The man stopped. The pause that followed contained no satisfaction, only an awareness that one impulsive movement could turn a dispute over old records into injuries no one could undo. Nolan felt his heartbeat pressing against his ribs. He stepped beside Silas despite the older man's request that he remain near the truck. The rain touched his face at once, cold enough to sting. He saw the lead man's eyes flick briefly to Elias's cut folded over Nolan's arm.
"Tell Pike that we know about the loans," Nolan said. "We know about the families, Garrett Cole, the account changes, and the false accusation against my father. There are more records than he thought, and they're not going to stay hidden because he sends men to ask for them."
"Mr. Pike wants a meeting," the man said. "This can be handled privately."
"For twenty-two years it was private," Nolan answered. "The families lost their homes in public. My father lost his name in public. A private conversation is not enough."
The man studied Nolan more carefully. "Who are you?"
"The child in the photograph Pike recognized at the Blackbird Diner. That's all he needs to know."
A second man made a telephone call from behind the lead SUV. The first waited, staring into the lit garage as the remaining bins were moved out of view. When his colleague returned, he spoke in a tone that had become almost courteous.
"Mr. Pike is willing to discuss this tomorrow at a neutral location," he said. "He would prefer that no material be distributed until the parties can speak."
"He can have his lawyers contact mine," Nolan said, though he had not yet hired anyone. "And if he expects me to accept a private assurance after what happened to Elias, he'll be disappointed."
The man took in the answer, then returned to his vehicle. The SUVs backed slowly down the track, keeping their headlights on the bay until the curve in the trees swallowed them. Nolan remained where he was until the sound of their engines faded into the rain. Only then did he notice his hands shaking. The leather in his arms was damp, and his shirt clung to his back. Silas watched him without comment until he had regained enough composure to speak.
"You were bluffing about having a lawyer," Silas said.
"I can call one."
"You need to. And you need to tell the lawyer exactly what we did here, including the lock. If you start hiding our mistakes, Pike will use them to bury the things that matter."
Nolan nodded. "I know."
"Good. Fear is useful if you let it make you careful afterward."
They spent the next hour checking the inventory against the containers and securing the material in more than one transport vehicle. Silas was not comfortable leaving the garage without documenting the condition in which they found it, and Cord took photographs of every opened panel and broken lock before the last person left. The men