He also remembered the arguments that followed the machine shop's closure.
Some employees collected their belongings.
Others left equipment behind while ownership records were sorted.
Several storage spaces remained locked.
Rusty had never needed to open most of them.
He looked toward Leo.
“Did your father keep anything down there?”
The boy hesitated.
“I think so.”
“What?”
Leo shook his head.
“I don't know.”
For a moment, he looked embarrassed.
Then added, “He didn't tell me everything.”
Rusty nodded.
“That makes sense.”
He looked toward the garage.
Then toward Gravel.
“We'll check the old inventory tomorrow.”
The club president frowned.
“Why tomorrow?”
“Because we need to make sure those storage spaces are legally ours to access, and I want Mara involved if we're dealing with Arty's belongings.”
Gravel considered that.
Then nodded.
“Good.”
Rusty looked toward Leo.
“Can you tell your mom we need to talk?”
The boy smiled.
“Okay.”
Then he looked toward the Harley.
“Does that mean we're going to fix it?”
Rusty studied the engine.
For a moment, he wished he could answer confidently.
But he couldn't.
Not yet.
He took a breath.
“It means we finally know where to start looking.”
That evening, Mara came to the shop after finishing her clinic shift.
She arrived wearing faded jeans, a blue cardigan, and a tired expression that disappeared when Leo ran toward her.
“Mom!”
She crouched.
He wrapped both arms around her neck.
For several seconds, she held him.
Then he stepped back.
“Guess what!”
Mara smiled.
“What?”
“I found Dutch's secret switch!”
She looked toward Rusty.
The mechanic raised one hand.
“He identified it. We handled the inspection.”
Mara laughed.
“Thank you for clarifying.”
Leo grinned.
Then began explaining everything at once.
The timing marks.
The hidden circuit.
The modified engine.
The mechanics listening.
And the possibility that his father's old notebooks were still downstairs.
Mara's smile faded at that last detail.
She looked toward Rusty.
“Downstairs?”
He nodded.
“The old machine shop.”
For several seconds, she remained quiet.
Then she looked toward the back wall.
“Arthur used to have a storage cage there.”
Rusty's eyes sharpened.
“Do you remember the number?”
Mara frowned.
“Not exactly.”
She thought for a moment.
“Forty-something.”
Leo froze.
His hand moved toward his shirt.
But he didn't pull out the key.
Not yet.
Mara continued.
“Arthur paid the storage fee through the machine shop for years. After the business closed, I received a notice saying the contents would remain secured until the lease records were resolved.”