Chapter 6
Emma ran toward him in her worn purple slippers, her small arms wrapping fiercely around his waist as Daniel dropped to his knees on the linoleum.
He pulled her tightly against his chest, burying his face in her warm, tangled hair, tears finally spilling freely over his exhausted, weathered cheeks.
"I'm here, baby," Daniel whispered over and over, rocking her gently amidst the colorful paper snowflakes and tinsel hung from the low acoustic ceiling.
"A strange man in a gray coat came into the office asking for my teacher," Emma murmured, her tiny fingers clutching the wool of his sweater.
"The office lady told him he wasn't on the emergency pickup list, so he turned around and walked out quickly," the little girl explained softly.
Victoria walked in behind them, accompanied by two uniformed police officers who immediately took statements from the visibly shaken school administrator behind the desk.
The principal pointed toward the security monitor, rewinding the footage to show a tall man wearing a distinctive tailored overcoat and a dark wool cap.
Victoria stood before the screen, her gaze turning to pure ice as she instantly recognized the man who had worked beside her for years.
"Andrew Cole," she said aloud, her voice carrying an absolute finality that made the responding detectives take detailed notes in their small notebooks.
"He wasn't trying to harm her physically," Victoria deduced after a moment of intense reflection. "He was trying to secure leverage before the audit closed."
"He knew once the forensic auditors finished inspecting the Benton account, criminal fraud charges would follow him within hours," Victoria told the investigating detective.
Daniel stood up, keeping Emma nestled securely against his hip, her small head resting trustingly upon his shoulder as she eyed the uniformed officers curiously.
"Emma," Victoria said gently, stepping closer with a warm, disarming smile. "Do you remember me from your living room by the Christmas tree last night?"
Emma nodded solemnly. "You're the big boss who made a mistake about people."
Victoria turned toward Daniel, her expression shifting back to determined resolve. "Pack Emma's things. You both are coming back to headquarters under personal protection."
"Is that safe?" Daniel asked, his protective instincts on high alert as he shielded his daughter's face from the lingering onlookers in the hall.
"It is the safest place in the city today," Victoria insisted firmly. "Every server room and executive floor is currently crawling with independent state investigators."