Chapter 11: The Face in the Footage
Lisa Chen stared at the enhanced security image for several long seconds.
Then she zoomed in again.
The maintenance uniform.
The cap.
The profile.
At first glance, the man looked exactly like Richard Thompson.
Too exactly.
She picked up her phone.
"Michael, don't come to any conclusions yet."
Agent Reeves was already halfway back to the laboratory.
"What changed?"
"The enhancement created more detail."
"And?"
"I don't think we're looking at Richard."
Ten minutes later, Reeves stood beside Lisa in the surveillance room.
The video replayed frame by frame.
The man walked through the rear entrance with practiced confidence.
He never looked at the cameras.
Never hesitated.
Never rushed.
Lisa froze a single frame.
"Look here."
She pointed to the man's left ear.
Reeves leaned closer.
"A scar."
"No."
She zoomed further.
"An earpiece."
A tiny flesh-colored communication device sat almost invisibly against the man's skin.
"Richard wasn't wearing anything like that at graduation."
Reeves nodded.
"And his posture is different."
They watched the clip again.
The man's shoulders were straighter.
His stride longer.
His movements almost military.
Someone had chosen clothing that resembled Richard's appearance from a distance.
But it wasn't enough to fool a detailed analysis.
"It was a disguise," Reeves said quietly.
Lisa nodded.
"And whoever wore it wanted witnesses to remember Sarah's father."
Sarah and Dr. Hendricks returned to the laboratory shortly after midnight.
Reeves met them outside.
"I have good news."
Sarah looked surprised.
"Good news?"
"We no longer believe your father entered the building."
Sarah didn't know whether to feel relieved or more confused.
"So... someone wanted him blamed."
"That's our working theory."
Inside the lab, technicians had finished processing additional evidence.
Brian Keller placed a clear evidence bag on the table.
"We found this beneath Sarah's desk."
It was a tiny metallic object.
Smaller than a coin.
Sarah frowned.
"What is it?"
Lisa smiled faintly.
"A wireless signal beacon."
Sarah blinked.
"I don't understand."
"It doesn't record anything."
"It only broadcasts location."
Reeves looked at Sarah.
"Someone wanted to know where one particular object was."
"My notebook?"
"Probably."
Lisa shook her head.
"Not necessarily."
She scanned the beacon with a handheld reader.
The serial number appeared on the screen.
Then her expression changed.
"This beacon wasn't attached to the drawer."
"It was attached..."
She turned the bag over.
"...to the underside of your laptop."
Sarah stared in disbelief.
"My laptop?"
"The notebook may have been a distraction."
Reeves folded his arms.
"If someone tracked your computer, they could monitor your work for months."
Dr. Hendricks slowly sat down.
"That means..."
She looked at Sarah.
"...someone knew your research had value long before it was published."
Sarah thought back over the last three years.
The anonymous coffee.
The gifted textbook.
The repaired laptop.
The photograph.
The stolen notebook.
For the first time, she separated them into two groups.
One group had quietly helped her.
The other had quietly watched her.
They weren't the same person.
"I think there were two strangers in my life," she said.
Mrs. Carter, who had just arrived after receiving Reeves' call, listened carefully.
"What makes you say that?"
Sarah answered slowly.
"The person who helped me never asked for anything."
She looked at the beacon.
"The person who watched me always wanted something."
The room fell silent.
It was the first theory that explained every event.
Mrs. Carter nodded.
"I believe you're right."
Reeves turned to Lisa.
"Can we trace the beacon?"
Lisa connected it to a forensic reader.
A manufacturer name appeared.
Not a company.
A government contractor.
She frowned.
"That's... unusual."
"What is it?"
"This hardware isn't sold in stores."
"It's normally purchased by research institutions and security agencies."
Reeves' eyes narrowed.
"So whoever planted it had access to specialized equipment."
As the printer beside Lisa finished producing a technical report, one final detail appeared at the bottom of the page.
Last transmission received: 8:41 a.m.
Sarah looked at the time.
"That's this morning."
"Just before graduation."
Lisa nodded.
"Whoever was tracking you knew exactly when you left your apartment."
Reeves looked toward the dark laboratory windows.
"They knew your schedule."
"They knew your research."
"And they knew today mattered."
He closed the report.
"Which means this wasn't a crime of opportunity."
"It was planned."
Outside, beyond the pool of light cast by the campus lamps, a black sedan rolled quietly away from the science building.
The driver glanced once in the rearview mirror.
Then placed a call.
A calm voice answered.
"Report."
The driver replied with only four words.
May you like
"Phase One is complete."
End of Chapter 11
