Chapter 164: Ghost Addresses

Irial moved closer after hearing them. “That’s not unusual by itself. Some companies provide administrative services to several contractors.”

“I know. That’s why I’m not saying it’s wrong.”

Irial explained that she recognized the company name, although she had never paid much attention to it because it was not one of the main providers she handled. It appeared in supporting documents from time to time, usually for processing, logistics, facility maintenance, or other services attached to larger contracts.

Silas came over after the officers left. “How often?”

“I don’t know.”

“Can you check?”

“Not without accessing the company system.”

Marek shook his head before anyone could suggest it. “You’re not going back there tonight.”

Irial frowned. “I didn’t say I was going to.”

Kellan, who had already been accused of looking like he wanted to go to Lantern Verge, pointed toward himself. “See? He does this to everyone.”

Nadia looked at him. “It’s a different case for you. You usually deserve it. No, not merely usually. It’s actually always.”

“I didn’t even do anything this time.”

“That’s probably why he’s being careful.”

Kellan looked offended again.

For some reason, Dario had bought another portion of food while they had been inside the CMS facility. Marek had seen him leave once, though he had assumed he was going to the restroom.

He looked at the paper container in Dario’s hand. “Did you leave the building to buy that?”

Dario nodded.

“While we were dealing with a death threat?”

“I got hungry.”

Marek looked at him for a while. “Did you at least tell someone where you were going? Besides, you’ve been eating a lot lately. Like a lot.”

Dario pointed toward Rafe and shrugged. “Also, I’m eating because my body needs it… I guess.”

Rafe raised one hand.

Marek ignored them and proceeded to focus on the matter at hand.

After the CMS finished documenting everything, Irial was advised not to return to her residence or workplace until the threat had been assessed further. The officers offered several temporary options for her as well, and Marek was relieved that Goldwake House never had to enter the discussion.

He did not want anyone connected to this issue learning where they lived.

Especially now.

They remained inside the public facility even after Irial left with an officer to complete the relocation arrangements. Eren kept the financial documents on the table while Rafe searched public information using his communication device.

The records themselves had clinic names and service locations attached to them. Public information could at least tell them whether those places existed.

But that was something different from investigating.

Marek repeated that inside his head because he already knew where this was going.

Rafe found the first clinic within minutes.

It had a public listing, operating schedule, transport routes, and several service categories that roughly matched the schedule Irial had copied. Another facility appeared to exist as well, although the information attached to it had not been updated recently.

The third one caused more trouble.

Rafe rotated the device toward Eren. “This address?”

Eren checked the schedule. “Yes.”

Rafe enlarged the district map. “It’s inside Lantern Verge.”

Marek rubbed his forehead.

Of course, it was.

The public report from The Equal Standard had spent several minutes discussing clinics, redevelopment, missing healthcare funding, contractors, and residents complaining that services did not match the numbers being reported.

He had eaten dinner through most of it because it had nothing to do with Tomas.

“Can we verify these without going there?” he asked.

Rafe checked again. “Some, we could. But not all.”

Eren nodded. “Public records can tell us whether a clinic exists. They can’t tell us whether patient transport actually operates, how many people a facility serves, or whether a mobile treatment program is active at the scale listed here.”

“Ask the CMS.”

“They can probably request records if there’s a lawful basis,” Silas replied. “But that alone could take time.”

Marek looked toward the entrance where Irial had left with the officers.

They had until tomorrow. Or at least whoever threatened her wanted them to believe they did.

Rhovan sat across from Marek after taking one of the vacant chairs. “You don’t have to solve anything before the deadline.”

“I know.”

“Do you, really?”

Marek looked at him.

Rhovan continued, “Because you’re making the face you use whenever you start thinking that if you stare at a problem long enough, you’ll find the one answer everyone else somehow missed.”

“I don’t have a face for that.”

“You do. Sometimes, we just don’t realize it until another person says that to us upfront.”

Kellan nodded from behind them.

Marek turned toward him. “Stay out of this.”

“I didn’t even say anything.”

“Your face did.”

Kellan stared at him in disbelief. “See?!”

Nadia laughed.

The tension returned once Eren placed the schedules together again. If the records were harmless, they could walk away. If the records were not harmless, walking away became much harder.

Marek hated that both possibilities required them to learn more.

“We go there as visitors,” he said after thinking about it for a while.

Eren looked toward him.

Marek raised one hand before anyone got excited. “I’m not agreeing to investigate the contractor. We don’t bring the original records, we don’t ask employees about missing money, and nobody goes anywhere alone. We look at the public facilities, compare what we can see with what Irial already has, and leave.”

Rafe nodded.

Silas seemed fine with that.

Kellan looked far too happy for someone who had spent the past hour complaining about being accused of wanting to go there.

Marek pointed at him. “Especially you. Don’t start anything.”

“What do you think I’m going to do? Punch a clinic?”

“I’ve seen your decision-making before.”

“That’s unfair.”

“No, that’s experience.”

Rhovan smiled from his chair. “At least he’s somewhat learning. Barely.”

Kellan muttered something Marek did not bother asking him to repeat.

There was another problem Marek wanted settled before anyone started making plans for Lantern Verge. “Irial isn’t coming with us.”

Irial, who had returned after finishing the arrangements concerning her sister, looked toward him. “I know the district better than any of you.”

“That’s not the issue. The men who tried taking you already know your face, and somebody just photographed your sister because of whatever you found. Walking around the same district connected to these payments or whatever sounds like an easy way to let them find you again. That’s technically an open invitation for another kidnapping attempt or something even worse could happen that I don’t want to say.”

Irial seemed ready to argue with him, although Rhovan spoke before she could.

“He’s right. Whoever sent that photograph knows enough about you to reach your family. We shouldn’t assume they stopped watching after sending the message.”

Irial reconsidered it. Then, she looked toward the schedules on the table. “Then, how are you supposed to know which places matter?”

Eren answered that part. They did not need Irial walking beside them just to identify several clinics and service providers. She could give them the addresses, explain what services were supposed to be available in each location, and tell them what she remembered from the facilities she had personally visited.

Marek preferred that arrangement much more.

They were only going to compare what could be seen publicly against the information Irial already had. If a clinic existed at a listed address, they could confirm that much. If patient transport or mobile treatment services were advertised there, they could check what the facility itself claimed to provide. Anything requiring internal records, employee questioning, or access ordinary visitors would not have could wait.

“And we don’t bring the originals,” Marek added.

Eren nodded. “I can copy down the locations, service periods, provider names, and whatever figures we need to compare.”

“Don’t carry the schedules either. If someone asks what we’re doing, I don’t want one of you standing there with financial records belonging to the same people we’re checking.”

Silas agreed with that. “We can document what we see and compare it after we leave.”

Irial still did not seem happy about remaining behind, though her sister had just been moved because someone was watching her residence. Even she could understand why going into Lantern Verge herself would add another risk they did not need.

Marek also did not want the entire group going.

Eight people arriving together and wandering between several clinics would probably attract more attention than simply asking the employees where the missing money went.

“Eren has to come because he knows what he’s comparing. Silas should come because he’s already keeping track of the records and dates. Rafe knows the routes.”

Kellan frowned. “And us?”

“You stay here.”

“Why?”

Marek looked toward him. “Because five people already sounds suspicious enough.”

“You said five. That’s only four.”

Marek pointed toward Rhovan.

Kellan looked at him, then back at Marek. “Oh.”

Rhovan smiled. “I’m delighted you remembered how counting works, Kellan-chan.”

“Fuck off! Where did you even learn that language from?!”

Dario did not complain about being left behind. He was eating again, so Marek doubted the decision had affected him much. Nadia looked slightly disappointed, though she eventually agreed that having fewer people would make the visit less noticeable.

Marek went over the limits one more time before they left the facility. They were not confronting contractors, asking anyone about missing funds, or mentioning Irial. They would visit places ordinary people could visit, look at information ordinary people could see, and leave if anyone became too interested in what they were doing.

That was as much involvement as he was willing to accept for now.

Rafe remained focused on the map while the others started preparing to leave. He moved between several public listings and checked the addresses from Irial’s schedules against the district routes.

After a while, his finger stopped moving. “Eren.”

The man walked over. “What?”

Rafe showed him one of the listings.

Marek heard the silence between them and wondered. “What now?”

Eren took the device and compared the address against one of Irial’s copied schedules.

“The company that keeps appearing in the supporting entries,” he said.

Marek stood and walked over.

The public listing showed the same business name, the same address, and the same registration reference attached to several of the payment schedules.

There was also a notice underneath. The company had moved out of that location months ago. Rafe then scrolled farther down and found that the address was now registered to a different business.

Marek looked toward Eren. “Could the schedules just be old?”

Eren checked the service period.

His expression changed. “No.”

The payment was from the current period.