Page 25 of Pursuit of Her

What remained told a fractured story: Reagan investigating statistical anomalies in case dismissals involving wealthy defendants; witness statements abruptly terminated mid-sentence; financial records with crucial pages missing; and most significantly, a formal request from Reagan for protection for a confidential informant—denied by then-Captain Langston, the same officer who had later authorized the "revision" of the ballistics report from Reagan's shooting.

Eve spread the fragmentary evidence across the table, reconstructing what she could of Reagan's investigation. Unlike the meticulously preserved file in Eve's apartment, this official record had been surgically stripped of anything that might connect the victims to a broader conspiracy.

But even in this gutted form, patterns emerged. A handwritten note from Reagan referenced meetings with "C.I." at locations that corresponded to properties owned by Richard Davenport. A partial transcript of an interview contained a witness describing "cleanup procedures" for "problematic accusations." And most significantly, a surveillance log documented Reagan tracking Jonathan Brooks meeting with Judge Harmon and Nathaniel Peterson at the Phoenix Ridge Country Club three days before she disappeared.

As Eve pieced together these fragments, she discovered something hidden between pages forty-two and forty-four: page forty-three had been inserted upside down and backward, making it appear blank at casual glance. When Eve carefully extracted and reoriented it, she found a handwritten note in Reagan's distinctive script, deliberately positioned to escape redaction:

E—If you're reading this, I failed. They're watching you too. Evidence in safe place. Find Sophia G. Trust no one with badge except C.F.

Eve's breath caught. Reagan had written this for her specifically, anticipating that Eve might eventually follow her investigative path. The note confirmed Reagan's fears about Eve being under surveillance and pointed to a contact—Sophia G.—who must have been the confidential informant Reagan had tried to protect.

And "C.F."—Caroline Foster. Although Foster would have been a rookie when Reagan disappeared, somehow Reagan had identified her as trustworthy.

As Eve continued examining the decimated file, a final document captured her attention: a request for a meeting with Commissioner Davis that Reagan had filed the day before her disappearance. The subject line read simply: "Evidence of systemic corruption involving J. Brooks and associates." The request had been stamped "DENIED" in harsh red ink.

The following page contained something even more damning: a partial draft of a letter addressed to Eve, dated the same day Reagan disappeared:

Eve, I know you believe in the system, but what I've discovered goes beyond anything we imagined. Brooks and his network have infiltrated every level of Phoenix Ridge's power structure. If something happens to me, don't trust official channels. I've left everything you need at?—

The letter ended there, the remainder torn away. The final missing piece—where Reagan had hidden her evidence—had been deliberately removed.

A sound behind her made Eve turn. The security camera in the corner, which she'd noted was inactive upon entering, now blinked red. Someone had remotely activated surveillance.

Eve began methodically replacing the documents, keeping her movements casual despite her racing pulse. As she did, she discovered a small envelope stuck to the bottom of the box, yellowed with age and easily overlooked. Inside was a faded photograph of Reagan standing beside a young woman Eve didn't recognize, both smiling against a backdrop of Phoenix Ridge Harbor.

Eve turned the photograph over. On the back, in unfamiliar handwriting: "R & S, Harbor Point, May 2015."

Harbor Point. 1542 Harbor Point Road—where Reagan had told her to find the safety deposit box key.

"S" had to be Sophia G., the confidential informant. And suddenly Eve understood. Reagan hadn't randomly directed her to Harbor Point; she was pointing Eve toward the same evidence cache she had tried to describe in her interrupted letter ten years ago.

"Captain Morgan?" Lydia's voice carried from the front desk. "Commissioner Brooks is calling for you on line one."

Eve slipped the photograph into her jacket pocket and closed the file box, replacing it exactly as she'd found it. "Tell her I've left the archives and will return her call shortly."

As Eve made her way back through the maze of shelving, her mind processed what she'd discovered. Reagan had tried to warn Eve a decade ago. Had tried to share evidence that was intercepted, had tried to protect her by keeping her at arm's length from an investigation that had nearly cost Reagan her life.

As Eve reached the archives entrance, Lydia was replacing the telephone receiver, her expression troubled. "The Commissioner seemed quite insistent about speaking with you, Captain. Something about your 'unauthorized research activities.'"

"I'm conducting a thorough investigation as instructed," Eve replied smoothly. "Please log my visit as related to Case 24-137."

Lydia nodded, but her eyes conveyed a silent warning. "Of course, Captain. Though I should mention that Detective Martinez was asking about archived files earlier today as well. Specifically, cases involving Detective Shaw."

The information sent a chill down Eve's spine. Martinez wasn't just monitoring her current activities; she was backtracking through Eve's history with Reagan, perhaps searching for emotional leverage or vulnerabilities.

"Thank you for that information," Eve said quietly.

"Retirement is only two months away," Lydia replied with deliberate casualness. "I'd hate to see anyone access these archives without proper authorization before then. Especially since the security cameras in Section D have been malfunctioning intermittently. Such a shame about our aging infrastructure."

The implication was clear: Lydia had manually activated the camera when someone had remotely attempted to monitor Eve's research, giving her warning rather than exposing her activities.

"I appreciate your dedication to proper procedures," Eve said carefully.

Lydia's lined face creased with a small smile. "Twenty-seven years managing these records, Captain. I've seen what happens when evidence disappears. Detective Shaw was always respectful of my domain. Unlike some."

Another ally, unexpected but welcome. Eve nodded her thanks and departed, taking the stairs rather than the elevator to avoid potential encounters with Commissioner Brooks or Martinez. Her next step was clear: get to Harbor Point Road and the safety deposit box key that would unlock the final pieces of Reagan's decade-old investigation.

But as she slipped out a side entrance, Eve knew her window of opportunity was closing. The Commissioner was already tracking her movements. Martinez was investigating her past with Reagan. And somewhere in Phoenix Ridge, Reagan Shaw was preparing to eliminate the next name on her list.

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