“Don’t worry about the ledger details,” Ralph said, gesturing toward the door. “We are handling the official timeline from this office.”
“The public expects the registry to be accurate,” I said.
He picked up his telephone before I could finish the sentence.
The courthouse cafeteria was nearly empty when I met Don Davis at half past three. He sat at a corner table with a cup of hot tea, his wrist watch catching the glare of the overhead lights as he adjusted his sleeve. I explained the missing registration date and Ralph’s explanation about his Raleigh meeting.
Don took a slow sip of his tea and set the mug down on the plastic tray. “Ralph was not in Raleigh on October twelve, Clara.”
“He told me he was,” I said.
He pulled a folded piece of paper from his coat pocket and slid it across the table. “This is a leaked email from a national committee staffer. It mentions a secret draft of our county map dated October four.”
