someone wants us to believe that."
Raymond stared at him.
"What are you suggesting?"
Marcus pointed toward the photograph.
"That envelope."
"What about it?"
"If the person inside the archive knew my name, knew about the key, and knew where I lived, then they could have left that envelope for us."
Sarah frowned.
"Why would they do that?"
Marcus answered:
"Because they want us to open the locker."
Raymond looked at the image.
"And if we do?"
Marcus's expression hardened.
"We find exactly what they want us to find."
4. THE ENVELOPE
The old municipal records building stood six miles from Marcus's house.
It had been abandoned for years.
Its windows were dark, and weeds had grown through the pavement surrounding the loading dock.
A faded sign still displayed the city's old municipal seal.
Raymond's vehicle arrived first.
Captain Lewis followed.
Sarah drove separately, carrying the evidence documentation kit.
Marcus sat in the passenger seat beside Raymond.