Chapter 5 - THE INTENDED CHILD
Spencer Vale arrived at the police station with three attorneys.
That told Ryan plenty.
His son Owen was safe.
Home with private security.
Ryan placed the photograph recovered from Mason’s abandoned phone on the table.
Owen.
Blue overalls.
Spencer’s face changed.
“They were targeting him.”
“Yes.”
Then Ryan showed him neighborhood surveillance.
Mason driving past the Vale home six times in one week.
Spencer looked less shocked than he should have.
Ryan leaned forward.
“What did you think the threats were?”
Spencer said:
“Extortion.”
“For what?”
“My money.”
“Which money?”
Silence.
Daniel watched from the observation room.
Emma stood beside him holding Leo.
Leo had fallen asleep against her shoulder.
Ryan continued.
The threats did not demand dollars.
They demanded access to a private digital wallet.
Spencer claimed it contained corporate reserve funds.
Then Daniel entered.
“That's not what you told me.”
Spencer glared.
Daniel continued:
“You said the wallet was empty.”
Emma turned.
“You knew this?”
Daniel did not look at her.
Spencer snapped:
“It was supposed to be confidential.”
Ryan said:
“A child was kidnapped.”
Wrong child.
Still.
Spencer finally admitted the wallet held approximately nine million dollars in cryptocurrency.
Where did it come from?
“Investment gains.”
Ryan stared.
“Try again.”
Spencer's fund, Vale Meridian Partners, collapsed two years earlier.
Dozens of small investors lost money.
One was Mason Burke’s older brother, Caleb.
Caleb died by suicide nine months later.
No evidence Spencer directly caused the death.
But Mason believed Vale had hidden investor money.
Then Ryan found the wallet address in prior civil filings.
It had received transfers from entities connected to Vale Meridian shortly before insolvency.
Now the kidnapping looked less random.
Mason wanted leverage.
He just grabbed the wrong toddler.
Then a patrol officer entered.
“We found Kidnapper Two.”
Kyle Ross had been caught hiding behind a zoo maintenance shed.
Mason Burke escaped.
Kyle was terrified.
He said:
“Mason’s not done.”
Ryan frowned.
“With what?”
Kyle looked at Spencer Vale through the glass.
“He doesn't want the kid anymore.”
May you like
Pause.
“He wants the wallet.”
