Chapter 12 - BENEATH ANNA’S NAME
A court authorized the cemetery search that evening.
I stood beside Anna’s grave while investigators removed the stone marker.
I hated every second.
It felt as though Evelyn and Sloan had violated Anna again.
Behind the granite base, officers found a narrow metal container.
Thomas Hart had placed it there after realizing Sloan planned to kill Anna.
He did not save his daughter.
He hid evidence in case Sloan later turned against him.
Inside the container was the original blue folder.
The papers documented the stolen trust payments.
Photographs showed Sloan meeting with Evelyn and Judge Keene.
A signed statement described the first attack on Anna’s brakes.
The folder also contained a letter from Thomas.
Anna,
I failed you.
I believed control was the same as protection.
Sloan has become dangerous.
Your mother refuses to see it.
I have preserved what you need to expose him.
If I cannot give this to you myself, trust no one from my department.
The final page contained half of the offshore account access code.
The other half was not written anywhere.
Detective Collins believed Anna had memorized it.
Michael said Anna repeated a strange phrase during their argument at the gas station.
“Eight candles beneath the cedar tree.”
He assumed it referred to Lily’s upcoming birthday.
Lily had turned six that year.
The phrase did not fit.
Then I remembered Anna’s childhood home.
A cedar tree stood in the backyard.
Evelyn hosted a candlelight memorial there after Thomas died.
Eight decorative lanterns were buried around the tree’s base.
Police searched the property.
Beneath the eighth lantern, they found a waterproof capsule.
Inside was the remaining code.
Sloan had access to the account but not the complete password.
Anna had separated the evidence to prevent anyone from stealing everything.
Detective Collins created a plan.
The offshore bank would be instructed to flag any login attempt.
A false notification would be sent suggesting the account required an in-person biometric confirmation.
The appointment location would be a private financial office controlled by federal agents.
Michael agreed to contact Sloan.
He would offer the blue folder and the missing code in exchange for safe passage out of the country.
I opposed using him.
Michael had already betrayed us once.
Collins believed Sloan would not trust anyone else.
Michael made the call.
Sloan answered immediately.
“You should have died in that clinic,” he said.
“You should have used more insulin,” Michael replied.
Sloan laughed.
“You finally found courage.”
“I found the folder.”
A long silence followed.
“Prove it.”
Michael read three numbers from the code.
Sloan’s breathing changed.
“Tomorrow night,” he said.
“Bring Daniel.”
“Why?”
“Because the bank requires the trustee’s face.”
“He will never cooperate.”
“Then bring Lily.”
The line went dead.
May you like
Sloan no longer wanted only the money.
He wanted the child whose identity could unlock it.
