Chapter 6 - The Man Who Signed With My Father's Pen
My sister Mia met me outside the station. She had been pretending to be brave for twenty-four hours, and the sight of me broke her composure. We held each other beside a row of parked patrol cars.
“I found Dad's old toolbox,” she whispered. “There's a false compartment.”
Inside the toolbox was a fountain pen, a flash drive, and a letter addressed to me. Dad had written that he feared someone was moving hazardous material through the warehouse under false invoices. He had kept copies because he no longer trusted his supervisors.
The letter ended: If anything happens, don't confront them. Give the records to someone who can protect you.
I cried at the kitchen table until the words blurred.
Detective Price took custody of the drive. Its files included invoices bearing a signature resembling Luca's, dated when he had been overseas.
Luca called that evening. “The signatures are forged. The people responsible are trying to make me the obvious suspect.”
“You're telling me you're innocent.”
“I'm telling you to examine the evidence, even if it hurts me.”
Before I could reply, another message appeared on my phone.
May you like
COME ALONE TO THE RIVER TERMINAL IF YOU WANT YOUR MOTHER BACK.
This time, I forwarded it to Detective Price before moving an inch.
