Chapter 15 - SARAH VALE COMES HOME
Sarah Vale crossed the Canadian border under federal escort.
At fifty-six, she wore her hair gray and carried two hard drives in a weatherproof case. She had spent sixteen years moving between church communities because her father, Agent Colin Voss, warned that Wade’s network could reach any official system.
Sarah testified that Voss arranged Michael’s false transfer. He claimed he wanted to protect Michael while building a federal case. In reality, he used Michael’s survival to control Wade and Thomas.
Voss recorded every payment.
The hard drives contained meetings between him and Wade, freight manifests, and a confession recorded months before Voss died.
In the confession, Voss admitted substituting Leonard Pike’s body and falsifying dental evidence. He said Wade ordered the warehouse fire to destroy ledgers, but insisted neither man expected Leonard or Michael to be inside.
The statement could not be cross-examined. Prosecutors needed corroboration.
Sarah supplied it: original accelerant purchase records, Voss’s calendar, and a photograph of Wade meeting the arsonist two days before the fire.
The alleged arsonist, Dean’s uncle Frank Morris, had died in prison on another charge.
Dean confessed Wade recruited him because of that family connection. He stole Rex’s phone to protect a monthly payment Wade sent Frank’s widow.
The conspiracy had survived by turning family obligations into chains.
Sarah then addressed Arthur.
“Your wife asked me to bring Michael home. I refused because I believed you would confront Wade and expose him.”
“You were right,” Arthur said.
“That doesn’t mean I was right to keep a father from his son for sixteen years.”
No one in the case remained clean simply because fear had been reasonable.
Wade was arrested for financial crimes and obstruction. Prosecutors delayed charging him in the fire while reviewing admissible evidence.
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From custody, he exercised his remaining board rights and appointed his daughter, Claire Mercer, as interim chair.
Claire’s first act was to sue Arthur for defamation.
