“Your father spent years trying to find Archive Seven.”
Mara’s throat tightened.
“What was it?”
“The original engineering archive.”
“His contracts.”
“Prototype logs.”
“Lab notebooks.”
“Meeting notes.”
“Everything.”
“Bellerose told him it was destroyed in a warehouse flood.”
Mara looked toward the valve.
“It wasn't.”
“No.”
“Apparently not.”
The next morning, Wade delivered the container.
He arrived with a tilt-bed truck and two men.
The rusted container came down onto heavy timbers beside Mara’s machine barn.
Wade climbed out.
“You sleep?”
“Some.”
“I didn't.”
“That seems like your problem.”
He smiled.
Then became serious.
“Guy came back after you left.”
“Calvin?”
“Yeah.”
“What did he want?”
“Asked whether you hired me.”
“What did you say?”
“Yes.”
“He offered me five thousand not to haul it.”
Mara stared.
“What did you say?”
Wade looked offended.
“I charged you ten fifty.”
“I have standards.”
She almost laughed.
“Seriously.”
“I told him no.”
“Why?”
“Because once somebody pays me not to do normal work, I start wondering what kind of trouble I'm buying.”
He handed her the container key.
Then:
“You need cameras.”
“I have them.”
“More.”
That afternoon Mara drove to Baltimore and met an attorney Judith recommended.
Nora Bell.
Fifty-four.
Intellectual-property litigator.
Not cheap.
Mara knew that before sitting down.
Nora listened for forty minutes without interrupting.
Then asked:
“Did you open the red archive chest?”
“No.”
“Good.”
“Why?”
“Because I would prefer to document contents with neutral witnesses.”
“Do you own it?”
“According to bill of sale, probably.”
“Probably?”
“Nothing is certain until somebody pays me to argue about it.”
Mara slid the auction paperwork across the table.
Nora read.
“The auctioneer warranted title?”
“Yes.”
“Bankruptcy trustee authorized sale?”
“Yes.”
“Any excluded property?”
“Hazardous material, titled vehicles, personal identification records.”
Nora nodded.
“Likely yours.”
“Likely?”
Mara frowned.
Nora smiled faintly.
“You’re going to hate lawyers.”
“Already started.”
“Good.”
Nora continued.
“Armitage may argue trade secrets.”
“Bellerose successor property.”
“Inadvertent transfer.”
“Conversion.”
“Misappropriation.”
“They may seek an injunction preventing disclosure.”
“Can they take it?”
“They can ask.”
“Can they win?”
“Depends what's inside and chain of title.”
Mara exhaled.
“What do I do?”
“Nothing alone.”
“Tomorrow we inventory.”
Nora brought an independent forensic document examiner and a retired mechanical engineer named Samuel Ortega.
Wade came too because Mara wanted someone with no professional reason to impress anybody.
They set cameras.
Photographed seals.
Recorded opening.
The red chest was last.
A locksmith opened it.
Inside were eleven archival boxes.
Dry.
Perfectly preserved.