Claire opened the briefcase. Inside was a black notebook sealed in a transparent evidence sleeve. Ethan stared at it. Lauren stepped closer. “This is the ledger?”

“No,” Claire said. “This is the bookkeeper’s notebook.”

Ethan’s face changed again. The ledger was dangerous. The notebook was worse. The company bookkeeper, Samuel Price, had kept private notes in the months before the fire — unexplained instructions, unusual transfers, meetings Ethan insisted should never appear on the official calendar.

Samuel had kept the notebook at home. Ethan never knew it existed. After the collapse, Samuel left Illinois and refused to speak publicly, afraid Ethan would blame him again.

Claire had found him two months ago. He’d agreed to hand over the notebook only if she could produce independent evidence connecting Ethan to the missing money.

My forged signature had provided it. The shell company registered at my home provided more. The lockbox completed the chain.