We drove in silence for ten minutes, heading toward the highway.

The heater hummed, blowing dry, warm air into the cabin, but I couldn’t stop shivering.

“They know we have the digital ledger,” I said.

“They don’t know what we’ve processed yet,” Nora replied.

I pulled my laptop from my bag and opened it on my lap.

The offline copy of the files was still active on my screen.

I scrolled back to the spreadsheet, my eyes scanning the rows of numbers in the blue glow of the monitor.

“It’s not just local inspectors,” I said, pointing at a recurring entry labeled ‘Project Delta’.

“What is Project Delta?” Nora asked, keeping her eyes on the road.

“It’s a code name for the deputy mayor’s reelection campaign,” I said.

“Every time Julian Thorne wanted a property rezoned, Delta received fifty thousand dollars.”

“And the police department?” Nora asked.

I searched the ledger for the phrase ‘Special Services’.

“Three precinct captains,” I murmured. “Monthly retainers.”

“That’s why Clara’s police reports kept disappearing,” Nora said.

“That’s why they ruled her fall from the stairs an accident,” I said, my teeth grinding together.