Miller's expression tightened.
"What are you talking about?"
"Your patrol logs. Your assignments. The impound reports you signed. The vehicles you transported."
Miller stared at her.
"I just followed orders."
Emily's voice softened slightly.
"Then you should have nothing to hide."
Before Miller could respond, Laura returned.
"We've got movement."
Marcus turned.
"Where?"
"Inside the storage facility. The local surveillance team just reported that the black SUV has left."
"Bell?"
"Unknown. They lost sight of the entrance for approximately ninety seconds."
Emily's face tightened.
"That's impossible. He was inside when I left."
Marcus looked at her.
"How long ago?"
"About twenty minutes."
Laura checked her phone.
"There's more. The blue pickup is gone."
Marcus immediately gave an instruction.
"Send two agents to the facility. Secure the building and preserve any surveillance footage. No one enters or leaves without being identified."
Laura nodded.
Emily looked toward the building.
"Marcus, if Bell has been taken..."
"We'll find him."
"You don't understand. He has the original transfer ledger."
Marcus studied her expression.
"What exactly is in that ledger?"
Emily lowered her voice.
"Names, dates, vehicle identification numbers, and payment records. It links the officers who authorized the transfers to Voss's company."
Marcus's jaw tightened.
"How many names?"
"At least eleven."
Laura stopped moving.
"Eleven officers?"
"That is what we believe. But there may be more."
Marcus looked toward Brooks.
The officer was standing very still.
Too still.
Emily noticed his right hand moving slightly toward his belt.
"Daniel," Miller whispered.
Brooks stopped.
Marcus turned.
"Hands where I can see them."
Brooks slowly raised both hands.
"What's happening?"
"Don't move."
Emily watched him carefully.
She had seen that expression before.
It was the look of a person trying to calculate how much trouble he was in and whether there was still a way out.
But Brooks wasn't the only one thinking.
Ryan Miller looked increasingly terrified.
He suddenly stepped forward.
"Agent Reed?"
Marcus turned.
"What?"
"I need to tell you something."
Brooks immediately looked at him.
"Ryan, don't."
Miller swallowed.
"No. I'm done."
Emily watched the younger officer.
"What do you need to tell us?"
Miller glanced at Brooks.
Then toward the police cruiser.
"I knew about the impound transfers."
Brooks's face hardened.
"Watch your mouth."
Miller continued.
"Not all of them. But some. I saw vehicles being released without the proper authorization. I asked about it once."
"What happened?" Emily asked.
"He told me it was a lieutenant's order."
"Which lieutenant?"
Miller looked at Brooks.
"Hayes."
Marcus nodded.
"Go on."
Miller took a shaky breath.
"Three months ago, we were assigned to transport a vehicle from a burglary investigation. It was supposed to go to the county evidence lot. But Daniel told me to take it to Voss Recovery instead."
Brooks interrupted.
"That's not true."
Miller ignored him.
"I asked why. He said the county lot was full."
Emily frowned.
"Was it?"
"No."
"How do you know?"
"Because I had checked the inventory system before we left."
Marcus looked at Laura.
"Get his statement."
Laura nodded.
Miller continued.
"There was a laptop inside the vehicle. It was listed as evidence. When we got to the recovery yard, a man came out and told us to leave it in the office."
"Who was the man?"
"Richard Voss."
Emily's expression hardened.
"Did you see him remove the laptop?"
"No. But I saw him take the keys."
"Did you report it?"
Miller looked down.
"No."
"Why?"
He swallowed.
"Because Daniel told me that if I wanted to keep my job, I should stop asking questions."
Brooks stepped toward him.
"You're lying."
Marcus moved between them.
"Stay where you are."
Miller's voice trembled.
"I didn't know how deep it went. I swear."
Emily studied him.
"You knew enough to be concerned."
"Yes."
"And you stayed silent."
"Yes."
"Why are you talking now?"
Miller looked at the handcuffs in Laura's hand.
Then at Brooks.
"Because I just watched him arrest a federal investigator without even checking her identification. And I realized he was going to keep doing this until someone stopped him."
For a moment, Emily said nothing.
She understood fear.
She had spent years interviewing people who knew the truth but were afraid of what would happen if they spoke.
But understanding fear did not mean excusing silence.
"Your cooperation will be evaluated," she finally said. "But you need to understand that telling us something now doesn't erase what you knew before."
Miller nodded.
"I understand."
Marcus turned to Laura.
"Separate them. No private conversations."
Laura gestured toward the government SUV.
"Officer Miller, come with me."
Miller complied.
Brooks remained beside the cruiser.
He looked at Emily.
"You really think you're going to bring down the whole department?"
Emily met his eyes.
"I'm not trying to bring down the department."
"Then what?"
"I'm trying to find out who turned it into something people are afraid to trust."
Brooks laughed bitterly.
"You have no idea how things work around here."
"Then explain them."
He looked away.
For several seconds, he appeared to consider saying something.
Then his expression closed.
"Get a lawyer."
Emily nodded.
"That's probably the first sensible thing you've said today."
Marcus turned toward the storage facility.
"Let's go."
The federal team arrived within minutes.
Inside the building, they found signs of a hurried departure.
A chair had been knocked over.
Several papers were scattered across a desk.
A half-empty bottle of water sat beside an open laptop.
Thomas Bell was nowhere to be found.
However, one of the investigators discovered something beneath the desk.
A small black flash drive.
Emily recognized it immediately.
It was attached to a key ring with a faded red tag.
"That's his."