“It’s a clean recovery,” Vance said. “No gaps. No digital artifacts. The metadata shows the exact time and date.”

“Can you put it on a secure drive?” I asked.

“I’m writing it to an encrypted flash drive right now,” he said, plugging a small silver stick into his USB port.

“And a copy to my personal email?” I asked.

“Done,” he said. “I’ll also keep a backup on my secure server for forty-eight hours, just in case.”

He ejected the flash drive and handed it to me.

It was small and cold in my palm.

“What is your fee?” I asked, reaching for my checkbook.

“Two thousand,” Vance said. “But Mara already covered half. Pay me the rest when you get your job back.”

“Thank you, Marcus,” I said.

He began packing his laptop and cables back into his canvas bag.

“Be careful tomorrow, Dr. Morgan,” he said as he zipped the bag. “People who edit video to ruin lives don’t like being caught.”

“I know my family,” I said. “They will do whatever it takes to protect their reputation.”