Chapter 13 - UNIT 214
Claire told me to wait for police.
I didn't.
I did, however, arrive at the storage facility thirty seconds after the detective she had already contacted.
Detective Mara Chen stepped out of an unmarked sedan and blocked my path.
"You go in there angry, you ruin my day."
"My wife is inside."
"Then don't ruin hers too."
I hated her instantly.
I also knew she was right.
We approached Unit 214 with the manager.
The door was open.
Paige stood inside beside stacked boxes.
Gwen sat on a folding chair.
Margaret was nowhere in sight.
"What is this?" Paige demanded when she saw us.
Chen showed her badge. "Conversation."
Paige looked at Gwen. "Did you call them?"
Gwen didn't answer.
I stepped in. "I did."
Paige's face changed.
The boxes were filled with records.
Bank statements.
Medical bills.
Designer receipts.
Cash withdrawal slips.
And dozens of unopened packages I had mailed home.
One box was labeled DAVID - PERSONAL.
I opened it.
Inside were copies of deployment records, my Social Security card, old tax returns, and a photocopy of my signature sheet from the military.
Paige moved toward it.
Chen stopped her.
"Don't touch anything."
Then Gwen whispered, "There's another box."
Paige snapped her head toward her.
"Shut up."
Gwen pointed to the back.
A small fireproof case sat beneath a blanket.
The manager opened it with the master key after Chen obtained consent from the account holder on file.
The account holder was me.
Inside was a flash drive.
A passport photo of Captain Voss.
And a handwritten ledger.
Page after page of dates and amounts.
At the bottom of the final page were three initials.
P.P.
M.H.
A.V.
May you like
Then one more line.
NEXT PHASE: DAVID DECLARED DEAD.
