“I know.”
“No confronting Devo.”
“I know.”
“No members following Vickers.”
“I know.”
“Calvin.”
“I know.”
She sighed.
“Give me two days.”
Second call:
Ron Stelzer.
Retired RCMP financial-crimes investigator.
Ron had spent the last years of his career on corporate fraud and money-laundering files before retiring north of Sudbury.
Calvin knew him through an old charity ride, of all things.
Ron answered.
Calvin gave him the corporate number.
There was a long pause.
“I know that company family.”
“You do?”
“I know the structure.”
“What does that mean?”
“It sits under other shells.”
“Devo?”
“Likely.”
“Vickers?”
“Also possible.”
“How quickly can you confirm?”
“Public and lawful sources only?”
“Yes.”
Ron sounded mildly disappointed.
“Tomorrow.”
Third call:
Jory.
“Come early.”
“What happened?”
“Found something.”
“What?”
“I want to show you in person.”
“Is Dad involved?”
“Maybe.”
She was silent.
“Seven fifteen,” Calvin said.
“I’ll be there.”
She arrived at 7:06.
Of course she did.
Tool bag.
Coffee.
Canvas jacket.
No rain this time.
Calvin’s office had one visitor chair that was not buried in catalogs.
Jory sat.
Calvin put the photographs down.
Then the intake sheet.
She did not touch them immediately.
Her eyes moved.
Truck.
Damage.
Date.
Company name.
Then she looked at Calvin.
“That’s the truck.”
“We think so.”
She picked up one photograph.
Front-right corner crushed inward.
“How old?”
“Three years.”
“So not Dad.”
“Not directly.”
Her shoulders lowered slightly.
Not relief.
Recalibration.
Calvin said:
“The company matters.”
“What company?”
“Diane is tracing it.”
He explained Ron.
Jory kept reading.
“This vehicle was registered to a numbered company.”
“Yes.”
“Devo uses numbered companies.”
“Ron says six known shells have overlap.”
She placed the photo down.
“Wait.”
“What?”
“My notebooks.”
“You keep notebooks?”
“Since Devo’s first offer.”
“How many?”
“Two.”
“Where?”
She reached inside her jacket.
Placed them on the desk.
Calvin stared.
“You carry them?”
“I stopped leaving important paper at the shop after Dad’s stroke.”
“Why?”
“I came in one morning and a drawer was open.”
“Anything missing?”
“I couldn’t prove it.”
“When?”
“Three weeks after the stroke.”
Calvin opened the first notebook.
Dates.
Times.
Names.
Vehicle plates.
Offer amounts.
Calls.
Visits.
Gerald’s comments.
Jory had not written conclusions.
That made the notes stronger.
June 11 – Devo office called 3:42 p.m. Second offer.
August 4 – Reg Vickers at shop 6:18 p.m. Dad asked him to leave 6:31.
August 4 – Dad called me 8:07 p.m. Said Vickers walked north lot twice, asked about ownership structure and whether mortgage remained.
August 6 – Dad found unconscious approx. 6:41 a.m.
August 6 – rear gate open when I arrived.