If the timer expires, the sector becomes restricted and progress will be halted. Neither you nor your fellow Detectives are allowed to search that sector until one of you spends Diamonds to regain access.
If the sector had multiple phases, it will be restored to the last completed phase; for example, if you completed two out of three phases before the timer expired, you will continue from Phase 3 onward after regaining access to the sector. However, any intermediate progress between Phases 2 and 3 would be lost.
If you want to avoid this situation altogether, you can add time to your timer before it runs out! This still comes at a cost if you do it yourself, but it’s always better to add time than regain access to a sector, so plan accordingly!
Regaining access to a sector using Diamonds does not automatically grant you searching rights to that sector, unless it’s your starting sector. A sector gets permanently assigned to a Detective only after Phase 1 is complete, allowing you and your club members to help each other in the face of trouble.
See the table below to check who can search the sector after regaining access to it:
Alternatively, you can also ask for help from your fellow Detectives! Click here to see how you can call for backup.