After Ms. Susan's subsequent confirmation and repeated searches, it was indeed only "that one" file that was missing within the scope of the files Wayne wanted to consult.
However, Wayne still noticed the change in Ms. Susan's speed during the search process. After pondering for a moment, he pointed to the name starting with the letter R and asked the archivist to confirm it additionally:
"Ms. Susan, please confirm again whether a file is also missing from the cabinet where this person's file is stored? The last name is likely to be 'Robin'."
Ms. Susan took another record book and went to search again, and soon returned with a face full of surprise, "How did you know? A file named 'Arthur Robin' is indeed missing."
At the same time, a little hope ignited in her from the panic: "Mr. Wayne is indeed the detective that the newspaper said, can you help me find out where the files are now? The city hall's management in this regard is very strict, and I don't want to lose my job because of this."
"I've already started searching, but this requires Ms. Susan's cooperation."
Wayne was already flipping through the summary roster again at this time, looking for brief information about the name "Arthur Robin" on it, and at the same time, he said the name of the leader caught by the detective agency, and asked Ms. Susan to confirm again.
The situation afterwards was generally similar. Wayne recorded brief information while looking at the summary roster, and said new names to let Ms. Susan find the files, and then checked the previous consultation records.
After a few trips, he had a preliminary idea in his mind, and then began to confirm the workflow of consulting the files, as well as the situation of the personnel who had consulted the missing file before.
Finally, Wayne thought for a while and said to Ms. Susan, "I already understand what happened. Don't worry, you shouldn't lose your job because of this."
"Really?"
Ms. Susan's surprise was still tinged with a little uncertainty, "Do you already know where the files were taken?"
Wayne smiled reluctantly, "Make a summary of the names of the files that were found missing just now, and also record the name of the last consulter. After that, you actively report to your superiors and cooperate with the subsequent investigation, and you should be fine. If you encounter any problems, you can ask someone to ask me, and I can prove it for you."
While Ms. Susan nodded and listened, she quickly asked for the address and made a record on the memo, "If it can really be as you said, then thank you so much."
Wayne took the things he had recorded and prepared to leave after speaking: "You're welcome, it's just a small effort."
Ms. Susan's voice came from behind, "Mr. Wayne, you haven't read these files that you just found."
Wayne waved his hand without turning his head: "No need, please put them back."
......
After figuring it out roughly, Wayne found that this little episode in the city hall was actually surprisingly alarming.
Wayne initially ruled out the possibility of Ms. Susan's collusion. After all, if the archivist had a problem, she could have made the lie more rounded, and the way of making a fake could have been more detailed.
For example, simply tampering with specific content in the file, or disassembling and mixing similar materials, so that all the files are still "genuine", but the validity of the file can be almost completely lost, and it will be more difficult to arouse suspicion than "file loss".
The last person who consulted the missing file came this morning. His registration information on the summary roster is a clerk, and the address is the same as the office location left by the lawyer last night.
And after he consulted the file, the archivist has confirmed the return.
Of course, it is also possible that the last consulter used some method to confuse the archivist and then took the file away.
But after confirmation, the file of the "window-opening master" named Arthur Robin, who was caught by the detective agency, was also lost. That guy was not on the guest list of that high-end restaurant, and the last consulter had not consulted his file.
The files of several other captives were also lost. Wayne turned forward the records of consulting and retrieving the files and found that their files were actually consulted sporadically, mixed in several different records, and some Wayne didn't even care about when he saw them before.
So considering the worst possibility, Wayne is willing to believe that the lawyer sent by the Beaton family, his investigation ideas are similar to Wayne's, should have thought of that high-end restaurant first, and then sent people to filter the key points from it - this is the investigation path of a "good person", and it also looks like being "framed".
However, when speculating here, the identity of the "bad person" becomes very strange.
Someone almost prophetically consulted the lost "key target" file in advance, and then the "good person" checked it again, and the file disappeared.
The real bad guy who took the file is actually "invisible", and doesn't even need to leave a consultation and retrieval record. The archivist only confirmed that the file was still there in the morning, and it was gone in the afternoon. It is likely to have disappeared during the lunch break.
The previous consultation record may simply be to ask the archivist to look for it first, so that the bad guy can confirm the approximate storage location of the file and save time.
--Someone knew the "real names" of those captives in advance, and at the same time, they also had a way to make their files disappear without anyone knowing.
Although the method is a bit rough, in the age of paper archiving, this trick is really a radical solution.
If no one investigates it in a targeted manner, maybe no one will know that the things have disappeared for decades.
What's terrible is that the previous consultation records were still scattered, involving different consulters, and some did not leave a signature, and were so-called "internal personnel".
This time, the detective agency seems to have dug into an "iceberg"...
It looks like only a little bit is exposed above, but there is actually a big piece underneath...
Wayne slapped his thigh when he thought of this, shouldn't I have checked my file by the way just now?
After all, if you can make the file disappear, then you can also make the file go back, and it's even easier to tamper with the content...
Then he quickly relaxed again. His file should also be in Black Stone Town. He didn't settle in Richmond and doesn't need to register for voter qualification. There shouldn't be anything valuable in the file.
So the main thing is still the business. Wayne knocked on the partition of the carriage and said to Sanders, "Go to the Beaton family's manor."
......
This time, Mr. Basque was much kinder to Wayne and even shared the black tea he cultivated himself with Wayne in the greenhouse (to be honest, the taste was very average).
He took the small note Wayne handed over, which had the names of several suspicious consulters:
"You said my young lawyer was framed? And is likely to face a lawsuit?"
Wayne nodded, "Maybe the other party's actions are not directed at him, but there is such a possibility. After all, stealing the city hall's files is a more serious crime than stealing a few stacks of cash, enough to make him unable to work for a period of time."
Then Wayne also asked by the way, which departments' people don't need to sign and can also consult the files in the city hall.
Mr. Basque knew this very well: "Senior inspectors or above in the police station, high-level officials in the city hall, departments with authority in the federal or state government, there are many possibilities. But why don't you directly suspect Walter? He is suspected and has the ability to do such things."
Because I don't want to be used as a tool by others... Just "selling bullets" doesn't have to be involved in those causes and effects, so as not to be caught by you to play beast chess.
But Wayne now has no way to rule out the possibility raised by Mr. Basque. If that third-party force can really penetrate so deeply, it is estimated that it has already become a key target of the "Bright Church".
The disadvantage of the American decentralization setting is that there are "mountains and forests" everywhere, but once someone tries to cross the line, it will soon be noticed - people are always more concerned about the "territory" that truly belongs to them and will not easily give in.
Unless it was originally legal.
