He also began building a small room behind the kitchen.
It contained sturdy shelves, a comfortable chair, and enough space for Loretta to rest away from the noise of the dining room.
He showed her the plans before cutting the first board.
She examined them carefully.
Then made several changes.
Elias laughed.
"Of course."
Loretta smiled.
"You're the one who said it was my kitchen."
He nodded.
"It is."
She pointed toward the drawing.
"Then the doorway needs to be wider."
Elias studied it.
Then he grinned.
"You're right."
He adjusted the measurements.
Loretta watched him.
For a moment, she thought about all the years she'd spent apologizing for needing more room than other people.
Now someone was planning a space around her actual needs without treating those needs as an inconvenience.
She reached for Elias's hand.
He looked up.
"What's wrong?"
She smiled.
"Nothing."
Then she squeezed his fingers.
"That's the wonderful part."
By early summer, the fire investigation had also reached a clearer conclusion.
A former company laborer admitted that he'd entered the rear office intending to retrieve the kitchen ledgers after being told they contained records that could cause serious trouble for Pritchard. He maintained that he hadn't been instructed to burn the building. According to his account, he'd knocked over a lantern while searching the office and fled when he saw the flames spreading.
Investigators examined his statement alongside the damaged latch, witness descriptions, and available evidence from the building.
His admission supported part of the account.
It also raised difficult questions about who had directed him to search the office and what they knew about the risks involved.
Pritchard denied authorizing a fire and disputed several aspects of the laborer's statement. The matter continued through the appropriate territorial legal process, and the allegations were evaluated separately from the financial discrepancies already identified by the company.
Bram's role in the account manipulation was also examined.
Several entries had been approved under his authority, and witness statements showed he'd threatened people who challenged the deductions. He faced consequences for established misconduct, while questions requiring further proof remained part of the wider proceedings.
Loretta followed the developments, but she no longer allowed every new document to consume her entire day.
She had a business to run.
Employees to pay.
And a life she was finally beginning to enjoy.