Page 161 of Alien Burn

“Some of the buyers were helped by people in this room.”

Havent's mouth tightened.

Dhomhes waited.

“You will have my office's assistance with the contract records.”

“Then we'll begin with the requests you have the authority to withdraw.”

He sent over Tivek's attestation.

Havent looked at it, then up at him.

“That is a separate matter.”

“Yes. My father is pursuing it separately. I thought you should have your copy before he arrived.”

Ruthak was already crossing the chamber.

Dhomhes left them to it.

Vessik came in voluntarily that afternoon with the cream packet's correspondence. His cousin had forwarded the inquiry; the request address had told him to expect a delivery before Sereya ever agreed to carry anything. Neither proved the males knew why Roemary wanted movement details. The cousin's part would receive the same examination.

The investigators retained the records and sent Vessik home with instructions to remain available. There would be enough guilty people to pursue without making more for a tidy report.

The protected copy of Adryel's chip was waiting when he returned to the operations room. She had authorized the examination through her advocate. Her account identified the club's office terminal and the files she had copied; the examiner kept her statement beside the untouched copy.

Dhomhes opened the first matched payment.

A freight invoice called the cargo agricultural pumps. Its consignment number belonged to a shipment in the Barnak investigation.

The inspection record had listed stabilizers. Same departure date. Same weight. The club's accounts showed who had paid the invoice.

Gilorn Rhysgarrd.

Dhomhes called Olmed on the private route.

“That's the station buyer's freight account,” Olmed said after reading the two records. “I gave you that.”

“You did. Adryel found the payment on the other end.”

Olmed leaned closer to the image. Tori appeared beside him.

“She worked there?” Tori asked.

“Serving drinks.”

“And they talked in front of her.” Tori's mouth tightened. “Of course they did.”

The next invoices paid an off-world workshop for further units. Those quantities still needed checking. The matching shipment was enough to connect Rhysgarrd money to equipment Olmed had already traced.

“I want your statement on the match,” Dhomhes said. “Only what you can identify.”

“You'll get it. Don't make this about every miner in the Guild. Some of us were trying to stay alive while they moved this filth around.”

“I won't.”

After the call, Dhomhes returned to the accounts. Payments from the freight operation passed through businesses that supplied Vandrel's office: transport, staff, expenses hidden among ordinary service charges. A senator's influence cost money. Here was part of the bill.