Voss kept edging nearer despite Keene's repeated reminders to stay out of the work area. He wanted to see what the inspectors saw. Danielle could almost hear the questions racing through him. Had the replacement wiring been concealed well enough? Had someone restored the software? Was the captain going to blame him for the hardware?
When Bell lifted the access cover, a small black electronic module came into view. It was wired between the dispenser's control circuit and the administrative reporting interface. Two adhesive labels had been scraped off. A short run of cable led to a component hidden beneath the meter housing.
"That isn't part of the original installation," Bell said. "At least not on the manufacturer's diagram. We'll need to examine it in a controlled setting before saying exactly what it does."
"Can the reporting totals be altered independently of physical dispensing?" Danielle asked.
"With an unauthorized device in this part of the circuit, it's technically possible. But we test first, and we preserve the whole configuration. We don't assume."
She nodded. The answer was exactly what she wanted: precise, cautious, and useful.
Voss took three quick steps toward them. "Don't touch that!"
The sudden volume made Bell flinch. Thorne turned. Danielle held up her hand, not in a threat but to keep the technician from reaching into the equipment while the situation was unstable.
"Officer, stand back."
"That cabinet has live electrical parts. You could damage the whole station."
"The dispenser is isolated, and the technician is qualified," Danielle said. "Do you know something specific about the module?"
Voss looked at the device, then at Shaw. "No. It's just dangerous."
"Have you accessed this cabinet before?"
"Not my job."
Danielle remembered the override records. "Does patrol unit 74-Alpha sound familiar?"
"It's my car."
"Its identifier appears on restricted manual overrides for government fuel transactions here. Seventeen separate events are being reviewed."
"Someone used my number."
"That's possible. We are checking."
He seemed ready to argue with the fact that she had allowed an innocent explanation. Instead, he clenched his jaw. Danielle could see the beginnings of a choice taking shape inside him: continue pretending he knew nothing, or find a story that explained why his own credentials appeared in the system.
At the edge of the group, Shaw looked toward the retail office, where Leah stood with her hands resting on the counter. He stared just long enough that she looked down.
Danielle saw that, too.
The inspector sealed the altered module in place for a full forensic removal after the system had been safely documented. The initial images were transmitted to the federal team. The government fleet account processor was instructed to preserve raw logs, failed authorizations, and audit trails from its own servers, which meant the station could no longer be the sole source of the financial history.
Shaw watched that part of the process closely. When he spoke again, his tone was almost gracious.