Chapter 907: The Surveillance Cameras Are Down

After a moment's contemplation, Roxanne suppressed her suspicion of Colby and surveyed the staff. “Have you all conducted the scheduled herb and store inspections?” she asked.

The staff member responsible for last week's inspection stepped forward. “I inspected every storeroom last week and confirmed everything was in order,” he replied.

Roxanne recognized him as an experienced researcher, confident in his diligence. Everyone present understood the danger of improper herb storage; no one would take it lightly. Yet, if the storage was indeed proper, why the fire? The more she considered it, the more perplexed she became. She simply nodded at the staff member's explanation.

“The fire's out; other areas are safe. Return to your workstations,” she added, then turned toward the surveillance room. Only there, it seemed, lay the answers she sought.

Fearing Colby might suspect something, Roxanne hurried. She collided with him exiting the room. Their eyes met, and Roxanne's heart sank. Colby's gloomy expression suggested he'd found nothing useful.

“Did you find anything?” Roxanne asked, despite her apprehension.

Colby frowned and shook his head. “Nothing.”

Roxanne furrowed her brow.

“See for yourself,” Colby replied grimly, leading her into the room. She accessed the morning's footage, her frown deepening. The footage showed only black smoke. The fire hadn't started that morning; it had begun much earlier, in the wee hours.

“Can we see earlier footage?” Roxanne asked.

He shook his head. “The surveillance cameras were down from yesterday afternoon until this morning,” he explained, retrieving the footage. Only static appeared; the cameras had malfunctioned.

Roxanne's heart sank again. While she trusted the staff, it was clear someone had tampered with the cameras.

After a time, Roxanne nodded. “Let's go.”

Colby nodded, switching off the footage. A fleeting cold glint crossed his eyes as she left. When Roxanne turned back, however, it was gone.

“Have you found out what happened?” he asked.

Roxanne kept her gaze down, unable to hide her distress. “No. I need to investigate further.”

A heavy weight settled on her chest as she anticipated a swift answer. Colby asked no more questions, following her to the research area.