Chapter 7 - EMILY CRANE
Finding Emily Crane was difficult.
Official records showed she had moved to Oregon four years earlier.
But Sarah remembered something from the custody case.
Emily had once worked as a paralegal in her father's firm.
Daniel searched old professional directories.
Eventually, he found a disconnected number.
Marcus found an email.
No answer.
Then Sophie remembered the cookies.
"They came in a yellow box."
Sarah searched local bakeries until Sophie recognized the logo.
A small bakery forty minutes outside the city.
Daniel drove there with Detective Ruiz.
The owner remembered Emily.
"She comes every Thursday."
Thursday was tomorrow.
Daniel waited.
At 10:17 the next morning, a woman with brown hair and glasses entered.
She saw Daniel.
Then she saw Detective Ruiz.
She turned around immediately.
"Emily."
Daniel called her name.
She stopped.
"I don't know you."
"You know my daughter."
Emily slowly turned.
Fear replaced denial.
"Is Sophie safe?"
"Yes."
Emily closed her eyes with relief.
"Then leave me alone."
"We can't."
Detective Ruiz approached carefully.
"Claire Vance has been arrested."
Emily's eyes opened.
"What for?"
"Child abuse and evidence tampering are among the issues being investigated."
Emily laughed once.
It was bitter.
"That's nothing compared to what she's done."
Daniel stared at her.
"Then help us."
Emily looked around the bakery.
"My father will know."
"Know what?"
"That I talked."
Daniel lowered his voice.
"Your father is already involved."
Emily looked directly at him.
"You still don't understand."
"Victor doesn't work for Claire."
"Claire works for Victor."
Daniel felt a chill.
Emily agreed to speak inside Ruiz's car.
For the next forty minutes, she described a network of manipulated custody cases, forged documents, private recordings, and financial blackmail.
Victor Crane found wealthy families in conflict.
Then he created leverage.
Sometimes through affairs.
Sometimes through drugs.
Sometimes through children.
Claire had become useful because she was willing to lie.
Daniel struggled to process it.
"Why me?"
Emily looked at him.
"Because of Vance Biomedical."
"Victor owns shares through shell companies."
"If the acquisition closes at the manipulated price, he makes almost twelve million dollars."
Daniel stared through the windshield.
Claire's three million had only been a commission.
Victor was the real beneficiary.
Emily reached into her bag.
"I've been collecting evidence."
She handed Ruiz a flash drive.
"My father thinks I destroyed this."
"What is it?"
"Records."
"Payments."
"Videos."
"Names."
Then Emily looked at Daniel.
"And one recording involving Sarah."
Sarah was waiting at Daniel's house when they returned.
Emily saw her.
Sarah froze.
"You."
Emily nodded.
"I'm sorry."
Daniel looked between them.
"You've met?"
Sarah's voice became icy.
"She was in the courtroom the day I lost Sophie."
Emily's eyes filled with shame.
"I know."
"Did you know the evidence was fake?"
Emily looked down.
"Yes."
Sarah slapped her.
Nobody moved.
Emily accepted it.
May you like
Then she said something that silenced the room.
"I also know who ordered your car accident."
