Chapter 7 - Vanessa's Bargain
Vanessa Reed lasted thirty-one hours in custody before asking to talk.
Not to the police.
To Emily.
Federal investigators refused at first.
Emily insisted.
Eventually, they allowed it under observation.
Vanessa sat behind thick glass in a county interview facility wearing a plain gray detention uniform.
Without makeup, she looked younger.
More frightened.
Emily sat opposite her.
Neither woman picked up the telephone immediately.
Vanessa did first.
Emily followed.
Vanessa whispered, "Daniel lied to me."
Emily almost laughed.
"Congratulations."
"I'm serious."
"So am I."
"He told me you knew."
"Knew what?"
"About us."
Emily stared.
Vanessa looked down.
"He said you were separated."
"Did he also tell you Lily was dying?"
Vanessa's face tightened.
"No."
"He stole her medicine for you."
"I never took it."
"You accepted it."
"I thought it was something else."
"What?"
Vanessa hesitated.
Emily leaned closer to the glass.
"If you lie to me, I walk out."
Vanessa swallowed.
"A treatment."
"For what?"
"I don't know."
Emily almost stood.
Vanessa quickly continued.
"I mean it. I wasn't sick."
"Then why would you take treatment?"
Vanessa's voice dropped.
"Daniel said it would prevent me from ever getting what Lily had."
Emily froze.
"How did he know you were at risk?"
"He said I had a genetic marker."
"What marker?"
"I don't know."
"How did he test you?"
Vanessa looked away.
Emily understood.
"You let him draw your blood."
"Months ago."
"Why?"
"He told me he was working on a private longevity study."
Emily stared at her.
Vanessa looked ashamed.
"He said rich people paid hundreds of thousands for early access."
"And you believed him?"
"He showed me documents."
"What documents?"
"Research reports."
"From where?"
"Vale Biomedical."
Emily's pulse changed.
"Samuel Vale?"
Vanessa shook her head.
"No."
"Then who?"
"Adrian Vale."
Emily remembered the forged doctor's name.
Adrian Cole.
"Who is Adrian Vale?"
Vanessa looked genuinely frightened.
"I've never met him."
"But Daniel did?"
"I think so."
"Why?"
"Daniel kept saying Adrian had chosen him."
"For what?"
Vanessa looked toward the mirrored wall.
"I want immunity."
Emily's anger flared.
"This isn't a television show. You don't bargain with me."
"I know something they don't."
"What?"
Vanessa's fingers tightened around the phone.
"Daniel wasn't selling stolen medicine."
"Then what was he doing?"
"He was trading it."
"For what?"
Vanessa hesitated.
Emily stood halfway.
"Wait."
Vanessa pressed close to the glass.
"For Lily."
Emily sat again.
"What?"
"He said Lily was valuable."
Emily's skin went cold.
"Explain."
"He said there was a program looking for children with certain immune responses."
Emily's voice dropped.
"What program?"
"I don't know the name."
"Then how do you know this?"
"I heard him talking to someone."
"When?"
"Two weeks ago."
"What did he say?"
Vanessa shut her eyes, remembering.
"He said, 'You get the dose when I get the confirmation that L-8 is accepted.'"
Emily stopped breathing.
Vanessa continued.
"Then whoever was on the phone said something."
"What?"
"Daniel laughed."
"Tell me."
"He said, 'Don't worry. Her mother still thinks I'm her father.'"
Emily's hand went numb around the receiver.
For several seconds, neither woman spoke.
Finally Vanessa whispered.
"I'm sorry."
Emily stood.
She did not remember walking out.
She did not remember the hallway.
She only remembered Detective Morales catching her arm when her knees buckled.
"Emily?"
Emily looked at her.
"Get me a DNA test."
Morales stared.
"What?"
"Lily."
May you like
Emily could barely make the words come out.
"Daniel said he isn't her father."
