Chapter 2
1063 Words
The meeting adjourned at 09:42.
Chairs scraped back from the table. Conversations restarted in low voices, clipped and practical. The display went dark. The technician began disconnecting cables without looking at anyone.
Chloe remained seated for a moment after the others stood.
She watched Deputy Director Fournier gather her folder, speak briefly to a man from legal, then turn toward the door. Fournier’s pace was unhurried and deliberate. She did not look back.
Chloe stood, slid her notebook into her bag, and stepped into the corridor with the rest of the group.
The hallway outside the conference room was narrow and busy, lined with glass offices on one side and framed photographs on the other. Past directors. Award ceremonies. Group shots from joint operations. Chloe walked past them without slowing down.
A man fell into step beside her.
“Martinez.”
She turned her head.
Inspector Daniel Kovač. He was in his early forties. Broad shoulders. Greying beard trimmed close to the jaw. His suit jacket was open, tie loosened slightly, as if he had stopped caring about appearances halfway through the morning.
“You’re back in town,” he said.
“For now,” Chloe replied.
He glanced at her bag. “You always carry paper.”
“Still works,” she said.
Kovač smiled faintly. “They’re treating this like noise.”
“They usually do,” Chloe said.
He did not argue.
They reached the junction where the corridor split toward different departments. Kovač slowed.
“You pushing for more than advisory?” he asked.
“I’m pushing for access,” Chloe said.
“That’s more than advisory.”
She stopped walking.
Kovač stopped too.
“Do you think it’s connected?” he asked.
“I think it hasn’t been ruled out,” Chloe said.
He studied her face for a second longer than necessary, then nodded once.
“If you need anything,” he said. “You know where to find me.”
“Sure”, she said. Then she turned and continued down the hall.
The Records and Archives office occupied a corner of the floor with no exterior windows. The door was open. Inside, rows of filing cabinets stood alongside workstations stacked with scanners and monitors.
A woman sat behind the main desk, typing quickly. She looked up as Chloe approached.
“Detective Martinez,” she said. Her accent suggested Eastern Europe. Late twenties. Hair pulled back tightly. “I wasn’t expecting you today.”
Chloe placed her badge on the counter.
“I need full access to seventeen unsolved cases,” she said. “High-value thefts. Five-year span. Multiple jurisdictions.”
The woman’s fingers hovered above the keyboard.
“Those files are restricted,” she said. “Some are sealed pending insurance litigation.”
“I’m aware,” Chloe said.
“I’ll need authorisation.”
Chloe nodded. “Deputy Director Fournier is aware of my interest.”
The woman hesitated.
“Aware isn’t the same as approval,” she said.
Chloe’s expression did not change.
“Check the system,” she said. “Case review flag. It should have my name.”
The woman looked down, typed, frowned slightly.
“There’s nothing here yet.”
Chloe leaned forward, resting her forearms lightly on the counter.
“There will be,” she said. “But I don’t need everything immediately. Start with access logs, security summaries, and final investigative reports.”
“That’s still—”
“—within advisory scope,” Chloe added quickly.
“Cross-case pattern analysis.”
The woman studied her for a moment, then sighed quietly and turned back to her screen.
“I can give you partial access,” she said. “Redacted where required.”
“Not useful,” Chloe said.
The woman’s mouth tightened.
“I’m not authorised—”
Chloe straightened and stepped back.
“Then let’s involve someone who is.”
She turned toward the internal phone mounted on the wall.
“Wait,” the woman said.
Chloe stopped.
The woman typed again, faster this time.
“Hold on,” she said. “There’s… something pending.”
She scrolled.
“Access confirmation request,” she said slowly. “Logged fifteen minutes ago.”
Chloe checked her watch.
09:27.
The woman’s eyes flicked up.
“It’s unsigned,” she said. “But it’s marked priority.”
“Whose queue?” Chloe asked.
The woman checked.
“Director-level.”
Chloe nodded.
“Process it,” she said.
The woman hesitated once more, then clicked through the prompt.
“Full archive,” she said. “Digital access will take time. Physical files will need to be signed out.”
“I’ll take digital first,” Chloe said.
The woman’s fingers moved across the keyboard.
“You’ll be notified as they come online,” she said. “Some are stored offsite.”
Chloe slid her badge back into her pocket.
“Notify me directly,” she said.
She turned to leave, then stopped.
“One more thing,” she said.
“Yes?”
“List every consulting firm, logistics provider, and temporary contractor referenced in those files,” Chloe said. “I want a separate index.”
The woman blinked.
“That’s… a lot.”
“Yes,” Chloe replied.
She left before the woman could respond.
Chloe crossed the atrium toward the exit stairs instead of the lift. The building was busier now. Voices echoed upward. Phones rang. Somewhere, a printer jammed.
Her phone vibrated once in her hand.
Unknown Number
She stopped near the railing and answered.
“Martinez.”
“Access is confirmed,” Fournier said. No greeting whatsoever. “You’ll receive the archive in stages.”
“Thank you,” Chloe said.
“This remains an advisory review,” Fournier said. “No task force. No field authority.”
“Understood,” Chloe replied.
There was a pause.
“You see something others don’t?” Fournier asked.
“I see a question that hasn’t been asked,” Chloe said.
There was another pause.
“Be precise,” Fournier said.
Chloe looked down into the atrium. People moved below her and they all looked small.
“I will be,” she said.
The line went dead.
Chloe stood still for a moment, phone still at her ear.
Then she lowered it, slipped it into her bag, and climbed down the stairs.
She took them two at a time.
- Writer
