Chapter 7: The Voice From the Past
The cassette tape felt heavier than it should have.
It was a small piece of plastic.
A few inches long.
Something that could fit in the palm of his hand.
But Cole felt like he was holding twelve years of lies.
Maybe more.
The rain continued outside the diner.
Nobody spoke.
Richard stood near the door, watching him.
His mother looked terrified.
Lena looked heartbroken.
And Cole?
Cole felt nothing.
Not because he wasn’t hurt.
Because he was hurt too much.
“Where’s a player?””
His voice sounded strange.
Everyone looked at him.
“A player,” he repeated.
“For the tape.””
Martha slowly walked behind the counter.
“I have an old one in the storage room.””
She disappeared for a moment.
Cole stared at the cassette.
His father’s handwriting was on the label.
Just one word.
Cole.
His fingers trembled.
He hated that.
He hated that after everything, a part of him still wanted to believe Daniel Maddox had been the one person who never lied.
The storage door opened.
Martha returned carrying a dusty cassette player.
“I kept it for old music.””
She placed it on the counter.
Cole inserted the tape.
Everyone gathered around.
Richard remained near the door.
“You don’t have to listen,” his mother whispered.
Cole looked at her.
“Don’t.””
The word was quiet.
But it stopped her.
“I need to know.””
She nodded.
The cassette clicked.
Then static.
For several seconds, there was only noise.
Then—
A voice.
A voice Cole knew.
A voice that belonged to late nights fixing trucks.
A voice that told terrible jokes.
A voice that said “I’m proud of you” even when Cole pretended not to care.
His father.
“Cole…”
Everyone froze.
The recording continued.
“If you’re hearing this, then something happened.””
Cole closed his eyes.
Daniel’s voice sounded older.
Tired.
Like a man who knew he was running out of time.
“I don’t know who will give this to you. I don’t know what they’ll tell you. But before you believe anyone, I need you to remember one thing.””
Static.
A pause.
“You were never a mistake.””
Cole’s throat tightened.
His father continued.
“I know one day you’ll ask questions. About your mother. About me. About why things happened the way they did.””
A shaky breath came through the recording.
“I wanted to tell you everything.””
Cole looked at his mother.
She was crying silently.
“But I couldn’t.””
The tape crackled.
“Because the truth is dangerous when the wrong people know you have it.””
Richard looked away.
Cole noticed.
“You’ll hear different stories about that night.””
Daniel’s voice became lower.
“Some will say you were scared. Some will say you were confused. Some will say you were responsible.””
A pause.
“But my son, you were a child.””
Cole felt his chest tighten.
“My son.””
The words hurt.
Because he suddenly realized how much he missed him.
How much he needed to hear those words.
Daniel continued.
“You did not cause what happened.””
Cole looked up.
Everyone was silent.
“What?”” he whispered.
The recording continued.
“You were protecting someone.””
Richard’s face changed.
Just slightly.
But Cole saw it.
“You were protecting your mother.””
Cole looked at her.
His mother covered her mouth.
Daniel’s voice continued.
“Your mother has been carrying guilt for years. She believes everything that happened was her fault.””
A pause.
“But guilt can make people do terrible things.””
Cole’s eyes narrowed.
The tape clicked softly.
“Lena knows this better than anyone.””
Lena went still.
Cole turned toward her.
Daniel continued.
“Lena, if you are hearing this, I need you to understand something.””
Her face crumpled.
“You were not the reason my family broke apart.””
A tear fell from her eye.
“You were a victim too.””
Cole looked confused.
Daniel’s voice hardened.
“But you made one mistake.””
The entire room held its breath.
“You trusted Richard.””
Richard’s expression changed.
For the first time, the confidence disappeared.
The tape continued.
“He convinced you he was helping. He convinced you he wanted to protect Cole. But Richard doesn’t protect people.””
A pause.
“He collects them.””
The words hung there.
Cole looked at Richard.
The older man’s jaw tightened.
Daniel continued.
“The night at the farmhouse, Richard came for the files.””
Cole remembered.
The farmhouse.
The smoke.
The fear.
“He didn’t come for money.””
The recording became quieter.
“He came because he knew I had proof.””
Cole looked at Richard.
“Proof of what?””
Daniel answered like he heard him.
“Proof that Richard wasn’t working alone.””
A silence followed.
Cole felt a chill.
“Not working alone?””
Daniel’s voice continued.
“There was someone above him.””
Richard suddenly stepped forward.
“Turn it off.””
Nobody moved.
Cole looked at him.
“You’re afraid.””
Richard’s eyes hardened.
“I said turn it off.””
Martha stepped away from the counter.
“Cole…”
But Cole didn’t stop the tape.
Daniel’s voice continued.
“The person controlling Richard has power. More power than anyone in this town understands.””
Static.
“Cole, if you are listening, I need you to know something.””
The tape crackled.
“The person you should fear is not the one standing in front of you.””
Everyone looked at Richard.
Daniel’s voice lowered.
“It’s the person who taught him.””
Richard looked furious now.
“Enough.””
Cole turned.
“Who?””
Richard didn’t answer.
The tape continued.
“Your mother knows the name.””
Cole looked at her.
She looked terrified.
Daniel continued.
“She has spent years running because she believes she caused everything.””
A long silence.
“Mary…”
Cole’s mother looked up.
Daniel said her name.
“Tell our son the truth.””
The tape clicked.
Then his father’s voice came again.
“I know you think I betrayed you.””
Cole stopped breathing.
“You think I chose lies over you.””
The words hit.
“But I didn’t.””
Static.
“I chose you over everything.””
Cole closed his eyes.
A tear escaped before he could stop it.
Daniel’s final words were almost a whisper.
“If you’re hearing this, it means I failed to keep you away from the truth.””
The tape hissed.
“But there is one thing I need you to do.””
The recording paused.
“Find the original files.””
Cole leaned closer.
“Where?””
Daniel answered:
“Under the farmhouse.””
The tape clicked.
Then silence.
The recording was over.
Nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
Finally, Cole spoke.
“Play it again.””
Martha looked at him.
“What?””
“Play it again.””
“There’s nothing else.””
“I said play it again.””
His voice broke.
Martha pressed rewind.
But before she could start, a sound came from outside.
A car door closing.
Everyone turned.
Richard looked toward the window.
And for the first time that night…
he looked afraid.
Not nervous.
Not annoyed.
Afraid.
Cole noticed.
“Who is that?””
Richard didn’t answer.
The diner lights flickered.
Then every light in the building went out.
The emergency lights came on.
Red.
Dim.
A shadow appeared outside the front window.
Someone stood in the rain.
Watching.
Cole stepped toward the glass.
The figure moved closer.
And then the person lifted a hand.
Holding something.
A photograph.
The same photograph Cole had seen before.
Except this time, the missing face wasn’t scratched away.
It was clear.
Cole stared.
His blood ran cold.
Because the fourth person standing beside the farmhouse…
was not Richard.
Was not Lena.
Was not his mother.
It was him.
A younger version of himself.
Standing beside his father.
Holding the same silver wolf pendant.
The person outside pressed the photograph against the glass.
And a message was written on the back.
May you like
Cole read it through the window.
*You remember now. But you still don’t know who you killed.*
