For the first time, Gary sounded afraid.

Simon spent that evening comparing the company’s supplier pricing against public construction-cost benchmarks.

The discrepancies didn’t tell us exactly where the money ended up, but they made one thing clear: several payments were far outside ordinary ranges.

One company had billed for emergency roof repairs at a facility whose roof had been replaced the year before.

Another billed for an environmental assessment that the county had performed at public expense.

“What if they’re just incompetent?” I asked.