Walter Reed's entry contained a note. "Owner likely to contest," Brooks read. "Increase storage duration." Maya looked at Walter's file on the table.
Denise Porter's van had been marked: "Business pressure likely. Early settlement expected." Marcus Bell's Kawasaki contained another instruction: "Owner declined informal resolution. Move to secondary storage."
Eleanor's expression hardened. "They recorded the pressure as part of the plan." "Yes," Brooks said. "This was not careless administration. The financial harm was intentional."
He continued through the recovered data. Mercer appeared repeatedly in officer performance records. His totals were based on the value of vehicles seized during his shifts. Payments to him had been listed as overtime, checkpoint duty, and special administrative assignments.
Curtis Hale received weekly summaries showing towing charges, storage income, private release payments, and auction proceeds. Raymond Hale received monthly reports. His name did not appear beside direct orders, but he approved contractor payments, checkpoint schedules, and the renewal of Kingsley Towing's exclusive agreement.
Maya's Ducati appeared in the system 3 days before the stop. The entry listed its color, model, approximate route, estimated value, and out-of-county ownership. The towing destination was marked KTR. A second code appeared in several other entries.
"Bellamy," Maya said. "What does Bellamy mean?" "We do not know yet," Brooks replied. "Possibly a secondary location."
The recovery team also found internal messages. Brooks stopped speaking for several seconds while he reviewed one of them. "What is it?" Eleanor asked.
"The contractor's records show someone notified Hale this afternoon that federal agents had requested access to the archive." Maya stood. "Who?" "A systems manager with a county consulting agreement. We are identifying him now."
Brooks read the message Hale had sent to Curtis less than an hour later. "Move premium units tonight. Separate titles. Clear paper files. Transfer auction documents before midnight."
Another message instructed Mercer to report to the storage site and verify vehicle numbers before transport. A third stated that the most valuable motorcycles and classic cars would leave first. "How much time?" Maya asked.
"The first transport is scheduled in 6 hours." "Where?" "The messages call it the old mill warehouse." Eleanor opened the county property database. "How many old mills are there?"
Brooks answered before she completed the search. "Three properties match the description. None is registered directly to Kingsley Towing or either Hale brother." "Can the vehicle trackers identify which one?" Maya asked.
"Not yet. Several towing units have already left the public lot. One is traveling west. Another signal has been disabled."
Maya looked at the list of recovered vehicles. Walter Reed's Corvette was marked for Bellamy transfer. Marcus Bell's Kawasaki carried the same code. Denise Porter's van was listed in secondary storage.
"They are moving the evidence and the property at the same time," she said. "Yes. If the vehicles are separated from the records, owners will have to prove every connection again." Brooks did not disagree.