Page 42 of Hurricane Irene

Alton removed a map from the folder and unfolded it across the table.

“Fourteen of those homes were outside the surge zone,” he said. “Three were miles inland.”

“Then the adjusters coded them incorrectly,” Calder said.

Clint pointed to the first line he had written on the whiteboard.

“You began by saying inspections were unnecessary because the exclusions were clear. Now you are blaming adjusters for inspections you denied had any effect.”

Voss lifted one hand.

“Claims were Calder’s department. I handled finance.”

“Five minutes ago, you described why claimants changed their stories after a loss,” Jackson said. “You also identified the red marks before we did. Which part of claims did you not handle?”

“I reviewed numbers, not people,” Voss said. “A withdrawn appeal was worth twelve hundred dollars whether I knew the homeowner’s name or not.”

Alton’s expression did not change.

“We did not disclose the amount of the appeal bonus.”

Voss glanced at Calder as if hoping the number could be returned to him.

Jackson turned to Lenora.

“You said you were told the women resigned,” Jackson said. “Who told you?”

“Human resources,” Lenora said.

“Pelican has no human resources department,” Clint said. “Payroll records identify you as the approving officer for separations.”

“Then the office manager informed me,” Lenora said.

“The office manager resigned twelve days before you altered the files,” Clint said.

Lenora’s gaze dropped to the photograph of Mara’s field bag.

“We did not know anyone survived,” she said.

“Mr. Voss just identified Mara as the person most likely to escape because of her dispatch training,” Jackson said. “That information is not in the public report.”

“Her résumé was in the personnel file,” Voss said.

“The personnel file you said you never handled because you only reviewed numbers?” Alton asked.

Calder pushed away from the table.

“You are twisting ordinary business records into crimes,” he said.

“No,” Jackson said. “You are doing that yourselves. Mr. Calder denied relying on inspections, then blamed the inspectors. Mr. Voss denied handling claims, then quoted an undisclosed bonus amount. Ms. Vale blamed two departments that did not exist or could not have acted. Every answer repairs the previous answer by breaking something else.”

Calder stood first. Voss rose beside him, nearly striking the table with his knee. Lenora followed more slowly, her attention fixed on the binders as if she could still calculate which page would hurt them most.

“You said it yourself,” Calder said. “We are not under arrest. There is nothing to hold us here.”

Jackson did not rise. Alton rested both hands on the closed binders. Clint set the marker beside the whiteboard.

“The door is behind you,” Jackson said.