Someone had probably been watching the repair shop long before they arrived.
And someone clearly wanted to know what Parker had given them.
At 4:30 p.m., Marcus arrived at his office.
He had worked in the building for almost three years. It was a modest office on the seventh floor, with large windows overlooking the city.
There were no expensive decorations, no photographs with politicians, and no awards displayed on the walls.
Marcus preferred a quiet environment.
He placed the evidence envelope on his desk and called his technical investigation team.
A woman named Natalie Brooks answered.
"Marcus?"
"I need you to come to my office."
"Is something wrong?"
"We have a recording that may be connected to the Brookhaven investigation."
"How sensitive?"
"Very."
Natalie became serious.
"Give me twenty minutes."
While waiting, Marcus opened his computer and reviewed the seventeen complaints again.
One particular case caught his attention.
The name was Thomas Reed.
Thomas was a retired schoolteacher who had been stopped while driving home from a medical appointment.
According to his complaint, Officer Whitmore had accused him of driving a stolen vehicle.
The vehicle belonged to Thomas.
He had owned it for eleven years.
The registration was valid.
The insurance was current.
Yet the officer had handcuffed him, placed him inside a patrol vehicle, and kept him there for nearly two hours.
When Thomas finally attempted to file a complaint, he was told that no detention had occurred.
Marcus read the final paragraph twice.
The man had written:
"I spent thirty-two years teaching children that the law protects everyone equally. I never imagined that one day I would have to beg the people enforcing that law to treat me like a human being."
Marcus leaned back.
He closed his eyes for a moment.
Then he picked up his phone and called David.
"Find Thomas Reed."
"Why?"
"I want to speak with him."
"I'll look into it."
"And David?"
"Yes?"
"Don't send anyone from the Brookhaven department."
David understood immediately.
"Understood."
At 5:05 p.m., Natalie Brooks arrived.
She was a cybersecurity specialist who had spent more than a decade working with digital evidence and electronic records.
She placed her laptop on Marcus's desk.
"Show me what you have."
Marcus handed her the envelope.
Natalie carefully examined the USB drive.
"Where did this come from?"
"A former Brookhaven officer."
"Does he claim the recording is authentic?"
"Yes."
"Did he provide any background information?"
"He says it contains a conversation between Deputy Chief Mitchell and Commissioner Harrington."
Natalie looked up.
"That's serious."
"I know."
She connected the drive to an isolated computer.
The first file appeared.
It was labeled:
MEETING_04_FINAL.wav
Natalie checked the file properties.
"Interesting."
"What?"
"The creation date is nearly two years old. The file hasn't been modified since it was created."
"Can you verify whether it has been edited?"
"I can examine it for signs of manipulation. But we shouldn't assume authenticity based on metadata alone."
Marcus nodded.
"Proceed."
Natalie put on her headphones.
The recording began with the sound of a door closing.
Then two male voices became audible.
The first belonged to Raymond Mitchell.
The second was deeper.
It was unmistakably Commissioner Edward Harrington.
Mitchell spoke first.
"The Carter situation is getting out of control."
Harrington answered.
"Then bring it under control."
"The old man is threatening to take the case to the media."
"Does he have evidence?"
"That's the problem. Parker kept a copy of the footage."
A brief silence followed.
Then Harrington spoke.
"Why is Parker still working here?"
"He refuses to cooperate."
"Then make his position uncomfortable."
Mitchell sighed.
"I've already spoken to him."
"Speak to him again."
"And if he still refuses?"
The commissioner's response was chilling.
"People who cannot understand how things work should find another profession."
Marcus looked at Natalie.
She continued listening.
The recording moved forward.
Mitchell asked a question.
"What about Whitmore?"
Harrington answered.
"Whitmore does what he's told. Keep him on the street. We need officers who understand that certain situations require flexibility."
"He's already received several complaints."
"Then close them."
"What if the complaints become public?"
Harrington laughed.
"Then we'll issue a statement about an ongoing internal review."
Mitchell remained silent.
The commissioner continued.
"Raymond, listen carefully. We cannot allow one elderly man to damage everything we've built."
Natalie stopped the recording.
For several seconds, neither of them spoke.
Finally, Marcus asked:
"Can you confirm the voices?"
"Not yet. We need independent forensic verification."
"Can you establish whether the recording has been altered?"