Chapter 5: The Recording From October 14
Vanessa stood in the doorway.
Her expression was calm, but her fingers were gripping the strap of her handbag so tightly that her knuckles had turned white.
I slipped the blue notebook beneath the blanket.
“What notebook?”” I asked.
She glanced at Grandma.
“Don't insult me.””
Aunt Claire appeared behind her.
“Why are you shouting?””
Vanessa ignored her.
“Evelyn, where is your little blue book?””
Grandma turned her face toward the window.
“I don't know what you're talking about.””
Vanessa walked farther into the room.
“You know exactly what I'm talking about.””
I stepped forward.
“Why do you want it?””
“Because it's mine.””
I almost laughed.
“It's Grandma's.””
“It contains private financial information.””
“Then why are you so frightened of us reading it?””
Vanessa's eyes narrowed.
“Your father should never have involved you in these matters.””
“He involved me because he knew you were trying to steal from Grandma.””
Vanessa suddenly slammed her handbag onto the dresser.
“Your father was not the saint you think he was!””
The room went silent.
Grandma began trembling.
Vanessa continued.
“He lied. He manipulated people. He moved money without telling anyone. And now you're sitting here pretending he was some kind of hero.””
I stared at her.
“You're the one who has been taking money.””
“Prove it.””
“I will.””
Vanessa looked at the blanket.
Then she smiled.
“Give me the notebook.””
“No.””
Her smile disappeared.
“You don't understand what you're holding.””
“Then explain it.””
For a moment, I thought she might reach for me.
Instead, she turned toward Grandma.
“Evelyn, tell her what happened on October 14.””
Grandma closed her eyes.
“Please leave.””
“Tell her what Richard said.””
“Leave!””
Vanessa laughed.
“You really don't remember, do you?””
She stepped closer to the bed.
“Your precious son was going to expose everything. He called you that night because he wanted you to help him. But you refused.””
Grandma began crying.
“That's not true.””
“Isn't it?””
I moved between them.
“Get away from her.””
Vanessa stared at me.
“Your father was going to destroy this family.””
“No. You were.””
Her expression hardened.
Then she picked up her handbag and walked toward the door.
“Enjoy your little investigation, Maya. But remember something. You weren't there when your father died.””
She paused.
“I was.””
The door slammed.
I turned toward Grandma.
“Is that true?””
She covered her face.
“I'm sorry.””
“Grandma, what happened that night?””
She took several shaky breaths.
“Your father called me at ten seventeen.””
I pulled my chair closer.
“What did he say?””
“He said he had found the money. He said Vanessa had been using a second account.””
“Did he tell you where?””
Grandma nodded.
“An office. Somewhere downtown.””
“Did he say he was going there?””
“He said he was going to meet someone.””
“Who?””
Grandma squeezed her eyes shut.
“I can't remember.””
I looked at Aunt Claire.
She was standing very still.
“Claire?””
She looked away.
“What?””
“You know something.””
“No, Maya.””
“Then why do you look like that?””
Claire rubbed her hands together.
“Your father called me that evening too.””
I felt my stomach tighten.
“What did he say?””
“He asked me to keep you away from Vanessa.””
“Why?””
“He said he had discovered something about her past.””
“What?””
Claire shook her head.
“He didn't explain.””
I stood.
“Everyone keeps telling me fragments of the truth. I'm tired of it.””
Claire looked at me with tears in her eyes.
“I know.””
Grandma suddenly reached for my hand.
“The recording.””
I turned back.
“What recording?””
“Your grandfather installed cameras in the house years ago. One pointed toward the office entrance.””
“Where is it?””
“Your father saved the footage.””
“On what?””
Grandma pointed toward the wooden box.
I opened it again.
Beneath the notebook was a small black flash drive.
My hands began trembling.
“Is this it?””
Grandma nodded.
“He told me to keep it safe.””
I picked it up.
“Why didn't you give it to the police?””
Grandma stared at me.
“Because Vanessa told me your father would go to prison if anyone saw it.””
I felt sick.
“Grandma, Dad didn't do anything wrong.””
“I know that now.””
I put the flash drive into my bag.
Aunt Claire looked at me.
“Where are you going?””
“To see what's on it.””
Daniel Brooks arranged for me to meet him at his office that afternoon.
He had a secure computer and a technician who could make a copy of the recording without altering the original file.
When I arrived, he was already waiting.
“You found it?””
I placed the flash drive on his desk.
“Grandma says it contains security footage from the night Dad died.””
Daniel looked at it carefully.
“Did Vanessa know you had it?””
“Yes.””
He exhaled.
“Then we need to be very careful.””
The technician connected the drive.
A folder appeared.
October 14.
Three video files.
The first showed the front entrance.
The second showed the driveway.
The third was labeled OFFICE HALLWAY.
Daniel opened the first recording.
The timestamp read 9:42 p.m.
The hallway was empty.
At 9:51, the front door opened.
My father entered.
He looked exhausted.
He carried a brown leather folder.
A few seconds later, Vanessa appeared from the kitchen.
She was wearing a dark red dress.
She approached him.
The audio was poor, but we could hear fragments.
“...you promised.””
My father's voice.
“I told you I wouldn't do it.””
Vanessa stepped closer.
“You don't have a choice.””
Dad placed the folder on the desk.
“You've already taken enough.””
Vanessa leaned forward.
“You think Maya deserves everything?””
My stomach tightened.
Dad answered immediately.
“She deserves what her grandfather left her.””
Vanessa laughed.
Then she said something that made my blood run cold.
“Your daughter will never see a penny if you keep fighting me.””
Daniel paused the recording.
He looked at me.
“Are you okay?””
I shook my head.
“Play it.””
The footage continued.
Dad picked up his phone.
Vanessa grabbed his arm.
He pulled away.
Then she pointed toward the desk.
“You signed the first agreement. You can't pretend it never happened.””
Dad replied:
“I signed nothing giving you Evelyn's house.””
Vanessa leaned closer.
“Then perhaps I should remind everyone what you did with the money.””
The video ended abruptly.
I stared at the screen.
“That's it?””
The technician opened the second file.
It showed the driveway.
At 10:06 p.m., my father's car pulled away.
At 10:13, another vehicle entered the driveway.
A black SUV.
The driver remained inside.
At 10:19, the SUV left.
Daniel leaned forward.
“Can you zoom in on the license plate?””
The technician adjusted the image.
The plate became clearer.
Daniel wrote down the registration.
Then he opened the third file.
The office hallway.
At 10:22 p.m., Vanessa entered the room.
She was alone.
She walked directly to my father's desk.
Opened the top drawer.
Removed something.
Then she looked directly toward the camera.
And smiled.
I felt the blood drain from my face.
Daniel paused the footage.
“That's not normal.””
“What did she take?””
He rewound the video.
The object was small.
A rectangular device.
Possibly a phone or recording unit.
Then the technician opened the final file on the flash drive.
It was an audio recording.
The filename was simply:
*RICHARD_FINAL.wav*
Daniel clicked play.
My father's voice filled the room.
“If anything happens to me, Vanessa knows exactly why.””
A second voice answered.
A man's voice.
“Then you should have told Maya the truth years ago.””
I froze.
Daniel stopped breathing.
May you like
Because we both recognized the voice.
It belonged to Daniel himself.
