Page 75
"Possibly. Or somebody is monitoring the code. Either way, Asterion is part of the mechanism."
"That doesn't give you Karras."
I almost smile.
"No. This does."
I show him the access records. Then Karras's medical leave. His travel. His vacations. The complete absence of LTP-4 whenever he's gone for significant periods.
Adrianos's expression turns blank as I conclude the oldest verifiable transaction—nine years ago.
Karras authorizes a Crown settlement at 10:31.
LTP-4 is applied at 10:34.
At 10:41, money moves through an entity I now know fed one of the reservoir accounts.
I sit back.
"Nine years," I say. "That's as far as I can prove from the records I have. It could be longer."
Adrianos says nothing. For a moment, I wonder whether he doubts me.
Then he asks, "Could someone be using his credentials?"
"Once? Yes. Repeatedly for nine years, while somehow stopping when he's unavailable and restarting when he returns? Technically possible. Realistically ridiculous."
"Could he be applying the fee without knowing what it triggers?"
"Yes."
That matters, and I make sure he hears it.
"I can prove Karras touches the mechanism. I cannot prove he understands the entire network. He could be the architect, a participant, or someone following instructions."
"But he's involved."
"Yes."
No hesitation now. I have him. Not because somebody confessed. Not because Adrianos threatened the right man. Not because a convenient witness survived long enough to whisper a name.
A fee nobody remembered existed betrayed him eleven years after it should have died. Adrianos looks through the records again, and something dark settles over his features.
I know that look. I've seen versions of it before. This one is worse because there is no anger in it. Only decision.
He closes the laptop.
"Where is his location now?"
The satisfaction disappears from my chest. I understand immediately what that question means.
Not can we speak to him? Not should we investigate further?
Where is he?
I straighten. "Adrianos."
His gaze lifts to mine.
