Chapter 9 - The Witness Who Came Back
Vale remained missing for six weeks.
Then a former driver contacted Detective Brooks.
His name was Tomas Reed.
He had driven for the shipping company.
He had seen Vale meet a contractor.
The night before the warehouse fire.
Tomas had been afraid to speak.
Now he wanted protection.
I met him in a conference room.
His hands shook around a paper cup.
"Your father tried to warn everyone," he said.
I gripped the edge of my chair.
"Did you know him?"
"He bought me lunch once."
Tomas smiled sadly.
"Said nobody should work hungry."
That sounded like Dad.
My throat tightened.
Tomas described the meeting.
The envelopes.
The threats.
The altered documents.
He had saved a voice message.
Vale's voice was unmistakable.
The police finally had enough to seek an arrest.
A warrant went out.
The story reached local newspapers.
For once, the headline wasn't about Roman.
It was about workers whose wages had vanished.
Families whose debts had been manufactured.
And a man who had profited from fear.
I read the article at the diner.
June sat beside me.
Finn brought two cups of coffee.
"Your dad would be proud," he said.
May you like
I looked down at the page.
For the first time, I thought he might be right.
