Zack reached out, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You couldn't have known. Betrayal can come from the unlikeliest of places."
Soon an officer approached Zack, handing over a plastic evidence bag containing a small burner phone. Jess took a closer look and then turned to Nia and Zack with a grim nod.
"Found this on her," Jess said. "We're taking it in as evidence along with her laptop and any devices she used. The forensics team will be going over everything."
Nia clenched her fists, a wave of sadness in her eyes. "She was like a close family to me, Jess. I never imagined… I trusted her with so much." She shook her head, still struggling to process the revelation.
Just then, raised voices echoed from the corridor, breaking the tension. Zack's head whipped around as a tall fairly built figure, looking thoroughly dishevelled and furious, was escorted down the hallway by two officers.
