Chapter 14 · The Frozen Road

"Three years ago," Voss said, like he already had a rope measured for it. "Give or take a month. Fever, if the records don't lie. Very sudden, for a man who ran a hold this size."

Ryan held up his thumb. Black ink stained it to the second knuckle.

"Contracts don't bleed ink after three years, Auditor."

The square went quiet enough to hear the wind tug at the banner over the gate.

Voss's smile stayed put, but his eyes hardened. "Let me see that."

"No." Ryan closed his fist around the paper. "You brought me a debt with wet ink and a dead man's name on it. You explain that."

"Perhaps the seal was refreshed. Storage conditions—"

"Matthias." Ryan kept his eyes on Voss. "Storage conditions?"

"There's no storage," Matthias said, his voice climbing. "Because there's no contract. I keep every ledger this hold has signed for forty years. That page isn't in any of them."

Voss's jaw worked once. He stared at the paper as if he could win it back by glaring hard enough.

"I'll have it examined by the crown registry," Voss said. "Properly. Under seal."

"Do that.