The executive gave a dismissive laugh.
“We get those every day.”
“This one reached Lattice Integrity.”
The laughter stopped.
The deputy director continued.
“Their chief executive is reviewing the audit.”
The businessman stared toward the table.
He knew the company.
Lattice Integrity had built systems specifically designed to preserve change histories and identify unexplained alterations.
Its technology wasn't perfect.
No technology was.
But the company's investigators understood how to compare records across separate systems.
A transfer timestamp from one database could be checked against a payment event in another.
A storage location could be compared with an inventory report.
An authorization could be evaluated against the roles and permissions of the people supposedly involved.
And if someone changed a summary after the fact, the original event might still exist in a protected audit trail.
The contractor executive rubbed his forehead.
“How much do they know?”
“We don't know.”
“Can you restrict their access?”
The deputy director shook his head.
“Not without creating questions.”
“Then get somebody else to review it.”
“They're already preparing a disclosure to the inspector general.”
The businessman went still.
He leaned forward.
“That's not good.”
“No.”
The deputy director looked toward his phone.
“We need to know what they have.”
The contractor considered that.
Then asked, “Can you find out who's handling the report?”
“The CEO herself.”
The businessman swore quietly.
He knew enough about her reputation to understand that she wouldn't necessarily accept an explanation simply because it came from a senior municipal official.
She had built her business by questioning complex records.
And unlike most ordinary complainants, she possessed the resources to hire experts who could examine the evidence independently.
The contractor looked toward the deputy director.
“Could the records disappear?”
The official stared at him.
For several seconds, the room was silent.
Then he answered.
“Don't say that again.”
The businessman looked away.
The deputy director lowered his voice.
“What's already preserved may be beyond our control. But we need to understand the scope before anyone starts drawing conclusions.”
He paused.
“And we need to know whether she's carrying a physical evidence package.”
The contractor frowned.
“What package?”
“Her company sometimes uses portable encrypted storage during controlled disclosures.”
The businessman leaned closer.
“Can someone get it?”
The deputy director looked toward the closed dining room door.
Then answered.
“I know people who can make contact with a vehicle look routine.”
The contractor stared.
“Police?”
The official didn't answer.
He didn't need to.