Chapter 27: Identity Fraud

The phrase identity fraud was almost funny. Leah stood soaked beneath the warehouse sprinklers, holding proof that her identity had been stolen before she could speak, while police considered arresting her for returning to it. Ethan stepped forward. "My attorney is en route." The lead officer kept his hand near his holster. "Mr. Hunt, step back." Sebastian wiped blood from his mouth. "She has been stalking my fiancee and exploiting the Thorne tragedy. Olivia warned you." "Olivia also lied about a garage," Leah said. Sebastian's eyes flashed. The officer looked at her. "What garage?" Ethan's gaze warned her: not here. Leah was tired of not here. "The west garage at Thorne House. The night Isabella Thorne supposedly died. There were two security men, a sedative, and a black town car. Pull the camera logs." Sebastian laughed. "Delusion." "Then you will not mind if they pull them." "The cameras failed that night." Leah smiled. "How do you know?" Silence. It lasted one second. Long enough. The officer's expression shifted. Ethan used the opening. "Officer, my counsel will provide financial evidence tying Mr. Costa to Halcyon Medical and payments related to the Voss birth correction file. The woman you are preparing to arrest is a cooperating witness." "Cooperating with whom?" A new voice answered from the warehouse door. "With me." Richard Thorne entered in a raincoat, face ashen, Catherine beside him. Behind them came a woman in a navy suit Leah recognized from television: Assistant District Attorney Renee Alvarez. Sebastian's confidence cracked. Catherine looked at Leah first. Only Leah. Richard looked at the ledger in her hands and seemed to age ten years. ADA Alvarez held up a warrant. "We are taking custody of that ledger." "On what basis?" Sebastian demanded. "On the basis that Mrs. Catherine Thorne requested protection as a material witness in a potential homicide and infant trafficking investigation." The warehouse went still. Catherine stepped forward. Her voice shook, but did not break. "I signed the birth correction. I helped steal Elena Voss's baby." Leah could not move. Richard closed his eyes. Sebastian backed toward the shadows. Ethan saw him first. "Costa." But Sebastian had one more card. He pulled a phone from his pocket and pressed call. On speaker, Olivia's voice answered, panicked. "Did you get her?" The officers heard. Sebastian smiled through blood. "No," he said to Olivia. "But everyone heard you ask."