Chapter 13 - What a Threat Can BuyEvelyn sat down so suddenly the chair scraped the floor.

"My grandson is ten," she said. "He walks home from school with his friends."

Tessa called the police to report the threat and asked Evelyn's daughter to arrange a safe pickup. We did not chase the sender or make bargains. We collected the package, avoided touching the tape, and let investigators document it.

"I voted against suspending Adrian," Evelyn confessed. "He told me that was the only way to keep my family out of this."

"You had to tell somebody," Denise said.

"I was afraid."

"So was Curtis. He reported what he saw anyway."

That ended the discussion more effectively than shouting could have.

With the recovered cabinet key, investigators accompanied us to Unit 314. Tessa secured permission from Denise and arranged for an independent forensic accountant to inventory the contents. Inside the cabinet were carbon copies of freight invoices, an old portable recorder, and a sealed letter addressed to Daniel Brooks.

Dad opened the letter with shaking fingers.

Son, it began. If you're reading this, I waited too long to tell you what I learned. Curtis Bell came to me because the records didn't match the trucks. The people responsible have friends inside our company. Listen before you accuse. And please don't let my silence become yours.

Dad pressed the paper flat against the table.

The recorder used miniature tapes. The first had Grandpa's handwriting: 9/14 - C. BELL. We played it through a borrowed compatible device at the accountant's office.

Curtis's voice came through in a crackle. "They've changed the delivery numbers again. If I report it, Pike says I'll be fired. Marcus says it's none of my business."

Then Grandpa asked, "What exactly did you see?"

"A box marked for the children's food program. It was empty. Somebody's getting paid for feeding kids who never got a meal."

I looked at Denise. Her eyes were closed.

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The tape continued. A door opened. Another voice said, "Samuel, we need to talk privately."

It was Vivian Mercer.