Rell brought the second key to Neri’s cooperative wrapped in a handkerchief.
“It was in Deren’s tool case,” he said. “He told my office it opened a supply cupboard. It doesn’t.”
Neri laid the key beside the sketch of the listening gallery lock. It was shorter than the main key, with a square head and three uneven teeth. Iven had come to return her copy of the ridge measurements and stayed when Rell arrived.
“Where does it fit?” Neri asked.
“I don’t know. Deren says he found it in the gallery. My department wants it returned to the Authority store.”
“Why bring it here first?”
“Because the inventory should have included it. It didn’t.” Rell’s gaze moved to Iven. “Deren now says he was told to retrieve a particular plate. He says the instruction came from a man named Voss, who works in the materials office.”
“Did Voss sign the order?”
