The lieutenant remained calm.
"We'll examine that too."
For several seconds, Mercer stared.
Then Rebecca looked toward the orange evidence bag.
"What's the basis for seizing that medication?"
Mercer hesitated.
"Possible prescription fraud."
"Has the pharmacy confirmed a problem?"
He looked away.
"Not yet."
Jordan spoke quietly.
"They confirmed the prescription was valid."
Rebecca looked toward him.
Then back at Mercer.
For a moment, she seemed concerned.
She requested the relevant reports, preserved recordings, and documentation concerning the bag.
Then she asked about the evidence label.
Jordan pointed toward the handwritten number.
"Lieutenant, I think there's a discrepancy."
Rebecca looked closer.
For several seconds, she studied the label.
Then asked Mercer.
"Why is this connected to an older incident reference?"
The sergeant's expression changed.
He opened his mouth.
Then closed it.
For the first time that afternoon, he seemed genuinely unsure what to say.
The evidence discrepancy became central to the investigation.
Rebecca Sloan requested the original records associated with the handwritten number and instructed that the medication bag remain properly secured while its legal status was reviewed.
The department's evidence unit supplied the relevant entry.
Number 846 referred to an earlier incident involving a woman stopped outside another pharmacy.
That woman had been carrying prescription medication when Mercer detained her on suspicion of illegal possession.
The investigation in that earlier case had ended without charges after the medication was verified as legitimate.
The property record showed that the evidence had been returned.
But the associated documentation was incomplete.
And the same identifying notation appeared on another submission months later.
Rebecca frowned.
She examined the file.
Then asked whether the number could legitimately appear on multiple unrelated incidents.
The evidence technician explained that certain numbers could repeat across different parts of the department's tracking system, depending on context.
So the notation alone didn't prove misconduct.
But on this particular label, the number was being used as an incident reference.
That was not consistent with the newly reported pharmacy encounter.
Rebecca requested the underlying submission records.
For several seconds, she stared at the dates.
Then looked toward Jordan.
"Who prepared this label?"
He answered.
"Sergeant Mercer."
She nodded.
"Did he create a new incident record before bagging the medication?"
Jordan shook his head.
"Not that I saw."
Rebecca looked toward the documents again.
For a moment, her expression hardened.
Then she said quietly, "We need an independent review."