Chapter 14 - The Digital Ghost
"I have a contact in the cybersecurity firm that handles the government's secure databases," Arthur said the next morning, his eyes bloodshot from a sleepless night. "If we can trace the paper, we might find the source. But this kind of stationery... it isn't sold in stores. It’s custom-pressed."
I paced the kitchen, watching Ethan eat his breakfast. He was humming a song he had learned at preschool, completely untouched by the darkness that had returned to our doorstep.
"I’ll go to the city," I decided, stopping my pacing. "There’s an old printing house in the industrial district that used to handle my mother's correspondence. If they’re still open, they’ll have the records."
"You’re not going alone," Arthur insisted.
"I have to," I replied. "If I take security, whoever is watching us will know. I need to be a ghost to find a ghost."
I kissed Ethan’s forehead, the scent of his shampoo grounding me. "Mommy has to run an errand, sweetheart. Be a good boy for Arthur."
"Bring me back a dinosaur toy?" Ethan asked, his eyes bright.
"I'll bring you the biggest dinosaur in the store," I promised.
The drive into the city was filled with paranoia. Every passing car seemed to be following me; every stoplight felt like a trap. When I reached the industrial district, the area was a graveyard of abandoned warehouses and rusted machinery. The printing house stood at the end of a cobblestone alley, its sign hanging by a single, rusted chain.
I pushed the door open. The air inside was thick with the smell of ink and old paper. A man sat at a desk in the back, his face illuminated by a flickering desk lamp.
May you like
"We're closed," he said without looking up.
"I’m not looking for an order," I said, walking toward him. "I’m looking for an answer."
