Chapter 6 - Tracking Down the Notary
I sat in my car outside my parents’ house for nearly twenty minutes after leaving Daniel’s office. Then the rage became clarity. The next morning, I was back. “He planned it,” I told Daniel. “The retreat. He booked it. He made sure I had no phone.” Daniel wrote rapidly. “That shows preparation.” “He knew I couldn’t receive fraud alerts. He knew I couldn’t see the mail. He knew I couldn’t come home.” Daniel nodded. “That strengthens the fraud case.”
I pointed at the notary stamp. “Who notarized it?” “A mobile notary named Emily Foster.” “Have you spoken to her?” “My investigator tried. She refused to cooperate.” “Why?” “She looked terrified.”
I searched Emily’s name on my phone. Within minutes, I found a small freelance notary business. A single mother. One son. And, buried several pages down in her social media, a photograph from a school fundraiser. Her son attended Brighton Academy. Caroline sat on the school’s scholarship committee. I looked at Daniel. “She’s being pressured.” He nodded slowly. “Possible.” “If Caroline controls her son’s scholarship, she has leverage.” “Even if that’s true, we still need Emily to admit it.” “I’ll talk to her.” Daniel looked at me. “Rachel…” “I’m not threatening her.” I stood. “I’m giving her another option.”
