Kamila parked just outside the investigator's small yet tidy home, the engine still humming as she sat for a moment, collecting her thoughts. Her mind was a chaotic mess—questions, worries, images of Callum's little face, and the words from George's call earlier.
She stepped out of the car, wrapped her jacket around her tighter against the evening chill, and walked to the door. Before she could knock, it opened, and George stood there, holding a glass of what looked like whiskey.
"You made it," he said with a nod. "Come in."
Kamila stepped inside, the scent of old books and worn leather meeting her. It was quiet, almost eerily so. George motioned to the chair across from his desk.
"Drink?" he asked, raising the bottle.
She hesitated. "Just water."
He disappeared into the kitchen for a second, returning with a bottle of cold water and a glass. As she sipped, he turned his laptop around, clicking a few times before a security camera feed appeared.
"Watch this," he said.
The footage showed two members of the HR department leaving the building—but not during normal hours. One clip showed them exiting around 4:13 PM, while the office was still bustling. Another showed them sneaking out close to midnight.
"This is from two separate days," George explained, pausing and zooming in on the timestamp. "Notice anything weird?"
Kamila squinted. "They're leaving… early? And late?"
"Exactly. Consistently. Avoiding peak hours. Now, I wouldn't raise a red flag for that alone, but then there's this."
He clicked again. A different clip played—this time, inside a dim conference room. The camera was slightly skewed, as if someone tried to turn it away. But the microphone picked up the voices clearly.
"They can't let this get out of hand or else we're done for."
Kamila's heart dropped.
"Who said that?" she asked.
George shrugged. "We're still cleaning up the audio. Could be one of the HR heads. Could be someone else entirely. But that's not something you say unless you know you're hiding something big."
Kamila stared at the screen, her mind racing.
"Do I confront them?" she asked, fire already rising in her chest.
George lifted a hand. "Not yet. Let them believe you know nothing. If we move too fast, we'll scare them into cleaning house. I'm putting more pressure on the footage and digital records. But in the meantime…"
He leaned forward.
"Let me place a few of my people inside Cinz. Not full-time, just junior-level hires. No one will notice them. They'll listen, watch, and keep their ears open. If there's more rot under the surface, we'll dig it up."
Kamila didn't need time to think.
"Do it."