Read Chapter 10: THE CLERK

Roche did not look frightened.

That disturbed Luc more than the pistol.

The clerk shut the hangar door behind him.

"Put the case on the floor."

Perrin obeyed slowly.

"You forged the signatures," Luc said.

"Some. Cazeneuve did others. He has a fine hand."

"And the machines?"

"Not my speciality."

"Whose?"

Roche smiled. "You imagine a grand conspiracy where everyone performs his assigned part. Real life is less tidy. People understand what is useful. They help when useful. They remain silent when useful."

"Fabre?"

"Cazeneuve cut the cable. Delorme knew afterward. He chose not to know before."

"Lemaire?"

"An unfortunate young man in an unfortunate profession."

Perrin's jaw tightened.

"Besson is in prison because of you."

"Besson is alive. Many men would call that luck."

Outside, another shell landed.

Roche glanced instinctively toward the sound.

Luc moved.

He threw a metal tray at the lantern.

Darkness swallowed the hangar.

The pistol fired twice.

Luc hit the floor, crawled toward the aircraft and heard Perrin tackle someone. Men grunted. A tool chest overturned.

Then the hangar doors burst open.

Light entered behind a silhouette.

"Drop it," Vautrin said.

Roche froze.

The dead pilot stepped inside with a service revolver levelled at his chest.

For the first time, Roche lost composure.

"You—"

"A disappointing accident," Vautrin said.

Perrin kicked the pistol away.

They bound Roche with control cable.

"Bellon," Luc said. "We need the security captain now."

Vautrin shook his head. "Not yet."

"We have the ledger."

"And Delorme commands the squadron. If he destroys the remaining files, he can claim Roche acted alone."

"Roche can testify."

Roche laughed from the floor. "Can I?"

They all understood.

A prisoner could change his story. A prisoner could die during bombardment. A ledger could be called fraudulent unless matched to official records.

They needed Delorme and Cazeneuve caught reacting to evidence they believed hidden.

Luc hated that Vautrin was right again.

They moved Roche to the wine cellar under guard of Perrin's cousin, who had returned with a transport truck. Vautrin remained hidden.

Luc went back to his locked room before dawn. Perrin relocked the door from outside.

When Captain Bellon arrived, Luc was sitting on the cot.

"Your sergeant has reappeared," Bellon said.

"Good."

"And something else has happened. Adjudant Roche cannot be found."

"That is unfortunate."

Bellon stared at him.

Luc stared back.

At eight, Captain Delorme entered.

He dismissed Bellon.

"Moreau, I can help you."

Luc said nothing.

"The evidence is serious, but war creates confusion. If you admit that you made an unauthorized alteration and panicked after Vautrin's crash, I can argue negligence rather than sabotage."

"Generous."

"You are a talented mechanic. I would rather not see you shot because of pride."

Luc looked at the captain carefully.

"And if Lieutenant Vautrin were alive?"

Delorme's expression did not change.

Only his right hand moved, closing slightly.

"He is not."

"How certain are you?"

A long silence.

Delorme leaned close.

"Mechanics should understand limits. A machine that exceeds its tolerances breaks. So do men."

Then he left.

Luc waited until the door closed.

He had no recorder, no witness, no magical device to preserve the threat.

But he had seen the captain's hand.

And sometimes, he thought, proof began with knowing where to look next.