Wooden table cleared. Ledger stacks aligned. Terminal feeds loaded. Archive scans spread across the surface. Elena sat at the head. Alexander across. Papers flat. Dust brushed off. Tape markers holding corners. Emergency financing agreement. Collateral transfer addendum. Trust amendment ledger, Payroll shortfall matrix. All stamped. All dated. All cross-referenced.
Alexander pulled the first sheet. Emergency financing agreement. Dated November 2018. Three months before reserve collapse. He checked the signature block. Her father's handwriting. Steady. Heavy ink. Notarized. Witness line signed by municipal clerk. Amount listed: two-point-four million. Purpose: operational continuity. Routing rights assigned: eighteen percent. Holder entity: Meridian Corridor Holdings.
"Signature verified," Alexander said. "Notary stamp matches municipal registry. Date aligns with reserve drain. Amount matches payroll shortfall gap. Routing rights assigned to external entity."
