Chapter 21 - The Safe Deposit Box
By sunrise, federal agents from the Federal Integrity Bureau arrived at headquarters.
Director Nathan Collins entered without ceremony, accompanied by two senior investigators carrying sealed cases.
Mercer immediately recognized Collins from official conferences, but this was the first time the director had personally appeared in one of his investigations.
Collins walked directly toward Arthur.
For a long moment, neither man spoke.
Then Collins extended his hand.
"It has been too many years."
Arthur shook it.
"I hoped we would never meet under these circumstances."
"So did I."
Mercer watched carefully.
The respect between the two men was unmistakable.
After reviewing the recovered letter and evidence, Collins requested a private meeting.
Only Mercer remained.
"The Chairman is forcing the timeline," Collins said.
Arthur agreed.
"He knows we're getting closer."
Collins opened a secure briefcase and removed a small metal key.
"This belonged to Elena."
Arthur immediately recognized it.
"I thought it was lost."
"We recovered it after the original investigation."
"Why keep it secret?"
Collins hesitated.
"Because we never found the box it opened."
Arthur stared at the key.
Then his eyes widened.
"It wasn't a house key."
"No."
Arthur closed his eyes, searching through memories that had remained untouched for decades.
Suddenly he remembered.
A rainy afternoon.
Elena laughing.
A downtown bank.
A sentence she had whispered before leaving for court.
"If anything happens to me, Dad... don't trust the obvious hiding places."
Arthur opened his eyes.
"The bank."
Collins nodded.
"We believe she rented a private safe deposit box under an alias."
Mercer leaned forward.
"And nobody searched it?"
"We searched every account under her legal identity."
Arthur slowly stood.
"Because she never intended to use her own name."
He looked directly at Collins.
May you like
"I think I know which alias she chose."
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