Nicole proved to be diligent and quickly gained favor at the agency.

While there, she actively sought out information and inquired about employees who had considered resigning over the past six months.

She expanded her investigation, careful not to overlook any detail.

Knowing Jarrod's careful nature, she surmised that if he were involved in any wrongdoing, it would be meticulously orchestrated.

Pretty soon, she discovered that in the last six months, only four employees had planned to leave, with one already having resigned.

Nicole examined the remaining three who were still with the agency but found nothing suspicious on the surface.

Still, she continued her investigation. During her days off, she surveilled the home of the employee who had resigned, curious if he maintained any connections with current agency staff.

After a week of observation, she noticed an anomaly. He was still engaging with a female employee from the agency. They met for dinner at a restaurant, and after their meal, they lingered until the establishment closed.

Nicole's suspicions deepened, and she peered into the restaurant. It was dark. The restaurant had shut down for the evening. Where could the two have disappeared to?

She moved around to the back entrance of the restaurant to look for any signs.

Behind the building, enveloped in darkness, Nicole noticed a few rooms above the restaurant glowing with red and purple lights, flickering in a way that suggested something unsavory.

The scene struck her as odd, the lights bearing the hallmarks of those typically seen in red-light districts.

Nicole captured the scene with her phone's camera and then resumed her surveillance from the front.

She had invested over ten thousand dollars in a nondescript, used car, perfect for blending in as she sat inside, positioned to monitor the restaurant's front entrance, her dash cam set to record all activity.

True to her suspicions, around one in the morning, the female colleague from the testing facility stealthily slipped out of an alley next to the restaurant. Her vehicle was parked nearby. She walked to it and quickly drove away.

Roughly thirty minutes later, the man who had resigned appeared from behind the restaurant.

As he approached his car, about to enter, a sudden beam of light caught him. Startled by the unexpected company, he quickly became agitated, raising his hands to shield his face.

Nicole got out of her car and made her way to the man, calling out his name loudly, "Derek Ellsworth."

Derek was startled. Since he had resigned already, he didn't know Nicole and was surprised she knew his name. "Who are you?"

Nicole walked closer to Derek and said, “Who I am is irrelevant. I'm interested in knowing something that might be related to you. Did you tamper with the blood samples at the agency on the thirteenth of this month?"