“Yes.”
Podge flipped open his notebook.“What kind of references?”
Goldie reached into the envelope again and handed him another copied page.“Inspection reports.”
He adjusted his glasses.“These are from...”He frowned.“Nineteen twenty-eight.”
“That’s the oldest one I found.”
Podge flipped another page.“Then nothing.”
“Exactly.”
He looked up.“No inspections after that?”
“Not mentioning the basement.”
A low whistle came from Chewy.“Convenient.”
Goldie nodded.“Every inspection after that skips directly from the first floor to the foundation.”
Rev frowned.“Almost like someone wanted people to forget there was another level.”
Goldie met his eyes.“That’s what I started thinking.”
Method rubbed the back of his neck.“So where’s this tunnel go?”
“I don’t know.”
“You have a guess?”
She hesitated.“I think it connects to more than one building.”
“Based on?”
“The blueprints.”She slid another copy across the table.Lines spread beneath the clubhouse across the alley toward The Badger’s Den.Then farther.Much farther.
Twister studied them.“So this wasn’t just us.”
“No.”
“They’ve been collecting this whole block.”
“Yes.”
“And if they already own most of it...”He tapped the clubhouse with one finger.“...this is the last piece.”
Goldie nodded slowly.“I think so.Along with the Badger Den and Marv’s, but I think the clubhouse is the key.Without it, nothing else connects and makes sense.”
I watched Twister.
He wasn’t looking at the blueprint anymore.He was looking around the room, reading every face and calculating.
That’s what made him our president.
Finally, he pushed his chair back and stood.“Here’s what’s gonna happen.”
Nobody spoke.
