Chapter 15 - The Room With No Windows
June and Northstar's IT manager had been expecting the wipe. They had already preserved protected copies of the audit records with an outside examiner. But Carlos still controlled the office building, and the team who could explain the records were there in person.
"He's locking them in," June said. "Security won't let anyone leave with their laptops."
I called the company's operations director, a retired nurse named Marisol Cruz. She was standing beside June in a room without windows, the old conference room where Mom used to hold birthday parties for drivers.
"We're fine," Marisol said, too quickly. "But Carlos is downstairs with two men I've never seen."
"Do not challenge them. Let the police handle it."
"Your mother didn't build this place so we could hand it to bullies," Marisol said.
Nina coordinated with Santos. Officers arrived to take statements, while Adrienne sought an emergency court order preserving business records. The security guards backed away when shown the authorization. June walked out carrying only her coat; the actual evidence was already stored safely elsewhere.
Near midnight, we received an unexpected video from the lobby camera. Carlos was shouting at Salazar.
"You said the airport would work!" he yelled.
Salazar responded in a low voice the microphone barely caught. "It would have, if your mother hadn't been so sloppy."
"And the fire?" Carlos demanded. "You promised that would stay buried."
Salazar looked up toward the camera. There was a long, awful silence. Then he spoke clearly.
"Your wife never knew her mother was coming back to the warehouse that night. You did."
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Carlos glanced around as if the walls had turned against him. I had watched his face for so many years, learned every smile and frown. This expression was new.
He looked afraid of a man he'd helped become powerful.
