Page 35 of Key Of Dreams

Igo through every inch of the file on Naiya and Ubin, and there’s nothing that points to any betrayal of her father or brother. Even their finances show they live modestly. There are no huge deposits or withdrawals, and all the payments are regular and lead back to legitimate purchases.

Phoenix isn’t getting any hits on Adaku and Serin either. Serin paid his own way through university and started at the bottom in a local law firm and worked his way up. While Wire is going over the last file that includes the youngest sister, Mannia, and her husband, Boluku, Phoenix and I are going over the family’s circle of friends.

A video call comes in, and Wire answers and projects Falcon and Rebel on the screen.

“Hey, you guys all right?” I ask.

“We’re fine. We spent the last couple of hours with Yakubu and President Obi. These are good, solid leaders. They’re respected by their staff, and the people of his little country are standing vigil to protect their president. Obu’s soldiers are just as dedicated to their president,” Falcon says.

“Never seen anything like it,” Rebel adds. “We’re going to go through their next week’s agenda and decide if we have enough security to cover us. If not, we’re putting his appearances on hold.”

“I’m on President Obi, and Rebel is Yakubu’s shadow. They don’t like it, but they agreed,” Falcon says.

I’m scanning Ubin’s file one more time. This gut feeling that I might be missing something just keeps nagging at me. That’s when I see it. “Holy shit!” I exclaim. “I think I’ve got something.”

Phoenix looks down at what I’m pointing to. “What’s that got to do with it?” he asks, giving it a quick read.

“Maybe nothing, but maybe something.”

“You guys want to share?” Rebel asks, obviously annoyed.

“Ubin’s office was broken into five months ago. It was reported, and it says nothing was stolen,” I tell them.

“So?” Rebel asks.

“Why break in if you’re not going to take anything? Maybe they missed something? A file, a USB key, something?” I point out.

“Was the place trashed?” Rebel asks.

“Doesn’t say. Maybe a trip to the local police station is in order,” I say.

“Never mind. Got it here.” Wire flashes the photos from the police investigation on the screen. “Place is trashed. Except,” he uses his mouse to circle a section of the room, “right here.”

“The top of his credenza hasn’t been touched. Those doors are closed, and all the rest are flung open and the drawers pulled out on every other cabinet in that room,” Phoenix says.

“You think it was staged?” Falcon asks.

“I think it’s too coincidental that one small corner of the room looks untouched while the rest is a mess,” I respond.

“Why didn’t the police catch that?” Rebel asks.

“Says here that they think the thief heard the night watchman coming and left before he was finished,” Wire answers.

“Time to find out what’s kept in that cabinet,” Falcon says. “Send me that police report.”

“No fingerprints, no one was ever arrested, and Ubin put a new security system in place shortly after that happened,” Wire says.

“I don’t think he had anything to do with it, but he does handle all the personal investments for his father and brother-in-law. And it’s openly understood that every political candidate must put up their own funds to run for office,” I tell them.

“We’re going to check into the break-in and have a conversation with Ubin. I’ll let you know what we find out,” Falcon says and hangs up.

“What if we track how this guy got into Ubin’s office? Security camera footage of the building and surrounding buildings, maybe?” I suggest.

“This is a very primitive IT system. We’re talking about a place that no one has even heard about, but I’ll give it a shot,” Wire says.

For the rest of the day, we pore through it all again and again. My eyes burn from staring at the same pages, but a pattern begins to emerge. All three of Obi’s sons-in-law had a break-in. What that means, we don’t know yet.

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