Price studied Maya for several seconds, then looked toward the patrol officer nearest Brett. "Keep everyone where they are. I need to speak with Miss Williams without interruptions."
Brett immediately objected. "If she starts making accusations about department records, I need to know what she says."
"No, you don't."
"If this concerns department property—"
"—it concerns information I haven't evaluated yet."
Price motioned Maya toward a booth near the front of the diner. Ruth remained behind the counter, while Daniel and Eli stayed apart from each other. Caleb returned to his rear booth, but kept his attention on the room.
Price sat across from Maya. "We're done with partial answers."
Maya nodded.
"You told me to preserve access logs, dispatch archives, evidence management history, and version records. That is not language a waitress learns by accident."
"No."
"So tell me exactly what you did for Briarwood."
Maya took a breath. "I was a civilian evidence control specialist."
Price waited.
"I worked with digital evidence records, intake histories, access permissions, transfers, archived files, and version tracking. I wasn't a sworn officer. I didn't conduct investigations. My job was to make sure records could be traced through the system."
"How long?"
"Several years."
"And you left after the access dispute Brett mentioned?"
"Yes."
Price opened her notebook. "What happened?"
Maya looked toward Brett: he was too far away to hear them clearly. "I was reviewing a set of records connected to evidence that had been entered into the system. One file did not match what I had seen earlier."
"What kind of difference?"
"Language, status, information, details connected to the original incident."
"Did you report it?"
"I asked questions."
"To whom?"
"People above me. And I was told I had accessed a record outside my assignment."
"Had you?"
Maya paused. "I had access to the system. Whether I was supposed to open that specific file became the argument."
Price leaned back. "That still leaves a lot unanswered."
"I know."
"Did you alter anything?"
"No."
"Copy anything?"
"No."
"Delete anything?"
"No."
"Did you accuse Brett of changing the file?"
"No."
Price looked up from the notebook. "You're being careful again."
"Because I never saw him change it."
"Then what do you believe happened?"
"I believe one version existed, and later another version became the official one."
"That does not establish who changed it."
"I know."
"Does the file involve Brett?"
"Yes."
Price closed the notebook halfway. "In what way?"