Then she placed the phone on the desk and called the investigative director.
EVELYN CARTER: "I have received another message connected to the incident. I want it preserved and included in the investigation."
INVESTIGATIVE DIRECTOR: "Do you recognize the number?"
EVELYN CARTER: "No."
INVESTIGATIVE DIRECTOR: "Do not respond. We'll document it and examine the source."
EVELYN CARTER: "Understood."
She ended the call.
For several seconds, she sat quietly.
The message was clearly intended to intimidate her.
But it had also confirmed something important.
Whoever was trying to obtain the recording knew that the investigation had moved beyond the public confrontation.
They knew that the microphone interruption had been discovered.
They knew that the access requests were being examined.
And they were worried enough to contact her directly.
Evelyn stood, walked toward the window, and looked out over the headquarters courtyard.
She had faced difficult situations throughout her career. She had worked under pressure, made decisions that carried serious consequences, and accepted responsibility when others preferred to avoid it.
A threatening message would not change that.
But she also understood that the people involved might become more desperate as the investigation progressed.
She returned to her desk and opened the case summary.
At the top of the document, she wrote a new heading:
UNAUTHORIZED RECORDING ACCESS AND POSSIBLE EVIDENCE INTERFERENCE.
Then she added the latest message to the list of evidence.
The next morning, David Mercer would provide his statement.
And if he told the truth about who had instructed him to obtain the footage, the investigation might finally reach the person who had been coordinating the attempts to control what the world would see.
The following morning, Colonel Evelyn Carter arrived at headquarters shortly before eight o'clock. The investigation team had arranged a private interview with David Mercer, the technical consultant whose temporary account had been used to request the security footage from the ceremony.
General Marcus Hale was already waiting in the conference room. Beside him sat the investigative director, two officers responsible for digital evidence, and a legal adviser assigned to the case.
A large screen displayed the timeline of events from the previous afternoon. It showed Richard Vaughn approaching the stage, the confrontation with Evelyn, the microphone interruption, and the two separate attempts to obtain the security recording.
The timeline was becoming increasingly difficult to explain as a series of unrelated administrative mistakes.
GENERAL MARCUS HALE: "Good morning, Colonel. We've received confirmation that Mercer is here."
EVELYN CARTER: "Has he agreed to cooperate?"
INVESTIGATIVE DIRECTOR: "He has. However, he requested that his statement be recorded and that his identity be protected from unnecessary disclosure."
EVELYN CARTER: "That's reasonable. We should focus on what he knows."
The investigative director nodded and opened the interview room.
David Mercer entered a few seconds later. He was in his late thirties, wore a grey jacket, and carried a laptop bag. His expression was tense. He glanced around the room before taking the chair offered to him.
INVESTIGATIVE DIRECTOR: "Mr. Mercer, thank you for agreeing to speak with us. We are investigating the unauthorized attempt to access security recordings from yesterday's military ceremony. We understand that a temporary account assigned to you was used to submit a request for the main stage footage."
DAVID MERCER: "That's correct."
INVESTIGATIVE DIRECTOR: "Did you submit the request yourself?"
DAVID MERCER: "Yes."
INVESTIGATIVE DIRECTOR: "Why?"
Mercer looked briefly toward Evelyn.
DAVID MERCER: "I was instructed to obtain a copy of the recording before the venue's security team restricted access."
EVELYN CARTER: "Who gave you that instruction?"
DAVID MERCER: "A senior executive at Vaughn Strategic Holdings."
INVESTIGATIVE DIRECTOR: "Please provide the name."
DAVID MERCER: "Olivia Grant."
The investigator made a note.
INVESTIGATIVE DIRECTOR: "What position does Ms. Grant hold?"
DAVID MERCER: "She is the executive operations director. She handles several confidential assignments for Mr. Vaughn."
GENERAL MARCUS HALE: "Did she tell you why she needed the recording?"
DAVID MERCER: "She said there had been an incident during the ceremony and that the company needed to review the footage before it became part of an official report."
EVELYN CARTER: "Did she say the recording was intended for legal purposes?"
DAVID MERCER: "She said it was necessary to protect the company's interests."
INVESTIGATIVE DIRECTOR: "Did she tell you to alter the footage?"
DAVID MERCER: "No. She told me to obtain the complete recording."
INVESTIGATIVE DIRECTOR: "Did she ask you to remove any section or change the audio?"
DAVID MERCER: "Not directly."
The investigator paused.
INVESTIGATIVE DIRECTOR: "What do you mean by 'not directly'?"
Mercer opened his laptop bag and removed a small notebook.
DAVID MERCER: "She sent me a message after the incident. She said the company needed to know whether the audio had captured the entire exchange. She also asked whether it would be possible to obtain the recording without the venue's security watermark."
Evelyn exchanged a glance with General Hale.
EVELYN CARTER: "Why would the company need a version without the security watermark?"
DAVID MERCER: "I asked the same question. She told me it was for internal review."