Daniel arrived fifteen minutes early.
He chose a table near the entrance and ordered black coffee. Sarah had insisted on driving him to the station, but she had remained in a bookstore across the street, close enough to reach him quickly if anything went wrong.
Helen Brooks had also been informed of the meeting.
Daniel had learned the hard way that caution was not cowardice.
At twelve minutes past noon, a thin man wearing a brown jacket entered the café. He looked around nervously before approaching the counter. His hair was almost completely gray, and he carried a worn canvas bag that seemed too heavy for its size.
"Mr. Mercer?"
"Samuel?"
"Is anyone following you?"
"Not that I've noticed."
"That's not reassuring."
Samuel sat down but kept his bag in his lap.
Finally, he said, "I worked as a technical contractor for the invitational tournament. I maintained the electronic displays, the timing network, and the backup recording equipment."
"Did you work on Michael's fight?"
"Yes."
"Did the clock malfunction?"
"No. The system was working correctly."
"Then why was the display reset?"
Samuel rubbed his hands together.
"Because someone entered a manual override."
"Who?"
"I don't know the person's identity. The override was issued through an authorized control terminal."
"Where was the terminal?"
"Behind the officials' station. Only a few people had access."
"Who?"
"The chief timekeeper, the event supervisor, and the operations director. The sponsor liaison also had temporary access during technical rehearsals."
Daniel thought of Richard Caldwell.
"Was Richard Caldwell authorized to use it?"
"Not directly. But someone could have used the terminal on his behalf."
Samuel opened his canvas bag and removed a small external drive.
"I kept a backup of the system logs."
"Why?"
"Because the official report said the display had experienced a technical failure. I knew that wasn't true."
"Why didn't you report it?"
"I did. My contract was terminated two weeks later."
"Did anyone threaten you?"
"Not in those words. I was told that my professional judgment was being questioned and that I should be careful about making accusations I couldn't prove."
Daniel looked at the drive.
"Does this contain the original timing log?"
"It contains the system's event history. It records the override, the time it was entered, and the account used to authorize it."
"Can it identify the person?"
"It can identify the account. Whether that proves who physically used it is another question."
Evidence could establish what a system recorded without necessarily establishing who had stood in front of it.
"May I take a copy?"
Samuel hesitated.
"I didn't bring this here so you could publish it online."
"I won't."
"And I don't want my name appearing in the newspapers."
"I understand."
"Do you? Because the people involved have money, lawyers, and friends in places you wouldn't expect. I spent years trying to rebuild my career after that tournament. I don't want to lose everything again."
"My brother lost his life. I'm not asking you to be brave for me. I'm asking you to let an independent investigator examine what you kept."
Samuel looked down at the drive.
"Give it to the attorney. Don't make copies for yourself unless she says it's necessary."
"Thank you."
"One more thing."
Daniel looked up.
"The account that entered the override wasn't registered to Richard Caldwell."
Daniel's hand tightened around the drive.
"Whose account was it?"
"Victor Sloane."
For several seconds, Daniel could not speak.
Daniel watched him leave, then immediately contacted Helen Brooks.
When he explained what Samuel had said, Helen instructed him not to examine or alter the drive.
"We'll arrange a secure transfer," she said. "And I need Samuel's contact details, with his permission."
Daniel looked through the café window.
Samuel had disappeared into the crowd.
For the first time, the investigation had uncovered a concrete technical record.
And the account responsible belonged to the man who had claimed he was merely following instructions.
Victor Sloane had not been standing outside the machinery of the incident.
But Daniel still had one unanswered question.
Had Victor acted alone?
Or had someone more powerful told him exactly what to do?
Helen Brooks received the drive that afternoon.
She arranged for a digital forensic specialist to create a verified copy, calculate integrity checks, and preserve the original without altering its contents. Samuel Price provided a written statement explaining how the logs had been generated and stored.
Daniel was not permitted to attend the technical examination.
Helen explained that the committee needed to maintain a clear record of who handled the evidence and when.