Chapter 13 - Locker 118
No one spoke for several seconds.
Marcus stared at the message displayed on the communications officer's tablet.
REMOTE ACCESS DETECTED — LOCKER 118
Time stamp: 09:42 A.M.
Current status: ACCESS GRANTED
Dana frowned.
"That's impossible."
The communications officer nodded nervously.
"It should be. The locker was officially sealed twelve years ago."
Marcus looked toward Eleanor.
"Has anyone besides your husband ever known about Locker 118?"
She thought carefully before answering.
"Daniel believed only three people knew."
"Who?"
"My husband."
"Rebecca Lawson."
She hesitated.
"And..."
Her eyes slowly drifted toward Victor.
Victor immediately shook his head.
"I've never even heard of it."
Marcus noticed that Victor answered before Eleanor finished speaking.
"You didn't let her finish."
Victor remained silent.
Dana turned to the detective.
"I want officers at North Storage immediately."
"They're already on the way."
Marcus glanced back at the suitcase.
The empty hidden compartment continued bothering him.
Someone had removed something long before Eleanor arrived at the airport.
But why leave the notebook?
Why leave the photographs?
Why leave the cassette tapes?
Unless...
Marcus looked at the inventory label again.
Archive Case 27-B
"What if the missing item wasn't evidence?"
Dana looked up.
"What are you thinking?"
Marcus pointed toward the suitcase lining.
"The cavity is too small for most of these documents."
"So what fit inside?"
He looked at the digital storage device still sealed in evidence packaging.
"Something about this size."
The detective checked the inventory log.
Everything recovered from the suitcase had already been photographed.
Everything...
Except no one could prove whether another storage device had originally been hidden inside the lining.
Eleanor slowly reached into her coat pocket.
"I forgot something."
Everyone turned.
She unfolded an old shopping receipt that had been tucked inside her wallet for years.
On the back, Daniel had scribbled only one sentence.
If Case 27 is ever separated, never trust the first drive you find.
Marcus felt a chill.
"The first drive..."
He looked immediately toward the evidence table.
There was only one digital storage device.
Which meant Daniel had expected there to be...
At least two.
Before anyone could discuss the implication, one of the detectives received a radio transmission.
His face changed instantly.
"What happened?" Dana asked.
The detective answered quietly.
"The officers reached North Storage."
"And?"
"They found Locker 118."
Marcus took one step closer.
"Was it open?"
The detective swallowed.
"No."
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"It was already empty."
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