Chapter 6 - THE MAN BEFORE THE CRASH
At St. Matthew's Children's Hospital, Ethan refused to leave Emmie's bedside.
Doctors ran tests.
Blood work.
Toxicology.
Fluids.
Continuous monitoring.
An hour passed before Dr. Hannah Price entered.
“Mr. Cole?”
Ethan stood immediately.
“How bad?”
“She is stable.”
His knees almost gave out.
“But?”
Dr. Price glanced toward Emmie.
“But we found more than one substance in her system.”
Ethan stared.
“What kind?”
“One appears consistent with a sedative. Another may have affected her blood pressure.”
“Would that explain why she could barely stay awake?”
“Yes.”
“Could it have killed her?”
The doctor paused.
“At a higher dose or without treatment, it could have become very serious.”
Ethan looked away.
His hands started shaking.
He saw the porch again.
The chain.
The tubing.
The white card.
“Someone did this to my daughter.”
“I've already documented everything for law enforcement.”
Detective Marcus Hale arrived twenty minutes later.
Forty-two.
Gray suit.
Tired eyes.
Calm voice.
“I spoke with the officers at the house.”
Ethan didn't shake his hand.
“Did they catch the van?”
“Not yet.”
“What about Vivian?”
“In custody.”
“Then make her talk.”
Hale pulled up a chair.
“She started talking the moment we mentioned Daniel Voss.”
Ethan's face changed.
“So that's him?”
“You know him?”
“He came to my house fifteen months ago.”
“Why?”
“He claimed he worked for the insurance company after my wife had some strange credit card charges.”
Hale leaned forward.
“Before her accident?”
“One week.”
“And then your wife died.”
Ethan nodded.
Laura had been driving home from work when her brakes supposedly failed on a steep county road.
The investigation called it mechanical failure.
Ethan had believed it.
Or forced himself to.
Hale opened a folder.
“Daniel Voss does not work for an insurance company.”
“What does he do?”
“We're still determining that.”
“That means you know something.”
Hale studied him.
“We believe he has used at least four different names.”
“For what?”
“Fraud. Unlicensed medical services. Identity theft.”
“And children?”
Hale didn't answer immediately.
Ethan's voice dropped.
“What about children?”
“Vivian claims Voss runs something he calls a behavioral program.”
“What does that mean?”
“Parents pay for private intervention.”
“Drugging kids?”
“Vivian claims she thought the medications were legitimate.”
“She's lying.”
“Probably.”
Emmie stirred.
Both men turned.
She opened her eyes.
Detective Hale stood.
“Hey, Emmie.”
Her gaze locked on the folder in his hand.
A photograph was partially visible.
Daniel Voss.
Emmie instantly recoiled.
“No.”
Ethan stood beside her.
“What?”
“No, no, no.”
“Emmie, you're safe.”
She pointed at the photo.
“He wasn't at the clinic yesterday.”
Hale froze.
“What do you mean?”
Emmie started crying.
“He was at school.”
Ethan felt the room tilt.
“When?”
“This morning.”
“Why?”
“He talked to Mrs. Bell.”
Her teacher.
Ethan slowly looked at Hale.
“What did he say?”
Emmie wiped her face.
May you like
“He said you were going away.”
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