“What are you doing?” Winter stood in the doorway.
“Looking for answers.” The lamp surfaced first, still wrapped in yellowed newspaper, petals dusty but intact. And under it, a file box. She moved the lamp and pulled out the box.
Inside, she found a brown accordion binder. She pulled it out. Undid the band around it.
Manila folders. She took the binder out to the table. Pulled out the files.
“What are we looking for?” Winter asked.
“I don’t know.”
Winter took a dossier, Echo another, and Harley flipped through yet another. “This one is about Vic—”
“I got it,” Winter said. “This has photos of Pete.”
Harley took it, felt the weight of photos inside. Her hands trembled as she opened it, then her breath caught as the contents spilled across the table.
Surveillance photos. Pete talking with one of the Sorros brothers, and others, people she didn’t recognize. Some of them at the Copper Mountain FBO.
“These are manifests showing fuel deliveries to the North Slope,” Echo said. “I didn’t know he traveled up there.”
“This one is of a North Face Construction truck. Building supplies.” Winter handed Harley the picture. “Matches what Gabe said.”
“Pete was running drugs.” Harley’s voice sounded distant to her own ears. “Using the fuel runs as cover.”
“These men here”—Winter pointed to a figure in one photo—“that’s Brand Sorros so this must be from before he was convicted. And this is Jago.”
“Why would your dad keep these files here?” Echo asked.
“I don’t know. Maybe he was worried—”
“Tommy Reid.” Winter held up a picture. “That was one of the deputies, right?” She pointed to the man in the picture with Pete. “That’s him.”
Harley took the picture. “Wait, I know Tommy. He works in Juneau now. Private security.”
“Think he was dirty?” Winter asked.
“Could be Dad was building a case against him and Pete.”
Until someone stopped him.
“Clearly Pete wasn’t just running drugs. He was working with the Sorros gang,” Harley said softly. “And they wanted my dad dead.”
“Who do you think killed Pete?” Echo picked up the picture. “Wow. So crazy.”
“I don’t know. Mars?” Harley offered. “Maybe because the Sorros brothers were behind the crash and they wanted to keep a lid on Pete naming them?” Harley started gathering the photos. “Jericho needs to see these.”
Silence.
She looked up. Echo was grinning.
“What?”
“Your first thought is still to go to Jericho. See?” She held up a fist to Winter. “You two need to be together.”
Winter met Echo’s fist. “For your own good.”
“Just ... fine. Let’s go.” Harley headed into her bedroom to change clothes.