Chapter 7 - Daniel Carter's Ledger
The next morning began with a search.
Emma did not care that she had been awake almost thirty hours.
Somewhere in the villa, Daniel Carter may have left evidence explaining why dangerous people were still circling his family fourteen years after his death.
Margaret remembered only one thing.
"Your father loved hiding things where nobody respected them."
Emma frowned.
"What does that mean?"
"He used to joke that people search safes but ignore garbage."
They searched the garage first.
Nothing.
Attic.
Nothing.
Basement storage.
Nothing.
Then Emma remembered the workshop.
Daniel's tools had remained largely untouched after his death.
The room smelled faintly of old wood and machine oil.
Brandon joined them reluctantly.
Margaret examined the shelves.
"He rebuilt that bench himself."
Emma knelt.
Under the workbench sat an ancient metal toolbox.
Mostly rusted wrenches.
Screws.
Receipts.
At the bottom was a false metal panel.
Emma pried it loose with a screwdriver.
Underneath lay a black notebook wrapped in plastic.
Nobody spoke.
Margaret covered her mouth.
"That's it."
Emma opened the notebook.
Daniel's handwriting filled the pages.
Dates.
Initials.
Amounts.
Vehicle registration numbers.
Company names.
Some entries were crossed out.
Others had a small triangular symbol beside them.
Brandon leaned closer.
"What is this?"
Emma turned pages carefully.
One name repeated more than any other.
VALE.
Then another.
CALDWELL.
Peter Caldwell.
The banker connected to Brandon's fraudulent refinancing.
Emma looked at him.
"You met Peter before this year?"
"No."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
Margaret took the ledger.
Her hands shook.
"I recognize this symbol."
She pointed to the triangle.
"From where?"
"Daniel had it tattooed on his shoulder."
Emma stared.
Her father had no tattoo.
At least none she remembered.
Margaret looked embarrassed.
"He had it removed before you were born."
"Why?"
"He said it belonged to a life he'd left."
A floorboard creaked behind them.
Emma turned.
The workshop door was open.
Nobody there.
She moved toward it.
Then a shadow crossed the garden window.
"Brandon."
He saw it too.
Someone ran past the side of the house.
Emma reached for her phone.
Brandon charged outside.
"Don't!"
Emma followed.
They rounded the garage.
A man in a gray jacket was climbing over the stone wall.
The same build as the intruder.
Brandon grabbed his ankle.
Both men crashed to the ground.
The stranger struck Brandon across the temple.
Emma screamed.
The man kicked free.
Then stopped.
For one second, he looked directly at Emma.
He was perhaps fifty-five.
Weathered face.
Scar beneath the right eye.
She had never seen him.
He looked at the ledger in her hand.
His expression changed.
"Daniel should've burned that."
Emma froze.
The man ran.
Brandon tried to rise.
Emma dropped beside him.
"Stay down."
He groaned.
"I'm fine."
"No, you're not."
Police arrived minutes later.
Ortiz examined the security footage.
This time, they had a clear face.
She ran it through the system.
An hour later, she called Emma into the kitchen.
"We found him."
"Who?"
"Martin Vale."
Emma's stomach tightened.
"Related to Elias?"
"Older brother."
"Criminal record?"
Ortiz nodded.
"Fraud. Extortion. Two dismissed assault cases."
"Where's Elias?"
"We're looking."
Ortiz studied Emma.
"What exactly did your father do?"
Emma placed the ledger on the table.
"I was hoping you could tell me."
Ortiz opened it.
Her expression changed within seconds.
"Where did you find this?"
"In my father's workshop."
She turned another page.
Then another.
"Emma."
"What?"
"This isn't a personal notebook."
"What is it?"
Ortiz looked up.
"It's an accounting ledger."
"For what?"
"Your father may have been keeping records for an organized fraud network."
Margaret sat down hard.
Emma whispered, "No."
Ortiz pointed to the payments.
"Shell companies. Property transfers. Loan numbers."
Then she reached the final pages.
Most were blank.
Except one.
May you like
A sentence had been written across the last sheet.
IF THEY COME BACK, FIND SARAH.
