The Incident (Vol 2)

TOP SECRET

RED LEVEL AUTHORIZATION ONLY

TRANSCRIPT: THE INCIDENT

NOTE: Witness and Agent [REDACTED] missing; RED Alert

Object Recovered: Dagger (blood‑stained)

Loss of Life: Unidentified, likely

SOURCE: JOURNAL PAGE from OFFICER [REDACTED]

DATE: September 27

I had left to transfer the case to Agent [REDACTED] 1 hour and 13.95 seconds ago, and I wanted to check on his progress. As I approached Questioning Room 3 and opened the door, I noticed that the room was far too quiet. It sounded empty, my footsteps echoing hollowly. I walked in, ready to be confronted with an agent-to-witness staring contest, as I had so very many times before. But the room was completely empty, with one exception. A dagger. Covered in blood.

[END JOURNAL PAGE]

[CLICK]

Investigator [REDACTED]: So this is the room?

Officer [REDACTED]: Yes, this is it. QR3.

Investigator: [Laughs] The room where investigating an incident caused an incident.

Officer: Y- [Pauses] What?

Investigator: Never mind. [Sighs] Where’s the Lie Detector Operator?

Officer: The LDO called to notify me that they’re going to be a couple minutes late.

Investigator: A couple?

LDO: [From behind] 3 minutes and 37.54 seconds, to be exact.

Officer: Don’t do that! I’m jumpy enough without you sneaking up on me.LDO: My apologies, sir.

Investigator: LDO, you were the last person in the room with Agent [REDACTED] and the witness. Thus, you are my prime suspect.

LDO: Affirmative.

Officer: [Under breath] Why do they talk like that?

Investigator: Officer, you are going to operate the lie detector—I assume you remember how to do that?—while I ask [REDACTED] some questions.

Officer: Yes, ma’am.

Investigator: Ready to enter QR3?

Officer: Aren’t the other questioning rooms open? Why do we need to use that one?Investigator: I find that scenes of incident are more… productive.[Sound of LDO opening the door of QR3 and entering.]

Officer: Right. Of course.

[Sound of Officer and Investigator heading into the room. Officer sniffs the air.]

Officer: It still smells like cleaner in here.

Investigator: The cleaning team only got in here yesterday. I had to look for evidence first.

Officer: And?

Investigator: I found nothing but the dagger on the floor. That’s the only proof we have that someone died, and Agent [REDACTED] and the witness didn’t just… disappear.

Officer: Did you check for fingerprints?

Investigator: Of course.

Officer: Did you find anything?

Investigator: Inconclusive. There were fingerprints, but they didn’t match anything in our databases.Officer: Great. Another dead end. Investigator: Actually, this is evidence. This eliminates all of the people we do have in our database. Additionally, none of the people who work here have fingerprints in the database for security reasons. And since you, LDO, work here…LDO: It’s another point of information pointing to my guilt.Investigator: [Pauses] Yes.Officer: I see. 

Investigator: Officer, are you ready for me to begin the questioning?

Officer: [Sighs] Yes.

Investigator: And you do remember how to operate the lie detector, don’t you?

Officer: …Yes. Yes, I do.

Investigator: Well, then. Here we go. LDO, did you or did you not kill someone?LDO: Negative. [Pauses] I did not.

Officer: …True.

Investigator: I’m hearing hesitation. Did the LDO speak the truth or not, Officer?

Officer: [Mouse clicks] Truth. They spoke the truth.

Investigator: LDO, did you affect, manipulate, or in any way change the course of events?LDO: Affirmative. I was performing my duties.

Officer: True… heart rate spiked a little.

Investigator: Did you affect, manipulate, or in any way other than doing your job change the course of events?

LDO: Affirmative. [Sighs] I did.

Officer: True.

Investigator: Interesting. You didn’t kill, but were still involved in some way.

Officer: Maybe he assisted the murderer. I think the witness–

LDO: [Taps on desk with nail] She.

Officer: What?

LDO: I am a she.

Officer: You don’t look or sound like one, LDO.

LDO: Affirmative. However, that point of information does not negate the fact that my personal identification is female.

Investigator: We’re getting a little off topic here, folks. No need to overload the transcript.

Officer: Sorry, ma’am.

LDO: [Pause] My apologies.

Investigator: I don’t need a lie detector reading to know that wasn’t sincere, LDO. [Laughs]

Officer: I don’t know how you can laugh. We’re trying to solve a murder! 

Investigator: You learn to laugh in situations like this when it’s your job. [Takes a sip of tea] Anyway… LDO, do you know what, or have any inkling about, the course of events that might’ve happened here in QR3?

LDO: Yes.

Officer: True.Investigator: And…?

LDO: Please specify.[Officer sighs]

Investigator: What do you think happened?

LDO: Of the two individuals in the room, only one departed willingly; the other was likely removed against their volition.

Officer: He— [Beat] She speaks the truth.

Investigator: So what I’m hearing is that one of the two in the room killed the other and took their body, but left behind the dagger in their hurry.

Officer: It was probably the witness! I’ve tried to say that, but you kept cutting me off, ma’am. The whole time I was questioning them, I kept asking if they had a knife—and they always said no. But if they had a dagger… then that explains a lot. And it means Agent [REDACTED] is gone. [laughs, then abruptly coughs, silencing himself] I think.

Investigator: Hm. I guess I apologize for talking over you. And good thinking. That does make the pieces fit. But…

Officer: But what? We’re running out of time!

Investigator: But you need to work on how you talk to your superiors, Officer. [Hesitates] But—you are right. The puzzle fits, we’re moving on. LDO, that means you are off the hook for being the killer… but I’m keeping my eye on you.

LDO: Affirmative, ma’am.[Sounds of Investigator and LDO starting to stand up]

Officer: Wait! What are we going to do now?

Investigator: We are going to find the witness. And clear things up once and for all.

[END TRANSMISSION]

[BEEP]