Chapter 10 - Emma Comes Home
Police found Emma before Ethan did.
She was staying in furnished apartment fifteen minutes away.
Under her own middle name.
No dramatic chase.
She surrendered voluntarily.
Ethan’s first reaction was relief so intense he had to sit.
Second was fury.
“You were fifteen minutes from Lily?”
Emma cried.
“I know.”
“You watched her?”
“No.”
“Camera in my house?”
“Not mine.”
“You came to window.”
“Yes.”
“You told three-year-old to find something instead of knocking?”
“I was afraid Claire was inside.”
“Claire was inside. With Lily.”
“I didn't know she would hurt her.”
Ethan’s voice broke.
“You've been gone eleven months.”
Emma didn't defend disappearance as noble.
“I made terrible choices.”
Why leave?
After retrieving Thomas’s C19-B letter, Emma believed Northstar had monitored Bennett family for years.
She found evidence her own phone/accounts were being accessed through compromised corporate services? Keep broad.
She reported concern to retired detective Reeves.
Reeves advised document everything and contact federal/corporate counsel if evidence supported.
He was not corrupt.
Payments Claire saw were legitimate Northstar consulting invoices from before he handled Emma missing-person case. Conflict should have been disclosed, and his failure contributed suspicion, but no evidence he helped disappearance.
Emma then received threats referencing Lily.
She panicked.
Instead of trusting Ethan, she left to investigate alone.
Why not Ethan?
Because C19-B missing page seemed to implicate someone using Ethan’s credentials.
She feared husband either involved or compromised.
Later learned credentials were copied.
By then she was ashamed and frightened to return.
That was not adequate reason to stay away eleven months.
Emma admitted.
“I kept telling myself one more piece of proof and I'd come home.”
Ethan answered:
“You made Lily pay for your fear.”
Emma wept.
“Yes.”
No instant reunion.
No forgiveness.
Custody implications would be handled legally.
But she could explain crown.
Six days earlier, Emma anonymously sent Claire instructions to create duplicate of her own crown.
Why such absurd method?
Because she needed Claire to retrieve tiny C19 red inventory marker from hidden Northstar cache and carry it to meeting without person surveilling Claire realizing what she possessed.
Why not use envelope?
Emma believed watcher searched Claire’s bag and car.
A dental crown container seemed innocuous.
Still convoluted and dangerous.
Maya told her so.
Emma agreed.
She had become consumed by secrecy.
She contacted Claire because Claire had historical connection to Crown 19 and Helen.
Claire followed instructions.
But Emma never told Claire sender identity.
The red C19 marker wasn't valuable itself.
It contained microscopic inventory number linking C19-B storage box to archived cabinet.
Again, not electronic secret device.
Just identifier.
Emma wanted marker because it proved C19-B had existed.
Then she approached Bennett home morning of assault.
Why?
She planned retrieve marker from Claire’s hiding place while Claire was upstairs.
But Lily saw her through window.
Emma panicked.
She whispered:
“Find red.”
A terrible choice.
Lily went looking.
She found duplicate crown and marker.
Claire saw.
Thought Lily had taken missing evidence.
Then attacked her.
Emma heard scream from outside.
Why not enter?
She ran toward side door, found locked, then heard Ethan.
She fled.
Ethan stared at her.
“You heard Lily screaming and left?”
“I heard you reach her.”
“You left.”
“Yes.”
Again, no excuse.
Then Maya asked:
“Who installed flag camera?”
Emma answered:
“The person I've been trying to identify.”
“Who?”
“I don't know.”
“But you have suspect?”
Emma nodded.
May you like
“Rebecca Sloan.”
Current Bennett Biomedical board chair.
