He walked past her to the low cabinet at the bottom of the bookshelves.

The wood was dark oak, carved with the Sterling crest.

He inserted the key into the small lock.

It turned with a heavy, metallic click that echoed in the quiet room.

He pulled the drawer open.

Inside lay a thick, leather-bound folder tied with a black ribbon.

Julian lifted it out as if it weighed a hundred pounds.

He brought it to the desk and untied the ribbon.

The papers inside were yellowed at the edges, but the blue ink of Arthur Sterling’s signature was still clear.

At the bottom of the page was the raised, circular seal of the Illinois State Registry.

Investigator Vance leaned forward, inspecting the seal with a small magnifying glass he took from his pocket.

“It is authentic,” Vance said. “The dry seal matches the records from nineteen-ninety-eight.”

“This is the document that was reported destroyed in the office fire.”

“It was never in the office,” Miranda said, her voice barely audible now.

She sat down in the large leather chair behind the desk, suddenly looking much older than her years.