Laya sat across from Naomi with a city attorney beside her; she remained on paid leave. Naomi began with what the city could no longer dispute: a second certified CAD export produced under formal demand matched Laya's export byte for byte. The sequence was unaltered, and Laya had accessed it within her supervisory permissions while documenting a dispatch discrepancy.
"They can argue about why she preserved it," Naomi said. "They cannot argue that she invented it."
The city attorney stopped taking notes.
Camille studied a spreadsheet derived from the same CAD source and the Sloan intake records that had finally arrived. She had asked Naomi to examine a narrow question: How often had a clear state return been followed by a local caution and a high-value tow credited to Pike?
The answer was nine times in 14 months. Seven involved motorcycles. Every caution originated from Pike's session. Every vehicle went to Sloan Recovery, even when another company was next in rotation. Six owners paid substantial fees; two abandoned their bikes. Pike had claimed specialized overtime on each recovery. His application to lead the proposed interdiction unit cited all nine as proof of exceptional vehicle theft work.
"A pattern is not proof that every stop was fabricated," the city attorney said.
"Correct," Camille replied. "It tells us where lawful review is necessary. It does not authorize us to skip that review."
Naomi opened the intake file for Camille's Harley. The first photographs showed the waterproof registration folder inside the left saddlebag. A later inventory sheet marked the compartment empty. Sloan's original image timestamps had survived because the photographs were automatically attached to the city invoice before the inventory was edited. Victor Sloan claimed an employee had moved the folder and forgotten to document it. He denied coordinating with Pike and refused a voluntary interview. His refusal proved nothing by itself, but the conflicting records defeated Pike's claim that no ownership document had been found.
The final item on the table was Van's notebook, sealed after his attorney delivered it to Naomi. The bent page contained the plate number, the word "CLEAR" in capital letters, and a line written several minutes later: D.P. says local caution now possible clone. Beneath it, Van had recorded Camille's preservation requests at the hospital.
In a compelled administrative statement, Van admitted aiming his weapon, delaying medical care, and letting Pike alter the chronology. He placed Pike alone beside the terminal when the caution appeared. Naomi kept that interview separate from the criminal inquiry, while the independently created notebook and system records remained available to both paths.
"He is cooperating," the city attorney said.
"He is finally telling the truth," Camille answered. "That does not erase where he pointed his gun."
Camille understood that refusing protection could become another form of control. She accepted Naomi's authority, Laya's expertise, and Van's limited contribution without surrendering her judgment.
The evidence established a wider practice and a false report. One question remained vulnerable: the CAD log showed Pike's account; the gas station video placed him at the passenger side of the cruiser during the relevant interval; Van's notebook placed him beside the terminal—but none of those sources alone showed his hands creating the caution. Pike's defense had narrowed to that gap.
Chief Kerr issued a notice of termination after reviewing Naomi's administrative findings. He cited the fabricated chronology, medical neglect, false statements, and misuse of the patrol intelligence system. Van received a proposed suspension and retraining order, with final discipline reserved until the review ended. The city froze the interdiction unit proposal and suspended Sloan's rotation contract.
Pike appealed before the ink on the notice had dried. His union attorney accused Kerr of sacrificing an officer to protect relations with an elected sheriff. The appeal demanded a public civil service hearing and argued that Van had created the caution, Laya had conducted an unlawful data search, and Camille had used county power to manufacture a retaliation case.