Chapter 8 - The General in the ReflectionSarah did not sleep that night.
By midnight, the photograph had been verified.
The reflection was unmistakable.
General William Rourke had attended the Northstar Meridian charity reception eighteen years earlier.
That fact alone proved nothing.
Military officers attended political and corporate functions constantly.
But Rourke had never appeared anywhere in the Northstar case file.
Not once.
Brooks sat across from Sarah inside a secure federal conference room.
"You report to him directly?"
"Operationally, yes."
"Does he know you're attached to this investigation?"
"He approved my temporary liaison assignment."
Brooks leaned back.
"That's uncomfortable."
Sarah almost smiled.
"That's one word."
Brooks placed three files on the table.
"We checked Rourke's history."
Sarah opened the first.
Eighteen years earlier, Rourke had served in procurement oversight.
Northstar Meridian held several contracts under his command.
Sarah read slowly.
"Why wasn't this flagged?"
"Because none of the contracts were directly signed by him."
"Who signed them?"
Brooks pushed over the second file.
Sarah saw the name.
Colonel James Mitchell.
Her father.
Sarah stared.
"No."
"Your father's signature appears on eleven approvals."
"They were forged."
"We know some of his signatures were forged."
Sarah closed the file.
"So someone used my father as the clean signature."
Brooks nodded.
"And Rourke was above him in the chain."
Sarah felt anger begin to rise.
"You're saying he knew."
"I'm saying we don't know."
Sarah stood and walked toward the window.
The city outside federal headquarters was nearly empty.
Brooks joined her.
"Sarah."
She looked over.
"If Rourke is involved, you cannot confront him."
Sarah said nothing.
"Not as his subordinate."
"I know."
"And not alone."
Sarah remembered her father's letter.
Do not face him alone.
She wondered how many people James had feared by the end.
Daniel.
Grant.
Kessler.
Perhaps Rourke.
Brooks's phone rang.
She answered.
Her face became serious.
"When?"
She listened.
"Secure the scene."
Sarah turned.
"What happened?"
Brooks ended the call.
"Grant Vale's office was broken into."
Sarah frowned.
"Anything taken?"
"One file."
"Which?"
Brooks looked at her.
"The Mitchell file."
They arrived at Grant's law office twenty minutes later.
Grant stood beside a shattered cabinet.
He looked furious.
Marcus Reed was speaking to police.
Sarah approached.
Grant stared at her uniform.
"Does your general know you're here?"
Sarah's expression did not change.
"Interesting question."
Grant's eyes narrowed.
Brooks stepped in.
"What was in the missing file?"
"Privileged material."
"Not anymore."
Grant shook his head.
"You people have decided privilege is optional."
Brooks moved closer.
"Someone broke into your office and stole a file connected to a federal investigation."
Grant looked toward Sarah.
"I warned you."
"You warned me about secrets."
Sarah stepped closer.
"What was in the file?"
Grant hesitated.
Sarah continued.
"Was Rourke in it?"
Grant's face went still.
That was enough.
Brooks immediately noticed.
"General William Rourke?"
Grant looked toward the broken cabinet.
Sarah's voice lowered.
"My father knew him."
Grant answered quietly.
"Very well."
"Did Rourke know about the forged contracts?"
Grant smiled bitterly.
"Sarah, your father spent the last year of his life trying to answer that exact question."
"What did he find?"
Grant shook his head.
"I don't know."
"You're lying."
"Not this time."
Sarah stared at him.
Grant continued.
"James believed Rourke was being used."
"By Kessler?"
"Possibly."
"Daniel said I was looking at the wrong person."
Grant's expression changed again.
"You spoke with Daniel?"
"Yes."
"Where is he?"
"If I knew, he'd be in custody."
Grant looked genuinely worried.
"Find him."
Sarah frowned.
"Why?"
"Because Daniel is the only person alive who knows where the final ledger is."
Brooks leaned forward.
"What ledger?"
Grant looked toward the police officers.
"Not here."
They moved into a private conference room.
Grant closed the door.
Then he finally began talking.
Seventeen years earlier, James had discovered that Northstar Meridian did not simply pay people.
It moved money through false military procurement orders.
Each false contract created legitimate-looking revenue.
That revenue then traveled through shell companies.
Daniel built several of those companies.
Grant created others.
Sarah stared at him.
"You were part of it."
Grant nodded once.
"I was."
Brooks's expression hardened.
"You understand you just admitted to federal crimes."
"I understand I'm seventy-one years old and tired of looking over my shoulder."
Sarah said nothing.
Grant continued.
"Daniel was brilliant with financial structures."
"He was also twenty-four."
"Exactly."
Grant looked ashamed.
"Kessler made him feel important."
"What about Evelyn?"
"She knew almost nothing at first."
"And Claire?"
"Nothing."
Sarah folded her arms.
"My father?"
"James discovered the pattern."
Grant looked at her.
"He threatened to expose all of us."
Sarah's jaw tightened.
"All of you."
"Yes."
"Did you kill him?"
Grant's face changed.
"No."
"Did Daniel?"
"I don't know."
"Did Kessler?"
"I don't know."
"Rourke?"
Grant looked directly at her.
"I don't believe so."
Sarah searched his face.
"Why?"
"Because the night James died, Rourke called me."
"What did he say?"
Grant's voice lowered.
"He said James had requested protection."
Sarah froze.
"Protection from whom?"
Grant swallowed.
"Kessler."
Brooks leaned forward.
"And?"
Grant stared at the table.
"I told Rourke James was overreacting."
Sarah felt something break inside her.
"You told him that?"
Grant nodded.
"Why?"
"Because if military investigators got involved, everything would surface."
Sarah's voice became quiet.
"So you protected yourself."
Grant closed his eyes.
"Yes."
Sarah stood.
For one second, she wanted to shout.
Instead, she walked away from the table.
Brooks watched her.
Sarah breathed slowly.
Then she turned back.
"Where is the final ledger?"
Grant looked at her.
"Daniel hid it."
"Where?"
"I don't know."
"But your father did."
Sarah frowned.
Grant continued.
"James found it before he died."
"Then why isn't it in Box 317?"
"Because Box 317 was never meant to hold the ledger."
"What was it meant to hold?"
"Enough evidence to make Daniel nervous."
Sarah understood.
"The real evidence is somewhere else."
Grant nodded.
"And Daniel has spent seventeen years trying to find it."
Sarah's phone rang.
General Rourke.
Everyone in the room looked at the screen.
Sarah answered.
"Sir."
Rourke's voice was calm.
"Officer Mitchell, report to my office at 0700."
Sarah glanced at Brooks.
"Regarding what, sir?"
A pause.
"Your temporary liaison assignment is terminated."
Sarah's eyes hardened.
"May I ask why?"
Rourke answered.
"Because you've become personally compromised."
Sarah looked at Grant.
Then Brooks.
Rourke continued.
"And Sarah."
"Yes, sir?"
"Bring the photograph."
The line went dead.
Grant whispered.
"He knows."
Sarah put away the phone.
Brooks asked.
"Are you going?"
Sarah looked toward the first light beginning to appear beyond the windows.
"Yes."
Brooks frowned.
"I told you not to confront him."
Sarah picked up the photograph.
"I'm not confronting him."
May you like
She slipped it inside the folder.
"I'm giving him the chance to tell the truth."
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