He met my eyes. "Yes."
There was nothing useful I could say to that. I set the folder on a clean workbench and asked Malik to photograph it before anyone handled it further. Adrian said he'd provided the police with a statement and given Miriam's office copies of his messages, pending advice from his own attorney. He had not been arrested or absolved of anything. He was a man who had made bad choices and was now attempting to limit the damage.
Colin stood near the back exit with a local officer. When he saw me, he began speaking before I reached him. "Danny, man, I didn't know there was a problem. Tess said you signed the paperwork. She said you were finally making a sensible business move."
I stopped several feet away. "You had my phone number. Why didn't you ask?"
He looked wounded. "Why would I? My sister told me it was arranged."
"You helped carry my father's furniture into a truck at midnight."
"It was the only time the crew was available."
"You don't see anything odd about that?"
He looked toward the floor. "I figured rich collectors have weird schedules."
I wanted to shout that a man who had borrowed tools from me and eaten at my table should have known better. But the officer was standing there, and my lawyer had already told me not to turn a disputed transfer into a confrontation. I asked Colin to give a complete statement and produce every instruction he'd received. Then I walked away before the anger could change my voice.
The responding detective, a woman named Ellison, met with me in the small office. She explained that the original call had been documented, the property had been inventoried as best they could, and the disputed authorization was being preserved. She would need statements from everyone involved before deciding what charges, if any, the evidence supported. She did not promise immediate arrests. I appreciated that more than a performance of certainty.
"What about the missing papers?" I asked.
"We'll include them in the report. Tell us exactly which documents are missing and who had access. If they're part of the same unauthorized transfer, that will matter. But I need a complete list."