"I was trying to protect Harrison's," Sloan said. "They're a major tenant."
Olivia's voice hardened. "Then you should have listened when they told you their customer had paid."
They left the security office at 4:03. The atrium had grown busier, with donors beginning to arrive early and volunteers arranging the last place cards. The fountain continued flowing as though nothing unusual had happened. A few shoppers recognized Vanessa from the earlier confrontation, and their expressions shifted from curiosity to surprise when they saw her walking freely beside a police lieutenant.
Lena met them at the event booth. Her face brightened at the sight of Vanessa, then fell when she noticed the officer and the two mall managers. "I did what you asked," she said quickly. "I didn't erase anything."
"Good," Vanessa told her. "You did exactly the right thing."
Lena looked relieved. "What do you need?"
Torres explained the request. Lena disconnected the local recorder from its automatic review schedule and asked Olivia for permission to make a verified copy before opening any files. Olivia approved and contacted the contracted IT specialist, who was already on site supporting the fundraiser. He began creating a read-only duplicate of the afternoon recordings while Lena brought up the index on a private monitor.
Thumbnails appeared in rows, each labeled by time and camera angle. The system had recorded Vanessa walking toward Harrison Fine Jewelry at 2:17, then passing back into the atrium after the purchase. It had captured her pause near the storefront at 2:49. It had captured the first approach of Harlan, his body turned toward her before she realized he was there.
Lena's finger stopped above the touchpad. "There she is."
"Don't play it yet," Torres said. "Let the copy finish."
The IT specialist watched the progress indicator reach one hundred percent, then verified the copy and recorded the file identifiers. He placed the copy onto a secured drive under Olivia's supervision. Torres noted the names of everyone present and the equipment used. It was tedious work, and for several minutes no one spoke except to confirm a time or read a label. Vanessa was grateful for the tediousness. It meant the room was finally concerned with facts rather than faces.
When the duplicate was secured, Lena opened the earliest relevant clip. The recording filled the private monitor. It showed Vanessa holding up the receipt, Harlan's approach, and the shoppers who paused nearby. The colors were sharp and the image was steady. Unlike Harlan's body camera, the elevated view showed the entire width of the corridor.
Torres leaned closer. "Play the sound."
Lena adjusted the audio. A soft wash of mall music emerged, then Vanessa's voice asking the officer to check the receipt. The overhead microphone had captured more than Lena expected. It was designed to pick up announcements and audience responses near the event area, but the open atrium carried sound farther than a closed room would have done. Harlan's raised voice came through clearly enough that no one needed to guess at the words.