The van sits beneath the filling station canopy, engine ticking as it cools. Phasmonx and the speakeasy employee shelter inside the locked office, with rain darkening the windows.
speakeasy employee
The folder names three officials and gives dates for payments. I can identify the handwriting and explain the sequence.
He places the folder on the counter beside a dusty public logbook. A wall map shows the rural records depot, nearby towns, and the telephone exchange.
speakeasy employee
But I withheld one detail during the escape. The first payment date is not the important part. Someone added a second date in different ink.
speakeasy employee
I recognized the initials beside it. M.S. belongs to Martin Sloane, the deputy clerk at the depot. I was afraid naming him would bring his employers after me.
The payphone hangs beneath a handwritten notice, its receiver cord intact. Outside, the road remains empty, while the folder, map, and logbook offer three ways to test his account.
speakeasy employee
We can call the depot, compare the logbook dates, or mark the route on the map first. I will show you everything I know.
✓ Quest Accepted
Learn why the employee withheld Martin Sloane's name
✓ Quest Accepted
Confirm Martin Sloane's role in the payments