Chapter 10 - THE BOX IN CHICAGO
The bank required lawyers, identification, and patience.
Walter had little of the third.
The box belonged to Paul Mercer.
Inside were no diamonds.
No cash.
Only documents.
Photographs.
A cheap pocket watch.
And twenty-seven audio cassettes.
Thomas Bennett had recorded his second life.
Tape one began:
"My name is Thomas Edward Bennett. If Walter Hayes is hearing this, somebody finally stopped lying to him."
Walter turned it off.
He walked out of the room.
Daniel found him beside a vending machine.
"You okay?"
"No."
"Want me to stop asking that?"
"Yes."
Daniel bought him coffee anyway.
When Walter returned, they listened.
Thomas did not blame Walter for leaving him.
The cassette Michael owned had been staged by Voss.
Thomas had been forced to record several sentences.
They were edited together.
Michael's hatred of Walter had been manufactured.
Walter closed his eyes.
That should have felt like relief.
Instead it made him furious.
Thomas's tapes also contained evidence of illegal surveillance and payments.
Names appeared.
Some dead.
Some retired.
One very much alive.
Major General Raymond Cole.
Daniel recognized the name immediately.
Cole was scheduled to speak at Chicago's Veterans Day gala that evening.
Walter knew him too.
Raymond had been a young lieutenant attached to Night Glass.
Walter remembered him as nervous, decent, and twenty-three.
Thomas's tape said:
"Raymond knows why Voss was allowed to become me."
Walter whispered:
"No."
Daniel looked at him.
"You trust him?"
Walter answered:
"I used to."
Then tape seventeen began playing by itself.
A newer voice had been recorded over Thomas.
A man's voice said:
"Walter, if you opened this box, do not go to Raymond Cole."
Walter recognized the voice.
May you like
It was his own.
