He requested access to the incident report.
The wording disturbed him immediately.
It said Maya repeatedly refused lawful instructions.
It said vehicle access became necessary because suspicion increased.
It said the camera was unreadable upon seizure.
Nothing said Aaron verified ownership before the first window broke.
Nothing said he warned Derek about the search.
Nothing said the camera’s indicator was green.
Aaron could not rewrite Derek’s report.
He could create his own record.
At the evidence workstation, he opened a routine equipment-maintenance field linked to the camera serial number. He typed one sentence.
Device responded normally during initial intake before supervisory review.
Timestamp.
Save.
No accusations.
No theory.
Just one fact that would be harder to erase completely.
Chapter 8: What Russell Found
At 8:51, Russell returned to the evidence room alone.
The technician looked up.
“You need something?”
“Finish the property logs out front.”
“You want removals documented?”
“I’m conducting supervisory review.”
The technician hesitated.
Then left.
Russell picked up the Bentley camera.
He removed the memory card.
It looked intact.
He pressed it against the edge of the metal desk until the plastic cracked.
One piece fell to the floor.
Russell picked it up.
Then broke the card again.
He dropped the pieces into a disposal container.
Next he opened the camera housing and loosened two internal components.
He did not need to destroy the unit completely.
He only needed later technical failure to look plausible.
Then Russell turned toward the transition case.
The broken numbered seal had been placed inside a temporary evidence envelope.
That envelope was dangerous.
If an outside reviewer later compared the original seal with custody records, Derek’s unauthorized opening would be obvious.
Russell removed it.
Dropped it into the shred bin.
Then began reading.
One file concerned evidence reclassification.
Another concerned citizen complaints closed without complete review.
A third listed traffic reports altered through supervisory overrides.
Russell’s name appeared beside several entries.
He sat down.
Read more.
Then removed six pages.
The shredder ran for several seconds.
The sound seemed impossibly loud to him.
Nobody entered.
A dispatcher laughed down the hallway.
Someone opened the vending machine.
A phone rang.
Russell repacked the remaining files.
Then altered the evidence notation to say the transition case had arrived with compromised packaging.
At the workstation outside, Aaron noticed the classification change.
The camera moved from active electronic evidence to damaged equipment.
The transition-case inventory changed too.
One line disappeared.
Aaron stared at the screen.
Russell was still inside the evidence room.
Aaron reopened the maintenance field.
Original camera classification visible at 20:27 before supervisory access.
He added the reference number.
Timestamp.
Save.
Then he created another narrow note attached to the transition case.
Initial inventory contained additional numbered entries before supervisory review.
He did not accuse Russell.
He simply refused to let the first version vanish without leaving a footprint.