Mercer looked away. Reeves followed Maya into the hallway. You expected something like this? I expected the case to be opened if someone was careless.
I did not expect the windows, the camera, or an overnight rewrite. Reeves lowered his voice. What do you think they removed? I don't know yet.
You saw some of the files before Mercer closed the case. Enough to know his name was there. And Dugan. Maya paused.
Not clearly enough for me to say that distinction mattered. She would not turn suspicion into fact simply because Dugan had already given her reasons to distrust him. Back inside, Blake asked Dugan to explain why the evidence packaging had changed. He repeated that the original condition was unsuitable.
Then she asked why the dash camera classification had changed after supervisory access. Dugan answered that damaged electronics were routinely reclassified. Blake looked toward the digital specialist. Can you preserve the original status history?
Yes. Dugan stepped closer. Some of those entries are just administrative cleanup. Blake looked at him.
Then the audit trail will make that clear. A deputy entered carrying a cardboard tray from the all-night diner across the courthouse square. Coffee order. Nobody had remembered ordering it.
The deputy set the tray on the counter and quietly left. The smell of fresh coffee spread through the room, but no one reached for a cup. The digital specialist picked up the Bentley dash camera and examined the model number on the housing. He turned it over once, then looked at the broken memory card sealed beside it.
"Who said the storage was destroyed?" Dugan answered, "The card is physically damaged." The specialist nodded.
"I can see that." He studied the camera again, then looked toward Blake. "Why are we looking for the memory card?"
The room went quiet. Mercer's attention fixed on him. Maya turned from the hallway. Blake asked, "What do you mean?"
The specialist pointed to the camera. "This unit doesn't depend on the card for its primary record." The digital evidence specialist carried the Bentley camera to the technical workstation and connected it through an isolated forensic interface. Blake stood beside him while Maya remained near the doorway.
"What does it use?" Blake asked. The specialist checked the device information on his screen. "Local storage is secondary. This model can upload encrypted recordings automatically when it has a secure data connection."
Mercer looked toward the damaged memory card. "You're saying it records somewhere else?"
"I'm saying the card isn't necessarily the only copy," the specialist replied.
Dugan stepped closer. Where would the other copy be? The specialist continued reading the configuration information. This unit was enrolled in an external evidence preservation environment.
Maya's expression changed slightly. Reeves noticed. You know about that? I know why the vehicle was configured for secure documentation.
Blake looked at her. Because of the transition material? Yes. Maya kept her answer limited.
The sealed package was being moved under an integrity review protocol. I was told the vehicle system had been temporarily configured to preserve transportation records independently of local systems. Dugan frowned. Independently how?