“And the ledger?”
Rebecca's fingers tightened around the receiver.
“Please don't destroy, relocate, or alter anything. We are sending a formal preservation notice now.”
She ended the call.
Maya stood.
“What did they say?”
“Meridian located a legacy inventory. It lists the Japanese transaction archive, correspondence, certified translations, and a bound financial ledger with a blue leather cover.”
Evelyn covered her mouth.
“It's there?”
“According to the inventory, it was received by Eastbridge and transferred to Meridian when the company was acquired. But there's a complication.”
“What complication?” Maya asked.
“The ledger is listed as a restricted item. The inventory says access requires authorization from both parties to the original agreement. Blackwood Industries and the Japanese counterparty.”
“Who authorized the transfer?”
“Victor Hale signed the transfer authorization. The Japanese counterparty's signature field is blank.”
Maya felt a chill run through her.
“So Victor moved the records without the other party's approval.”
“Possibly. We need the full record before drawing that conclusion.”
“Can Meridian give us the ledger?”
“Not immediately. Their counsel says the box containing the ledger was moved to a separate secure facility after the acquisition. They are verifying its location and the legal basis for access.”
“Where is the facility?”
“They wouldn't disclose that over the phone.”
Maya walked to the window.
The anonymous message had told her not to look for the ledger at Blackwood. It had directed her to the place where the Japanese originals were supposed to go.
The message had been accurate.
Whoever sent it knew about Meridian's records.
And that meant the sender had either been involved in the original transaction or had access to information that someone had tried very hard to conceal.
Rebecca came to stand beside her.
“We're making progress, but don't let the discovery make you careless. Someone may have sent that message because they want you to retrieve the ledger. They may also want you to take responsibility for something they have done.”
“Why would they want me involved?”
“Because you're Daniel Bennett's daughter. If the ledger contains evidence that changes the history of the case, you have a personal reason to act. That makes you credible to some people and easy to manipulate in the eyes of others.”
Maya looked at the photograph on her phone.
“Then we make sure every step is documented.”
Rebecca nodded.
“Exactly.”
A new email arrived.
This time, it was not from the anonymous sender.
It came from Eleanor Price at Blackwood Industries.
The message was brief.
Ms. Bennett, our internal review has identified a discrepancy in the historical transaction records relevant to the current Osaka acquisition. Mr. Blackwood would like to meet with you and your counsel at 9:00 a.m. We will not request the transfer of your family's original documents. Please advise whether you are available.
Maya read it twice.
“Do you think Adrian knows about Meridian?”
“He may,” Rebecca said. “Or his legal department may have discovered the same gap we did.”
“Should we go?”
“Yes, but on our terms. I will attend. We will discuss what the company has found, not hand over anything from your family. If they want a statement, they can put the request in writing.”
Maya typed a reply accepting the meeting.
Before she sent it, another message appeared from the anonymous address.
They know about Meridian now. Do not let Victor attend the meeting. He will claim the ledger was destroyed. Ask Adrian who authorized the final settlement.
Maya's pulse quickened.
She showed Rebecca.
“That's a specific warning,” Rebecca said. “It could be genuine. It could also be designed to turn us against Victor before we've seen the evidence.”
“Either way, we can ask about the settlement.”
“Correct. We don't need to trust the sender to ask a legitimate question.”
Maya sent Eleanor a short confirmation that she would attend with counsel.
Then she looked at her mother.
“Dad must have known that one day this would come back.”
Evelyn shook her head slowly.
“I think he hoped it wouldn't.”
Maya put the phone away.
“Then we should be grateful that someone else didn't get to decide when the truth was allowed to exist.”
Victor Hale arrived at Blackwood Industries at 8:32 a.m.
He was seventy-one, tall, and still carried himself with the authority of a man accustomed to having doors opened before he reached them. His hair had gone almost entirely silver, but his navy suit was immaculate, and his gold watch caught the light when he removed his gloves.
The receptionist greeted him by name.
“Mr. Hale, Mr. Blackwood is in a meeting.”
“Then he can come out when he hears I'm here.”
The receptionist's smile stiffened.
“I'll let his office know.”
Victor did not wait. He crossed the lobby and entered the private elevator using an access card that should have been deactivated years earlier.
On the forty-second floor, Eleanor saw him emerge and stood immediately.
“Victor.”
“Eleanor.”
“You no longer have unrestricted access to this floor.”
“Apparently the building's security team has forgotten who helped build this company.”
“Security hasn't forgotten anything. Your access card should not work.”