Malcolm Avery was the older janitor most people at Ridgewell Systems barely noticed. That Tuesday morning, he was finishing the marble floor in the company's main lobby when Lydia Crane walked through the doors carrying coffee.

Daniela Mercer arrived at Malcolm's apartment just before midnight. She was a compact woman with silver threaded through her dark hair and a red umbrella that dripped onto the linoleum. Eli stood when she entered, anger and relief colliding across his face.

"You knew Claire was investigating Morrow," he said.

"I knew she was trying to find out who changed the reports."

"You knew Lydia was involved."

Daniela closed the umbrella. "I knew Lydia signed the second copy of one report. I did not know whether she was following orders or giving them."

She placed a paper folder on Malcolm's kitchen table. Inside was a duplicate of a Morrow incident report. The first version listed eight emergency failures. The second listed two. Both bore the same date and the same approval code.

"I was told to scan the second copy into the regulator's portal," Daniela said. "I refused. The next day, the first copy vanished from the records room. The day after that, Claire died."

Eli's face tightened. "Why did you never tell me?"

"Because Ridgewell sent a lawyer to our apartment. Because he knew your school schedule. Because I was afraid fear would become the only thing I could give you."

She admitted that the photograph's message referred to her own signature. Under pressure, she had signed a receipt acknowledging the second copy, though she had not approved its contents. That signature had been used to make her look like the person who altered the report.

Malcolm opened the memory card Reed had hidden in the lining of his coat. Reed had gotten it back to him through a courier who asked no questions. On it, the access log showed Lydia's terminal opening the report, but the approval code belonged to Graham Sloane, Ridgewell's chief executive.

"Lydia did not work alone," Malcolm said.

Daniela looked at him. "Then why is she protecting him?"

"Because she believes the company will protect her."

Eli removed the metal key from around his neck. The inventory number matched the file in Daniela's folder. His mother stared at it, then whispered a phrase Malcolm had never heard.