Evelyn read the message twice.
EVELYN: "Who received this instruction?"
Daniel scrolled down.
DANIEL: "Commander Harris. Sergeant Brody. And two administrative officers."
Thomas stepped forward.
THOMAS: "Two administrative officers?"
DANIEL: "Yes, Master Sergeant."
EVELYN: "Names?"
Daniel pointed toward the screen.
One was a senior administrative coordinator named Martin Cole.
The other was Lieutenant Samuel Parker.
Evelyn recognized the second name from the preliminary reports.
He had recently transferred from another installation.
EVELYN: "I want both of them contacted."
Commander Harris immediately intervened.
COMMANDER HARRIS: "Chairwoman, I would recommend waiting until we establish the context of that communication."
EVELYN: "We are establishing the context right now."
COMMANDER HARRIS: "There may be information missing."
EVELYN: "Then we will find it."
Harris folded his arms.
COMMANDER HARRIS: "You have to understand that this installation operates under considerable pressure."
EVELYN: "Commander, I understand that operational pressure exists. I also understand that people have a responsibility to report accurate information."
COMMANDER HARRIS: "Nobody intended to compromise aircraft safety."
EVELYN: "Then why were unresolved maintenance issues marked as completed?"
Harris did not answer.
Evelyn turned toward Thomas.
EVELYN: "Master Sergeant, I want every maintenance technician who worked on these aircraft interviewed separately."
THOMAS: "Yes, ma'am."
EVELYN: "Nobody should be allowed to influence another person's account."
THOMAS: "Understood."
EVELYN: "And make sure Daniel receives protection from retaliation."
Daniel looked surprised.
DANIEL: "Ma'am, I haven't done anything special."
EVELYN: "You provided information that should have been available from the beginning. That is exactly what your responsibility required."
Daniel lowered his head.
DANIEL: "Thank you, ma'am."
For the first time that afternoon, he seemed relieved.
But Evelyn was not finished.
She turned toward Commander Harris.
EVELYN: "I want to know where General Whitmore's office fits into this."
Harris looked toward the folder on the desk.
COMMANDER HARRIS: "I can arrange a formal briefing."
EVELYN: "Good. Arrange it."
COMMANDER HARRIS: "Would you prefer tomorrow morning?"
EVELYN: "No. I want the relevant records secured before anyone has an opportunity to alter them."
Harris nodded slowly.
COMMANDER HARRIS: "I'll contact headquarters."
Evelyn looked at the second officer.
EVELYN: "Stay with him while he makes that call."
Harris frowned.
COMMANDER HARRIS: "Is that really necessary?"
EVELYN: "Given what we have discovered, yes."
The second officer nodded.
SECOND OFFICER: "Understood, ma'am."
Harris picked up his telephone.
He stepped toward the far side of the office and began dialing.
Evelyn watched him for a moment before returning to the computer.
Something still bothered her.
The original communication had been carefully worded.
It did not explicitly order anyone to falsify records.
Instead, it created pressure to report operational readiness regardless of whether every technical requirement had been completed.
Someone had understood exactly how to exploit that language.
Someone had also made sure the responsibility could be passed down to people with lower authority.
Kyle Brody might have been one of those people.
But he was not necessarily the person who had designed the system.
Evelyn turned toward Thomas.
EVELYN: "Where is Sergeant Brody?"
THOMAS: "I believe he is still outside the office."
EVELYN: "Bring him in."
Thomas left the room.
A few moments later, Kyle entered.
His uniform was no longer as neatly arranged as before.
He looked tired.
His eyes moved between Evelyn and Commander Harris.
KYLE: "You wanted to see me, ma'am?"
EVELYN: "Yes."
Kyle stood near the doorway.
EVELYN: "I want you to answer several questions."
KYLE: "Of course."
EVELYN: "How many aircraft did you personally authorize without completing the required inspections?"
KYLE: "I never knowingly authorized an unsafe aircraft."
EVELYN: "That wasn't my question."
KYLE: "I followed the instructions I received."
EVELYN: "From whom?"
Kyle looked toward Commander Harris.
The commander continued speaking quietly on the telephone.
KYLE: "From the command office."
EVELYN: "Who specifically?"
KYLE: "Commander Harris."
Harris stopped speaking.
He slowly turned toward Kyle.
COMMANDER HARRIS: "Be careful what you're saying."
Kyle swallowed.
KYLE: "Sir, I received instructions through your office."
COMMANDER HARRIS: "You received operational guidance. That is not the same as an order to falsify records."
KYLE: "I never said it was."
EVELYN: "Then let's establish what actually happened."
She placed another document on the desk.
EVELYN: "This is the original inspection report for the aircraft you approved."
Kyle looked down.
EVELYN: "The technician reported an unresolved defect. The replacement component was never installed. Yet your account authorized the aircraft as operational."
KYLE: "I was told the component had been replaced."
EVELYN: "By whom?"
KYLE: "I don't remember."
EVELYN: "You don't remember who told you to approve an aircraft?"
KYLE: "It happened months ago."
EVELYN: "But you remember signing the report."