Represented by: Christopher Sean (2016-2022)
VITAL STATISTICS
Appearances: 2016-2022
Parents: Unknown
Siblings: Unknown
Children: Chiyo Tanaka (deceased)
Relationships: Previously engaged to Tori Gray
Occupation: Former I.T. specialist at KBAY radio station
SUMMARY
After Paula Fisher shot Philip Ragan dead on the hospital balcony, her daughter Molly took the blame for the crime, claiming she had killed Philip — recently revealed as the Footprint Killer — in self-defense. Molly and Sarah were alarmed to learn that the nearby bank building had security cameras which could invalidate their story, but when the police checked the footage, a nearly hour-long period surrounding the shooting was missing, as though the camera had gone out. Shortly thereafter, Sarah received a video from an anonymous source; it was the video of Paula shooting Philip. As Molly was charged with Philip’s death, the mysterious source threatened to release the video if Sarah didn’t pay $100,000. Sarah and Molly made the drop as planned, but Sarah got the upper hand on the blackmailer, who turned out to be Zennosuke Tanaka, a former I.T. worker from the bank building.
At the same festival where the drop was made, Zane had a flirty run-in with Sarah’s daughter, Tori. After Sarah outsmarted him, Zane made a play for Tori, who happily accepted his advances. Sarah was furious that Zane was using Tori to twist her arm and eventually handed him the $100,000 so he’d leave her. Zane left town for a time but returned, disregarding their deal. Sarah exposed his blackmail scheme to Tori, who felt like a fool and dumped Zane. She also lashed out at her mother for having lied to her. But when Tori found out she was pregnant, Zane — who claimed to have genuinely fallen for her — saw his in. He went so far as to return (most of) the money Sarah had paid him and tried to convince Tori to raise their child with him. However, Tori’s father, Matt, intercepted a text message Zane sent to Tori, which caused Tori to think Zane didn’t want the child. She signed adoption papers. Shortly thereafter, she discovered what Matt had done and, spiraling with rage, got into a car accident. She survived, but the baby did not. Tori blamed her father for everything and reunited with Zane. They moved in together and held a private memorial for their daughter, whom they named Chiyo after Zane’s grandmother.
Claiming that he wanted to support Tori so she could pursue a career of her choice, Zane pressured Diane Bishop into helping him get a job at KBAY. Zane increasingly tried to cut Tori off from her family and friends, and he became insanely jealous of her friendship with Landon Esco. He even placed a secret tracker on her car to monitor her movements. When Zane proposed marriage, Tori — feeling more isolated than ever — agreed to marry him. But as they prepared to elope, Tori discovered the tracker on her car and realized much Zane was trying to control her. He knocked her out and kidnapped her, and Tori faked amnesia as she tried to plot a safe escape. It all climaxed in a car chase from which Tori managed to escape before Zane crashed into oncoming traffic. After Tori read a moving victim impact statement in court, Zane was sentenced to 20 years for his crimes.