Rebecca immediately said, "Contractors were approved for off-hours work because the system couldn't be interrupted during normal operations."
Maya nodded. "Who approved that access?"
"I did, when it was on the authorized schedule."
Maya turned back to Lena. "Preserve every contractor entry record you still have."
The federal technician raised a hand from the second workstation. "Agent Williams, one more thing." He pointed to the certificate list. "Sloan Integrated Systems still has active administrator credentials."
Mercer frowned. "That contract includes maintenance."
The technician replied, "These aren't limited maintenance credentials. At least one certificate has broader privileges than the documentation describes."
Maya looked at the screen. "Can it alter retention settings?"
"Yes."
"Can it modify evidence metadata?"
"With the permissions I'm seeing? Potentially."
Maya gave the technician a clear instruction: "Do not revoke it yet. Mirror every action and every connection it makes."
Rebecca stared at her. "If you think the credential is dangerous, why leave it active?"
"Because I want to know who is using it."
A city facilities employee arrived a few minutes later with keys to the municipal storage annex. Maya picked up her coded case, and the federal photographer followed her toward the rear exit. The paperwork said Asheford had already installed everything it bought. Now they were going to see what was still sitting in the boxes.
The municipal storage annex stood behind the police complex, beside the vehicle maintenance building. A city facility supervisor named Frank Holloway unlocked the side entrance and signed the federal entry sheet before Maya allowed anyone inside.
"Nothing gets moved until it's photographed," Maya said.
Frank nodded. "Understood, Agent Williams."
The overhead lights came on one row at a time. Stacks of equipment filled the rear half of the building. The federal photographer began documenting the room from the doorway while another agent compared serial numbers against the procurement list Lena had printed.
Maya stopped beside the first pallet. The boxes were marked with the same manufacturer listed in Asheford's technology contract: body cameras, charging stations, encrypted storage modules, network appliances. Most of the manufacturer seals were still intact.
Frank looked at the paperwork in his hand. "These have been here for months."
Chief Mercer turned toward him. "Why weren't they released to the contractor?"
"They were."
Mercer frowned. "Then why are they still here?"
Frank pointed to a receiving sticker on one of the boxes. "Sloan Integrated Systems signed them out for installation, then returned them to this bay under temporary storage. Nobody ever submitted another release request."
Rebecca stepped closer. "Who signed the return?"
Frank checked the inventory sheet. "There's no individual signature, just the contractor account."
Maya asked, "How many pallets?"