Chapter 86 - The Underground Vault
Ground-penetrating radar revealed something unexpected beneath the nameless grave.
The burial chamber was far larger than ordinary cemetery construction.
The forensic engineer frowned.
"This isn't a standard vault."
Margaret requested another scan.
A rectangular room appeared beneath the surface.
Shelving.
Metal cabinets.
A narrow staircase extending from a concealed entrance several meters away.
Arthur stared silently.
"A second archive."
The cemetery administrator looked genuinely shocked.
"There shouldn't be any structure beneath this section."
Following the radar data, investigators searched nearby vegetation.
Hidden beneath thick ivy, they discovered an iron hatch almost completely concealed by decades of growth.
The lock had rusted.
The hinges had not.
Someone had lubricated them recently.
Judge Walsh looked toward Margaret.
"We're not the first people here."
Margaret nodded.
"No."
"We're simply the first to arrive with questions."
The hatch opened slowly.
Cold air drifted upward from the darkness below.
Emergency lighting revealed stone steps descending into a surprisingly dry underground chamber.
Unlike Office 7C, this room resembled a private archive rather than a workplace.
Rows of carefully labeled boxes stretched into the distance.
Each shelf carried a brass plaque.
Correspondence.
Research.
Mentorship.
Case Studies.
Near the far wall stood another blue velvet document case.
Its brass plate carried a simple inscription.
May you like
Volume III
---
