Bradley Knox gave his first formal interview on Thursday afternoon. He arrived with counsel and sat across from Renee in a windowless room that smelled faintly of dry-erase markers. He appeared composed, and he did not deny that the notification had been sent from his assigned account. He said he had been coordinating an inventory reconciliation and had wanted unexpected visitors held at reception until the files were secured against accidental movement. The explanation was coherent enough that Renee let him finish it without interruption.
"Who were the unexpected visitors?" she asked.
"We had heard that federal personnel might be conducting routine inquiries."
"From whom?"
Knox looked to his attorney, then answered. "There was internal discussion. I don't remember who first mentioned it."
"Did you know a warrant was expected?"
"Not specifically."
"Why did your message say command files rather than simply inventory?"
"Because those were the files being reviewed."
Renee turned a page. "Your account directed Ms. Ruiz to delay a transfer that had already been approved. What defect had you identified?"
Knox folded his hands. "I was concerned about consistency."
"Which entry was inconsistent?"
"I would need to see the file."
Renee placed the relevant work order in front of him and waited. He studied it for a long time. Finally he said that he could not recall the specific concern he had held that morning. Renee recorded the answer without arguing, then moved to the next document. A memory failure was neither proof of dishonesty nor an automatic defense; it was one more statement the underlying records would have to test.
The second document was a request to amend the status of several payment records. Knox's credentials appeared as the approving authority, and the date fell shortly before the federal review began. He acknowledged his approval but said subordinates had prepared the entries. The investigators checked that claim against the preserved account history. Some changes were indeed initiated by other employees. Others originated from a workstation assigned to Knox's office, during hours when his presence there was corroborated by ordinary building records.
"Are you saying nobody else could have used your workstation?" Renee asked.
"I'm saying the records should speak for themselves," Knox replied.
"That's what we're trying to arrange."
The interview ended without a confession and without a dramatic contradiction. Knox had offered explanations that required further checking. Renee had identified several points where the documentary record did not yet support the explanations. Both facts went into the file, and the investigation continued. Malcolm, reviewing the transcript later as part of the broader operation team, was struck by how much the exchange resembled the one Travis had refused to have in the lobby. Renee had asked for a way to verify each assertion, and nobody had torn up the question when the answer became uncomfortable.