He had remembered his mother writing something on a scrap of paper, but he had never known she had placed it inside the bear.
Perhaps she had done so after the boys were separated.
Perhaps Owen had found it later.
Or perhaps their mother had hidden it there before her death, hoping the bear would carry her message wherever her children went.
Whatever the explanation, the letter had survived.
And it had brought them together.
Ellis turned to another document.
"There is one additional matter."
Hannah looked up.
"What's that?"
"Daniel's notes mention a second file. He believed it contained information about an incident that occurred shortly before the brothers were separated."
Mason's stomach tightened.
"What incident?"
"I don't know. He wrote that he wanted to obtain the original case report because he thought it might explain why the placement decisions were made so quickly."
Hannah shook her head.
"Daniel never told me about that."
Ellis showed them a handwritten entry.
Need original report from the week Mother died. Something missing from the timeline. Ask for supervisor's notes.
Mason read it twice.
He remembered the day his mother died.
He remembered an ambulance.
He remembered a social worker speaking to him in a hallway.
But he had never known what had happened in the hours after he was taken from the apartment.
The official explanation had been simple: the boys needed temporary care, and the county would decide where they should live.
Mason had accepted that explanation because he had been too young to understand the system and too overwhelmed by grief to question every detail.
Now he wondered whether something important had been left out.
"Can we obtain the report?" he asked.
Ellis nodded.
"We can submit a formal request. Some portions may remain restricted, but Daniel's notes give us a reason to investigate further."
Hannah looked uneasy.
"What if it contains something terrible?"
Mason answered before Ellis could speak.
"Then we'll deal with it."
She turned toward him.
"What if it changes how you remember your childhood?"
Mason looked at the old photograph lying on the table.
"My memories have been incomplete for forty years. The truth can't make them less real."
Hannah nodded slowly.
Ellis gathered the documents.
"I'll begin the request today. I should warn you that it may take time."
"We've waited long enough," Mason said.
"Then another few weeks should be manageable."
Mason almost laughed at the understatement.
After Ellis left, Hannah remained seated, staring at the empty place where the folder had been.
"Do you think someone deliberately kept you apart?" she asked.
Mason considered the question.
"I don't know."
"Daniel believed there was something missing."
"He might have been right."
She looked at him.
"Are you frightened of what we'll find?"
Mason leaned back.
"I'm frightened of what we won't find."
Hannah frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"If there's a clear explanation, we can understand it. If there's a mistake, we can identify it. But if the records are gone and nobody knows what happened, we'll be left with another unanswered question."
He paused.
"I've had enough of those."
Hannah nodded.
For a moment, they sat quietly.
Then she said, "Daniel used to tell me that he sometimes dreamed about a basement."
Mason looked up.
"What kind of basement?"
"He said there was a little window near the ceiling and rain running down the glass. He could hear someone talking in the kitchen, but he couldn't see who it was."
Mason felt a chill pass through him.
Their childhood apartment had a basement room with a narrow window near the ceiling.
Their mother used to sing in the kitchen.
Owen had often slept on a mattress near the basement stairs because he was afraid of the dark.
"What else did he say?"
"That he could never remember the ending of the dream. He always woke up before he reached the kitchen."
Mason looked toward the window.
"I remember that basement."
Hannah's eyes filled.
"Then he really was your brother."
Mason nodded.
"Yes."
This time, he said it without hesitation.
The documents had established what the photographs and memories had suggested.
Daniel Carter had been Owen Reed.
Mason's younger brother.
The little boy who had clung to him during thunderstorms.
The child who had cried when his teddy bear's ear tore.
The boy who had promised that they would never let anyone separate them.
Mason lowered his head.
For a moment, he could almost hear Owen's laughter.
Then his phone rang.
It was Denise.
"Mason, I need you to come to the garage."
"What's happened?"
"We've received a message from someone who says they knew Daniel. They claim there's information about the accident that killed him."
Mason stood immediately.
"Who sent it?"
"A woman named Patricia Webb. She says she worked with Daniel before he died."
Hannah looked at him.
Mason repeated the name.
"Patricia Webb."
Denise continued.
"She says Daniel left something with her, and she thinks the family needs to know about it."
Mason felt a knot form in his stomach.
"What did she say it was?"
"She wouldn't explain over the phone. She wants to meet in person."
Mason looked at Hannah.
The past had already given them one revelation.
Now it appeared to be opening another door.
"Tell her we'll meet," he said.
"And Mason?"
"Yes?"
"She sounded frightened."
Mason's expression hardened.
"Then we'd better find out why."
Patricia Webb arrived at Iron Haven Customs just after sunset.
She drove an aging blue sedan and parked several spaces away from the motorcycles lined up outside the shop. For several minutes, she remained behind the steering wheel, staring through the windshield as if she were trying to decide whether she should leave.
Mason watched from the office window.
"That's her?"
Denise nodded.
"That's the car she described."
Bear stood beside the door, arms folded.
"Want me to go talk to her?"
Mason shook his head.
"No. Let her come in on her own."
He had learned that people who were frightened often became more frightened when confronted by a crowd of men wearing leather vests.
He did not want Patricia to feel trapped.
Finally, the driver's door opened.
A woman in her early forties stepped out. She wore a dark coat and carried a canvas bag over one shoulder. Her hair was pulled back, and she kept glancing toward the street as she approached the shop.
Mason opened the front door before she reached it.
"Ms. Webb?"
She stopped.
"Yes."
"I'm Mason Reed."
Patricia looked at him for a long moment.
Then she nodded.
"I know who you are."
Mason stepped aside.
"Come in. We can talk somewhere quiet."
She entered cautiously.
Denise led her to the office and offered her a chair. Bear remained near the doorway, not to intimidate her but to ensure that the conversation would not be interrupted.
Patricia placed the canvas bag on the table.
"I don't know where to begin."
"Start with why you contacted us," Mason said.
She looked down at her hands.
"I worked with Daniel Carter at the distribution center where he was employed. We weren't close friends, but we talked sometimes. He was a good man. Quiet. Reliable. The sort of person who helped people without making a big deal out of it."
Mason nodded.
"That sounds like him."
"After his accident, I heard that he had been searching for his biological family. He had mentioned it to me a few times, but he never explained the details."
Patricia opened the bag.
She removed a small envelope and placed it on the table.
"Two weeks before he died, he asked me to keep this safe."
Mason stared at the envelope.
"What's inside?"
"I don't know everything. He told me it contained copies of documents he didn't want to lose."
"Why didn't you give it to his wife?"
Patricia flinched.
"I should have."
"Why didn't you?"
She looked at him.
"Because I was afraid."
The answer came so quietly that Mason almost missed it.
"Afraid of what?"
Patricia swallowed.
"Daniel had been investigating something at work. He believed there was a problem with safety inspections at the distribution center. He said some reports were being changed after incidents occurred."
Mason's jaw tightened.
"Was he involved in the investigation?"
"He noticed inconsistencies in the records. A few months before he died, a worker was injured when a loading platform malfunctioned. Daniel helped document what happened. Later, he discovered that the official report had been altered."
Denise leaned forward.
"Altered how?"
"Several maintenance warnings were missing. The report made it look as though the equipment had been inspected properly, even though Daniel said the inspection hadn't been completed."
Mason looked at the envelope.
"Did he report it?"
"Yes. He spoke to a supervisor and contacted the company's compliance department. He was told the matter would be reviewed."
"And then?"
"He started receiving warnings to stop asking questions."
Bear shifted in the doorway.
"What kind of warnings?"
"His supervisor told him he was risking his job. Someone left a message on his phone saying he should concentrate on his family. He began to think people were watching him."
Mason's expression darkened.
"Did he tell the police?"
"I don't know. He didn't tell me everything. He only said that if anything happened to him, I should make sure his family received the documents."
Mason picked up the envelope but did not open it.
"Why wait until now?"
Patricia's eyes filled.
"Because I was scared. I have two children. I couldn't afford to lose my job. I thought the company would investigate and everything would be resolved. Then Daniel died, and I told myself that getting involved wouldn't bring him back."
She wiped her face.
"But the longer I waited, the worse I felt."
Mason looked at her for several seconds.
He recognized the fear in her expression.
He had seen it in people who believed that doing the right thing would cost them their livelihood, their safety, or their families.
He did not excuse her silence.
But he understood why she had been afraid.
"Thank you for coming here," he said.
Patricia looked surprised.
"You're not angry?"
"I am angry about what may have happened to Daniel. I'm angry that you felt alone with this. But you're here now, and that's what matters."
He opened the envelope.
Inside were photocopies of inspection records, several emails, and a handwritten note.
The note was addressed to Hannah.
If I don't get the chance to explain, please know that I was trying to do the right thing. I found discrepancies in the maintenance reports, and I believe someone is covering them up. I've kept copies because I don't trust the internal review process.
I also found a possible lead in my search for Mason. I hope I can tell you about both things soon.
I love you. Please look after the children.
Mason read the note twice.
His brother had been trying to solve two problems at once.
He had been searching for his family while attempting to expose wrongdoing at work.
And he had left behind evidence that might explain why he had become frightened in the final weeks of his life.
Denise examined the documents.
"These records need to be preserved. We shouldn't alter anything or make accusations until they're reviewed."
Mason nodded.
"Agreed."
Patricia looked toward him.
"Do you think his accident was connected to the investigation?"
Mason did not answer immediately.
Daniel had died in a traffic collision while driving home from work. The official report described the crash as an accident caused by wet pavement and reduced visibility.
There was no evidence, at least so far, that anyone had deliberately caused it.
Mason refused to turn suspicion into certainty.
"I don't know," he said. "And I won't pretend I do. But if Daniel found evidence of unsafe practices, those concerns deserve a proper investigation."
Patricia nodded.
"That's all I wanted."
Mason placed the documents back into the envelope.
"We'll make copies, document where they came from, and contact the appropriate authorities. If you agree, we'll also arrange for an independent attorney to review them."
"I agree."
He looked at Denise.
"Can you contact the attorney who helped the club with our property dispute?"
"I'll call first thing in the morning."
Patricia stood, looking relieved and exhausted.
Before she left, she turned toward Mason.
"There was one more thing Daniel said."