"I made authorized preservation copies as part of my duties," she said. "I reported concerns to Jenkins. When nothing seemed to happen, I kept documenting file identifiers, audit logs, and discrepancies. Yesterday I received formal guidance on preserving them for investigators. This drive is a working copy, not something you should circulate or edit. The original records remain where federal agents can obtain them properly."
Marcus felt his heartbeat quicken. "What exactly is on it?"
"Several things. Body cameras from searches and stops linked to homeowners who refused Vision Heights offers. Internal audio from officers discussing which addresses to visit. And recordings from three weeks ago involving Mrs. Carter."
Angela pulled out a chair. "What happened to her three weeks ago?"
Delgado looked directly at her. "Holt went to her home. He told her the neighborhood would become increasingly difficult if she kept resisting the company's offer. One of the accompanying officers had a camera running. It captured enough of the conversation to show he wasn't there for an ordinary welfare check."
Marcus connected the drive to an isolated computer used for reviewing evidence, following Delgado's advice not to alter the files. A list of dates appeared, along with metadata and preservation notes. He opened the Carter recording first. The image showed the familiar front porch from a slightly tilted perspective, with Holt standing near the screen door and Mrs. Carter inside.
"It's a generous offer," Holt said on the recording. "You'd be wise to take it before this area changes. I can't promise people who stay will like what comes next."
Mrs. Carter's voice sounded thinner than Marcus remembered. "What are you threatening me with, Captain?"
"I'm giving you information. Police have to respond to complaints, whether residents like those visits or not."
The officer wearing the camera shifted, briefly revealing a Vision Heights representative waiting near a car across the street. Holt then turned back toward the doorway and repeated that selling would be the sensible choice. Mrs. Carter answered, "My home isn't a favor you can grant or take away." The recording ended after the captain walked away.
Angela wiped her palms on her jeans. "She was alone when they said that to her."
"Yes," Delgado replied. "And she filed a complaint. It was marked resolved because the visit was described as community outreach."
They reviewed another recording from a property on Mercer Street. Two officers discussed whether the owner had signed a purchase contract while conducting a claimed nuisance inspection. At a different address, Holt could be heard telling a subordinate to prioritize repeated contacts with residents listed as holdouts. None of the clips alone described the entire arrangement, but together they linked police attention to real estate decisions in language far too specific to be ordinary coincidence.
Then came the video of Angela's first arrest. It had been recorded from a camera on the uniform of an officer standing behind Griggs. The view was partially blocked, but the microphone captured Angela saying she did not consent to the search, Griggs ordering her to stop resisting, and the neighbors immediately contradicting him. The movement showed her stumble under his grip before being forced to the road. Marcus clenched his jaw as he watched, refusing to look away.