"Chief. You asked for the closure report."
"Yes. Put it on the desk."
Vance did so.
Marcus opened it.
The report was only four pages long. It described Elena's investigation as incomplete and concluded that the discrepancies resulted from clerical errors and outdated inventory records.
There were no attached invoices.
No witness statements.
No independent audit.
No explanation of the missing equipment.
Marcus turned to the final page.
"Who signed this?"
"I did."
"And who reviewed it?"
"The finance director at the time."
"Was the finance director interviewed?"
"Yes."
"Where is the interview transcript?"
Vance adjusted his tie.
"I don't believe one was necessary."
Marcus closed the folder.
"You closed a financial misconduct investigation without interviewing the people responsible for the transactions?"
"The department had to prioritize its resources."
"And you considered the matter resolved?"
"Yes."
Marcus stood.
"Then I have another question. Why were the original records transferred to an archive that nobody can access?"
Vance's face became unreadable.
"I wasn't involved in the technical transfer."
"Your office approved the transfer request."
"I would need to review the documentation."
Marcus pushed the folder across the desk.
"Do that. I want a full explanation by the end of the day."
Vance picked it up.
"Chief, I must remind you that these records involve decisions made before your appointment. There are established procedures for reviewing them."
"And those procedures will be followed."
"Then I trust you'll also understand that some matters are sensitive."
Marcus looked directly at him.
"Sensitive information is exactly why it must be handled properly."
Vance left without another word.
Marcus waited until the door closed before calling Sarah.
"Please contact the city auditor's office. I want to verify whether they have ever received a request to review Bellwood's procurement accounts."
"Should I mention the investigation?"
"Only say that we're confirming the status of previous audit requests. Don't disclose the evidence."
Sarah made a note.
"Understood."
Marcus returned to Elena's documents.
One invoice caught his attention.
The payment had been authorized on a Friday afternoon, but the receiving department had signed for the equipment the following Monday.
That was not unusual by itself.
What was unusual was the delivery address.
It was not the police department.
It was a warehouse on the eastern edge of Bellwood, registered to Northbridge Security Solutions.
Marcus looked at Elena's notes.
The company had no verifiable distribution network.
He wrote down the address.
Then he called her.
"Elena, I need you to check something. Northbridge Security Solutions. I have a delivery address that may be connected to the missing equipment."
Elena came to his office twenty minutes later.
She studied the invoice.
"I recognize this address."
"Where?"
"An industrial building near the old railway depot. I tried to locate it during my original investigation."
"What did you find?"
"The building was listed as a storage facility, but it had no active business registration under that company. The property was owned by a holding company."
"Who owned the holding company?"
Elena flipped through her notes.
"I never got that far. The public records were incomplete."
Marcus pointed to the invoice.
"Then that's where we start."
Elena nodded.
But before she could leave, Marcus's computer displayed a new notification.
The finance director had sent a message.
The archive access log was attached.
Marcus opened it.
There were dozens of entries.
Most were routine administrative accesses, but several stood out. The archive had been accessed late at night, sometimes on weekends, by an account that was supposed to have been disabled months earlier.
The account belonged to a senior administrative employee.
Its last recorded access had occurred at 2:14 a.m. the previous night.
Marcus read the name.
Then he looked at Elena.
"Do you know this person?"
She leaned closer to the screen.
Her face went pale.
"Yes."
"Who is it?"
Elena took a breath.
"Robert Collins. He used to manage the department's evidence and records archive."
Marcus checked the personnel directory.
Collins was still employed by Bellwood Police Department.
His current position was listed as Senior Records Supervisor.
Marcus looked at the timestamp again.
2:14 a.m.
Someone had accessed the supposedly inaccessible archive only hours earlier.
And whatever they were looking for, they were still looking.
Marcus picked up the telephone.
"Sarah, I need you to locate Robert Collins. Do not tell him why. Just confirm whether he is in the building."
"Yes, Chief."
He ended the call.
Elena was still staring at the screen.
"Chief, if Collins is accessing the archive now, he may know we've started looking."
Marcus closed the notification.
"Then we need to secure those records before they disappear."
He stood, took his briefcase, and headed for the door.