Chapter 7
Arthur closed the folder on the screen and pulled the flash drive from the port, slipping it securely into his tool pouch alongside the metal ring. The raw weight of the evidence felt heavier than any steel beam he had ever hoisted in his construction days. He stood up, his posture rigid, every muscle coiled with a quiet, dangerous resolve.
"Mr. Vance," Arthur said, his voice entirely devoid of its previous weariness. "I need to know who currently oversees the Grade-EX inventory shipments at the aerospace plant."
Vance crossed his arms, leaning against the edge of the metal desk. "That would be Director Robert Henderson. He’s the executive vice president now. Climbed up the corporate ladder real fast right after Clara vanished. He’s got friends in city hall and deep pockets tied into local real estate development."
"Does he still operate out of the main facility?" Arthur asked.
"Mostly. But he spends his evenings at his private estate up on the bluffs overlooking the river," Vance said, eyeing Arthur carefully. "Mr. Miller, I admire your grit, but Henderson isn't some low-level manager you can corner in an alley. He has private security, lawyers on retainer, and half the police department in his pocket. If you go storming up to his mansion with a flashlight and a tool pouch, you won't get answers. You'll just end up arrested or buried in another kind of scrap heap."
"I'm not going to storm anything," Arthur replied calmly, buttoning his canvas jacket. "I'm going to pay him a visit as an interested contractor seeking a consultation."
Vance let out a short, cynical laugh. "A contractor? With a truck like yours? He won't even let you past the front gate."
"Then I'll find another way in," Arthur said, remembering the sprawling estate grounds from his old construction days when his firm had bid on the landscaping contracts for the bluffs. "Every security perimeter has a blind spot, especially on the wooded cliffside where the retaining walls meet the river."
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Vance stared at him for a long moment, recognizing the absolute stillness of a man who had nothing left to lose. He reached into his apron pocket and pulled out a small, heavy brass key with a notched head, sliding it across the desk. "If you're going down by the river cliffs, you'll need to bypass the municipal maintenance gate. Use this. It opens the old drainage tunnel that runs beneath Henderson’s property. My crew cleared it out last month. It comes up right inside his lower carriage house."
Arthur picked up the brass key, feeling its cold metal surface. He nodded once to Vance. "Thank you. If I don't come back by morning, make sure that flash drive gets to the state transport board."
