Gabriel looked toward the bridge.
"How long has this been here?"
"Hard to say."
Walter studied the map.
There was a small notation beside his property.
A date.
And a handwritten instruction.
Final acquisition before winter.
Walter looked at the sheriff.
"Then we don't have much time."
Evelyn nodded.
"No. We don't."
The discovery at the railway bridge changed the investigation.
Until that afternoon, the Iron Vultures had believed they were dealing with a series of isolated property disputes. Now they had evidence of something much larger: a coordinated acquisition plan involving multiple properties, questionable bank transactions, and a development project that appeared to have been planned long before the affected families knew anything about it.
Sheriff Carter ordered the documents photographed and collected.
She also instructed her deputies to preserve the area around the access box.
"No one touches anything else," she said. "I want the county investigators to examine this properly."
Gabriel stood beside her.
"Do you think Victor was here?"
"It's possible."
"He's involved."
"Possibly. But I need evidence that connects him to an actual offense."
Gabriel looked frustrated.
"How much more evidence do you need?"
Evelyn turned toward him.
"Enough to make sure the people responsible don't walk away because we rushed the investigation."
Gabriel understood.
He didn't like it, but he understood.
Walter was examining the map.
"There's something missing."
Evelyn looked at him.
"What?"
"Why would they need my farm so badly if they already control the bridge?"
The sheriff studied the development plan.
"Because the bridge is only one part of the route."
Walter pointed toward the north field.
"There's an old drainage channel running through my property. It connects to the creek beneath the bridge."
Tommy examined the map.
"That could be the missing connection."
Mara leaned closer.
"There's a maintenance easement marked here."
Walter shook his head.
"That easement expired years ago."
Evelyn looked up.
"Are you sure?"
"Positive. I remember signing the termination documents with the county when the railway was abandoned."
Tommy zoomed in on the map.
The easement was still listed as active.
Walter looked at the sheriff.
"Somebody has been using an old agreement to make it look as though they already have access rights."
Evelyn took another photograph.
"That's another thing we'll verify."
She closed the folder.
"Mr. Briggs, I want you to understand something. If these documents are genuine, this investigation could become much bigger than a property dispute."
Walter nodded.
"I understand."
"Your safety matters."
"So does everybody else's."
The sheriff sighed.
"You're going to make my job difficult, aren't you?"
Walter smiled.
"Only if you make it interesting."
For the first time that afternoon, Evelyn laughed.
That night, the Iron Vultures returned to their clubhouse.
The building stood on the southern edge of Cedar Hollow, behind an old repair garage that had once belonged to Gabriel's father.
It was not the kind of place outsiders imagined when they heard the words motorcycle club.
There were no neon signs, no elaborate decorations, and no expensive furniture.
There were long wooden tables, a battered refrigerator, several photographs of former members, and a large American flag hanging above the fireplace.
A framed photograph of Gabriel's father occupied the wall near the entrance.
He had been one of the club's founding members.
Gabriel stood beneath the photograph while the others gathered.
Mara sat at the end of the table.
Doc poured coffee.
Tommy connected his laptop to a projector.
Walter had been invited, although he wasn't entirely sure why.
He had expected to be dropped off at home.
Instead, Gabriel had insisted that the meeting concerned his property and that he deserved to hear everything.
"All right," Gabriel said. "Let's begin."
Tommy displayed the map.
"The railway development requires access across three privately owned parcels. Walter's farm, the Miller property, and Dennis Parker's workshop."
One of the riders raised his hand.
"Why those three?"
"Because they form a continuous route between the old bridge and the industrial site."
Tommy enlarged the map.
"The development company wants to build a distribution center here. The road connection would allow heavy trucks to reach the highway without traveling through the residential part of town."
Doc frowned.
"That sounds like something the town might actually support."
"Possibly," Mara said. "But the problem is how they acquired the land."
Tommy nodded.
"The project itself may be legitimate. The financial arrangements surrounding the property purchases are what we're investigating."
Walter looked at the map.
"Who approved the development?"
"That's another problem," Tommy answered. "The county planning commission has not approved the final application."
"Then why are they already buying land?"
"Because they expect approval."
Gabriel folded his arms.
"Or because somebody promised it."
The room became quiet.
Mara looked at the documents.
"I remember hearing Arthur Voss talk about a private meeting with a county official. He said the development was practically guaranteed."