He had spent the previous days speaking to former colleagues, trying to understand how much Marcus knew.
At first, he believed the new chief would eventually become frustrated and move on.
But the discovery of the Shadow Vault had changed everything.
Thomas picked up his phone and called Vance.
"You told me this would be handled."
Vance answered after several rings.
"Not now."
"They're asking questions about the old complaints."
"I know."
"They have my name in the records."
Vance's voice became cold.
"Then you should have thought about that before you put your hands on the chief."
Thomas lowered his voice.
"You told me nobody would care who he was."
"I never told you to assault him."
Thomas went silent.
Vance continued.
"Listen carefully. Do not contact anyone at the department. Do not discuss the investigation. If Internal Affairs calls you, speak to your lawyer."
"What about the files?"
"What files?"
"The archive. Collins said there were original records at the municipal building."
Vance paused.
"Who told you that?"
Thomas realized he had said too much.
"Nobody. I just heard something."
"Forget it."
Vance ended the call.
Thomas stared at his phone.
For the first time, he began to understand that he might be left alone to face the consequences.
***
The independent investigators soon obtained authorization to examine the old municipal records building.
The property was located near Bellwood's eastern railway district. It had once served as a central storage facility for city departments, but most of its offices had been closed for years.
A municipal property officer met the investigation team outside.
The building was quiet, with boarded windows and a faded sign above the entrance.
Marcus arrived with Elena, two forensic specialists, and representatives from the city auditor's office.
The property officer unlocked the main entrance.
"Most of the building is empty," he explained. "The lower storage level hasn't been used for regular operations in years."
Marcus looked around.
"Who has access?"
"According to the records, the municipal property department and a small number of authorized administrative officials."
"Can you provide the access register?"
"Yes."
The team moved downstairs.
The lower level contained rows of metal shelves and locked storage rooms. Some boxes were labeled with department names. Others had no labels at all.
Elena stopped beside a door.
"This is the area mentioned in the old records."
The property officer checked the access list.
"Room B-17."
He unlocked it.
Inside were dozens of archive boxes.
Several were marked with procurement codes matching the Shadow Vault directory.
The forensic specialists began photographing the room.
Marcus picked up a box and read the label.
Northbridge Security Solutions β Financial Documentation.
Elena looked at another.
"These are the original invoices."
The team continued searching.
They found contracts, bank transfer summaries, purchase orders, handwritten approval notes, and copies of internal emails.
Some documents appeared to have been removed from their original folders and placed in separate envelopes.
One envelope contained a list of bank accounts.
Another contained a series of handwritten calculations.
A third held a document with a heading:
PROJECT NIGHTFALL β ADMINISTRATIVE ALLOCATION.
Marcus looked at the label.
"What is Project Nightfall?"
Elena examined the first page.
"I've never seen this before."
The document appeared to describe a confidential funding arrangement involving equipment purchases, outside suppliers, and special administrative expenses.
Several signatures appeared at the bottom.
One belonged to a former finance director.
Another belonged to a senior commander who had retired.
The third signature was partly obscured by a stamp.
Marcus asked the forensic specialist to photograph it.
"Don't remove anything until the entire room has been documented."
The specialist nodded.
As they continued, Elena discovered another folder.
This one contained complaints from officers who had questioned financial practices.
Some had been transferred to different divisions shortly after filing their reports.
Others had received disciplinary warnings.
One officer's complaint included a handwritten note:
DO NOT ASSIGN TO INVESTIGATIVE DUTIES.
Elena recognized the name.
"Chief, this officer was one of the people who helped me with the original investigation."
"Where is he now?"
"He left the department."
"Can we contact him?"
"Possibly. I still have an old number."
Marcus looked toward the boxes.
"Add his name to the witness list. We'll approach him through the investigators."
The team worked for several hours.
By the time they finished, they had secured enough material to establish a clear pattern of suspicious transactions and deliberate record management.
But they still needed to determine who had authorized the scheme, who had benefited, and who had knowingly concealed the evidence.
The original records were a major breakthrough.
They were not yet the complete answer.
***
Three days later, the city auditor released a preliminary confidential report to the independent investigative team.