"No. I couldn't explain the discrepancy, and I didn't want to give him a promise I couldn't keep. I submitted an internal note and asked for a technical review. That request ended up marked resolved."
The note had been routed through command administration, where an authorized account closed the complaint with a statement that the available video supported the officer's report. There was no attached technical explanation. The case had essentially been settled by the same evidence whose history Nathan had questioned. Maya asked the team to preserve the complaint's routing information as carefully as the footage itself.
While Elise worked, Owen returned to the contractor privilege list. The signed maintenance agreement allowed Sloan Integrated Systems to perform updates, monitor hardware health, and manage ordinary service functions under department supervision. The certificates actually operating in the network reached beyond that scope. At least one could modify retention settings and portions of evidence metadata. Other records showed overnight access outside documented maintenance windows. Several sessions came through remote connections rather than the restricted rooms for which Rebecca had certified on-site security.
"It could be misconfigured," Owen said. "Or it could have been authorized through paperwork we haven't found. Either way, the difference matters because the account has capabilities the contract doesn't describe."
"Preserve the permissions as they stand," Maya told him. "And compare them with every approved change request."
Mercer folded his hands. "Remote service was included. We needed the system available during the day. Night maintenance was ordinary."
"Night maintenance isn't the issue," Maya said. "The issue is what an account could do, what it actually did, and whether its access was authorized. We can answer those questions without assuming everyone who worked after hours did something improper."
Rebecca stood beside the door. The mention of her brother seemed to sharpen every syllable she spoke. "Calvin's company supported several city departments. He might have needed broad access to maintain integrations."
"Then somebody can produce the authorization," Maya said. "I would welcome a complete record."
Lena searched through overnight work orders. Most included dates, contractor names, and expected tasks. A few identified the employee responsible for escorting the vendor through restricted areas. Others recorded the contractor's access without naming a supervising officer. Rebecca acknowledged that she had arranged some of the shifts but said individual supervisors had been assigned when she was off duty. Maya asked for the rosters, not because every missing escort proved a violation, but because a precise timeline was beginning to emerge from scattered records.
The project test reports were the next layer. Several were authored under Calvin Sloan's account, each declaring successful installation and verification. The witness fields contained no specific person. Lena examined the departmental calendar for the testing dates and found no formal completion inspection assigned to her office. IT staff had attended planning meetings but apparently had not signed the final results. The city had accepted the work anyway.
"So the vendor tested it, the vendor certified it, and the department paid based on the certification," Elise summarized.