Chapter 13 - The Deal Amber Hid
Amber had contacted federal investigators three months earlier.
My goal was to understand why she destroyed her own deal.
The agreement required her not to participate in any act endangering a minor.
The park incident automatically ended her immunity.
Amber knew that.
Nathan had discovered she was cooperating.
He sent her a live photograph of Lily leaving school.
Then another of Caleb playing soccer.
He told Amber:
Choose one child.
If she refused the park plan, Lily would disappear.
If she complied, Caleb would be sedated and recover.
Amber chose to gamble with Caleb to protect Lily.
I stared at her through the interview-room glass.
“You chose my child.”
“Yes.”
No excuse.
“You could have called me.”
“He said he was watching you.”
“You still chose him.”
“Yes.”
Then she revealed the things she changed.
Nathan ordered a stronger clonidine dose.
Amber reduced it.
She intentionally dropped her smartphone.
She intentionally brought the fake clonazepam bottle because she knew investigators would trace Nathan’s prescription fraud.
She told Lily to stay beside Caleb no matter what.
Amber had tried to plant evidence inside the crime.
But Caleb still nearly died.
Her sabotage did not erase her choice.
Federal agents used Amber’s cooperation to locate Nathan at a private airport.
He was arrested with offshore documents, the original revoked will, and biological samples from Lily and Caleb.
He remained calm.
At arraignment, he claimed the fertility procedures were authorized.
Then his lawyer produced a consent form bearing my genuine signature.
It said:
I authorize the use of preserved donor material from the Vale family line.
I had never agreed to that.
A forensic examiner said the signature was real.
The paper was real.
I had signed it.
But the text above my signature had been changed.
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The original document was found in my mother’s attic.
My own mother had delivered it to Nathan.
