Chapter 11 - INSIDE SOPHIE'S DOLLHOUSE
Sophie owned a blue wooden dollhouse.
Daniel had bought it at an estate sale four years earlier.
Claire had been furious.
She said it was ugly.
Sophie loved it.
They rushed back home.
Ruiz carried the dollhouse into the kitchen.
Emily examined the bottom.
"There's something under here."
A false wooden panel came loose.
Inside was a tiny waterproof pouch.
Daniel stared at Sophie.
"Did Noah put this here?"
Sophie nodded.
"He said never tell Claire."
Inside the pouch was a memory card.
Emily inserted it into the isolated computer.
The screen filled with spreadsheets.
Payments.
Shell companies.
Account numbers.
Names of lawyers.
Judges.
Private investigators.
Doctors.
And corporate executives.
Victor Crane's entire network.
Emily whispered.
"This can destroy him."
Daniel looked at the file dates.
Some were recent.
One payment had been made only six days earlier.
Recipient.
M. HALE CONSULTING.
Daniel stopped breathing.
Marcus Hale.
His business partner.
"No."
Sarah saw the name.
"Daniel."
"Marcus helped me find Claire's emails."
Emily looked suspicious.
"Or he wanted you to find only what he wanted you to find."
Daniel called Marcus.
No answer.
Again.
Nothing.
Then Marcus sent a message.
DON'T GO HOME.
Daniel looked around.
"I'm already home."
The lights went out.
Sophie screamed upstairs.
Daniel ran.
A window shattered.
Sarah shouted.
"Daniel!"
He reached Sophie's room.
Empty.
The curtains moved in the night air.
Then he heard Sophie inside the closet.
"Daddy!"
He opened it.
She was hiding behind clothes.
Safe.
Sarah arrived behind him.
Someone had entered the house.
Ruiz drew his weapon.
Police searched room by room.
In Daniel's office, they found a man unconscious on the floor.
Daniel recognized him.
Marcus.
Blood ran from his forehead.
Beside him lay a broken lamp.
When Marcus regained consciousness, he looked at Daniel.
"I tried to warn you."
Daniel grabbed his shirt.
"Why is your name in Victor's accounts?"
Marcus looked confused.
"What?"
Emily showed him.
Marcus stared at the payment.
"That's not my company."
"The name says Hale Consulting."
"My company is Hale Strategic."
Daniel slowly released him.
Marcus continued.
"Victor created a shell company using my name."
Ruiz checked quickly.
Marcus was right.
Someone had framed him.
Marcus struggled upright.
"I came because somebody accessed our servers."
"Who?"
"Claire's credentials."
"She's in jail."
"Then someone else has them."
Marcus pointed toward Daniel's computer.
"They were trying to delete the acquisition records."
Ruiz looked at the broken window.
"Who attacked you?"
Marcus swallowed.
"I didn't see his face."
"But I saw his hand."
Daniel already knew.
"The ring?"
Marcus nodded.
"Red stone."
Victor Crane had been inside Daniel's house less than ten minutes earlier.
And somehow he had escaped the police perimeter.
Then Sophie's small voice came from behind them.
"He didn't come for Daddy."
Daniel turned.
May you like
Sophie was holding her rabbit.
"He came for the thing Noah hid."
