“All right. Go on with your story.”
“A couple of days ago, Paul told me about the lousy quality of the MSI materials, and he said that my boss was signing approvals when she shouldn’t.” I take a deep breath. “Paul was found crushed to death in the basement this morning, beneath a stack of MSI crates.”
Matthew sits up, alarmed. I don’t think he expected anything like this when I said I had a lot to tell him.
I lay my hand on the envelope. “As I left the hotel today, I was given this by a woman at reception. What it contains confirms all my suspicions. This came from Paul Brzezicka, and I suspect he died because he knew too much. And now I know as much as he did.”
I slip all the pages out of the envelope and spread them in front of him. I feel weak, but I also feel so much steadier, knowing I’m not alone in this anymore.
He frowns at the documents and reads them closely. “I’d say the NDA is a dead giveaway. Why would a construction worker need to sign—”
“Right? Yes! That’s exactly what I thought.”
“These signatures don’t match. Don’t need a magnifying glass to see that.”
Slowly, he goes through the photographs. I don’t know if he can see all the details that I can, considering that’s my job, but he takes enough of it in that he is clearly concerned.
“These are probably only a few of many,” he says quietly.
“No doubt. These are the ones that Paul knew about. Or at least the ones he could get his hands on.”
Matthew returns to one of the invoices, types something into his laptop, then shakes his head. “There’s no Montey Series Industries here. I’ll have to dig deeper.” He rubs his brow hard. “Why didn’t you go to the police after Paul was discovered? Why come to me?”
It’s a reasonable question. “Because when I went to them the first time, on Saturday morning after I found the white powder hidden in the MSI boxes, I was basically ignored. They made me feel like everything I wasworried about was unimportant. The detective I spoke to said they knew all about Claudia, that she was under investigation, but he didn’t explain why she hadn’t been arrested already.” I drop my gaze, feeling silly. “I’m probably reading way too much into it, but I have wondered if the police could be part of this. Some of them, anyway.” I tell him about the balcony collapse a few years ago. And the lack of charges despite the investigation. “There’s no way Vale’s shouldn’t have been found guilty, which makes me even more suspicious. Now I’m afraid to go back to the police. What if they’re corrupt? Detective Jones has all my information. Who knows where he shared that and with whom?”
He is listening closely, taking everything in.
“I needed to feel safe.”
“So you came to me.”
My cheeks burn. “Yes. I guess I felt like I’d be safe with you.”
Realization lights his handsome face. “You are. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”
Which is the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard. He saved me Friday night, but that was by using his smarts. If things ever got physical, how on earth could a quiet archivist—who regularly dresses in tweed—do anything to stop a possible murderer?
Then again, as I recall, Indiana Jones did some amazing things as soon as the tweed came off.
“I don’t know what to do, Matthew,” I whisper. “If I’m right that the policeman I spoke with is on the take—is that the right term? I hear it on TV, so…”
“I think so,” he says.
“If he’s actually on the take, and he has all my information, what can I do?”
His expression draws tight. “My friend Louis is an investigative journalist. You might have read some of his articles in theStar. He’s incredibly talented and fast. It occurs to me that Louis might be able to help. Solving puzzles like this is how he makes his living. I’d like to introduce the two of you.”
“How soon can we do that?”
He picks up his phone. While he speaks with his friend, I walk away to check my messages. There’s a text from Claudia.
CV: See the news?
BK: The death at the Dominion? Yes! I saw Paul’s body.
CV: No, not that. This. Sending a link.
It’s a news report from downtown, near the Harbourfront. Flashing lights are everywhere: on police cars, fire trucks, and ambulances. Shocked, I press the phone to my ear, needing to hear what the reporter is saying.
