Chapter 10 - What Daniel Had Prevented
Warren Caldwell agreed to speak only after his attorney arrived.
Emma was not legally permitted in the interview room.
She watched through glass.
Detective Brooks placed photographs from the hidden wall on the table.
Warren barely reacted.
Then Brooks placed Lily's red bracelet beside them.
His eyes dropped.
That was enough.
"What happened August 22, 2017?"
Warren looked at his attorney.
The attorney said, "My client has no knowledge of these materials."
Brooks leaned back.
"Interesting, because the hidden compartment was built by Caldwell Development."
"No proof my client personally knew about it."
"We have original work orders with his signature."
Warren stared at Brooks.
Still silent.
Brooks changed direction.
"Where is Daniel?"
Warren smiled faintly.
That smile made Emma's skin crawl.
Brooks continued.
"Your son is alive."
"I heard."
"You don't sound surprised."
"Emma always attracts drama."
Brooks placed a photograph from Facility Seven on the table.
Daniel being escorted by agents.
Warren looked.
His face changed for one second.
Pain.
Real pain.
Then gone.
"You knew he was alive," Brooks said.
Warren said nothing.
"Did you help keep him hidden?"
Warren's attorney leaned forward.
"My client will not answer speculative allegations."
Brooks pushed back her chair.
"Then let's discuss Thomas Vale."
Warren's breathing changed.
"We found twenty-seven years of financial records in your basement."
Warren looked toward his attorney.
That was new.
Brooks saw it.
"So Rachel didn't tell you."
Silence.
"Your daughter tried to destroy documents before officers stopped her."
Warren finally spoke.
"Rachel is an idiot."
Emma felt something twist.
It was such a casual cruelty.
Brooks asked, "Why was Thomas imprisoned?"
"He wasn't."
"He had restraints on both wrists."
"Not my problem."
"He says you kept him there."
"He's mentally unstable."
"He says Daniel was held in Facility Seven."
Warren's face became unreadable.
Brooks leaned forward.
"He says you're afraid of Colonel Voss."
Warren stopped breathing.
For perhaps two seconds.
Then he smiled.
"Colonel who?"
Brooks knew she had him.
"You tell me."
Warren's attorney ended the interview.
But as Warren stood, he turned toward the observation glass.
He could not see Emma clearly.
He must have guessed she was there.
He looked directly at the glass.
Then mouthed something.
Emma replayed it in her mind.
Three words.
You came early.
Her blood went cold.
August 22.
Her deployment had ended two days ahead of schedule.
She had arrived unexpectedly.
Daniel had been shocked.
The hotel.
The fake plumbing issue.
Emma understood.
Daniel had gotten them out of the house.
Why?
Dawson answered that question six hours later.
He had accessed an archived Red Cedar report.
"August twenty-second was supposed to be a controlled extraction."
Emma stared at him.
"Of whom?"
"You and Lily."
"By who?"
"Red Cedar."
Emma stood.
"Why?"
"Daniel had agreed to cooperate against Warren."
Emma closed her eyes.
"He became an informant."
"Yes."
"Voss recruited him?"
"Yes."
Dawson nodded.
"Daniel had evidence connecting Warren to a larger procurement fraud network. But Warren suspected him."
"So Voss planned to move us."
"Protective extraction. New identities."
Emma laughed bitterly.
"Without telling me?"
"They didn't trust you."
That hurt more than she expected.
"Why?"
Dawson hesitated.
"Because you had worked under Voss."
"That makes no sense."
"They thought you might recognize operational patterns."
"So?"
"Daniel told them you would never disappear willingly."
Emma looked away.
He had known her.
Even at his worst, he had known that.
Dawson continued.
"When you returned early, Daniel panicked. He moved you to the hotel and canceled the extraction."
"So what happened after?"
"Warren discovered Daniel was cooperating."
"And Daniel vanished."
"Yes."
Emma stared.
"But Red Cedar had resources. Why didn't Voss protect him?"
Dawson's answer came quietly.
"Because Voss was the leak."
Emma turned.
"What?"
"Daniel discovered Voss had been playing both sides."
The room went silent.
"Voss wasn't exposing the network," Dawson said. "He was taking control of it."
Emma's mind raced.
"Daniel knew?"
"Eventually."
"And that's why he became a prisoner."
"Not exactly."
Emma stared.
Dawson looked uncomfortable.
"What aren't you telling me?"
He sat down.
"Daniel wasn't imprisoned the entire nine years."
Emma's face hardened.
"Explain."
"There were periods when he worked for Voss voluntarily."
"Why?"
"We don't know."
"No."
Emma stepped toward him.
"You know something."
Dawson looked at the floor.
May you like
Then finally said:
"Daniel may have helped Red Cedar become what it is now."
