Chapter 13 - THE WRONG ALLY
Daniel refused to believe it until Harris showed him the bank log.
The first fraudulent trust transfer had been approved using Rebecca Sloan's attorney credentials.
Not stolen credentials.
Her credentials.
"She said the forms should never have cleared," Daniel whispered.
Harris nodded. "She knew exactly why they cleared."
Grant was already issuing an alert.
Rebecca's office was empty. Her home was empty. Her car's GPS service had been disabled.
"Why?"
Harris opened the old charity records.
Rebecca had been outside counsel to the charity eight years earlier.
She had negotiated Claire's quiet termination.
"She helped bury the original theft," Harris said. "If Lily was going to police, Rebecca had exposure too."
"So they both had reasons to want Lily silent."
"Reasons are not proof."
Daniel turned away.
Then Nora called.
"I saw the news alert about Ethan," she said. "I might have something."
After leaving the sheriff's office, Nora had driven home on County Road 14. Near Hollow Creek she passed a silver SUV pulled onto the shoulder.
"I didn't think about it until now," she said. "A woman was outside the car. Same yellow slicker from the video."
Daniel grabbed a map.
Deputies fanned out.
An hour later, a search volunteer found a paper plate behind a red-roof cabin.
HOLLOW CREEK. TRAIN TWICE. CABIN. RED ROOF.
Daniel stared at Ethan's blocky handwriting.
"He left us a trail."
Grant checked the cabin.
Empty.
But still warm.
On the table lay a photograph of Lily, Daniel, and five-year-old Ethan at the zoo.
Across Lily's face, someone had drawn a black X.
A second paper sat beside it.
Directions to an abandoned sawmill near the river.
Grant looked at Daniel.
"This could be another trap."
Daniel folded Ethan's paper plate carefully and put it in his jacket.
"Then we're walking into it with our eyes open."
From outside came a deputy's shout.
May you like
"Vehicle tracks! Fresh! Heading toward the river!"
* * *
