Chapter 8: The Voice From Eight Years Ago
My mother refused to speak for several minutes.
She stared at the ceiling, holding the blanket tightly.
I pulled a chair closer.
"Mom, Richard knows about the recording.""
She closed her eyes.
"Your father made it the night before he died.""
"Where is it?""
"I don't know.""
"Did you ever hear it?""
She nodded.
"He played part of it for me. He said it was insurance.""
"Against Richard?""
"Against everyone.""
I looked toward the USB drive.
"Could it be on here?""
"Possibly.""
I called Robert and told him what Richard had said.
He immediately asked me to bring the drive to his office.
But before leaving, I needed to make sure my mother was safe.
Patricia agreed to stay with her.
I also contacted the hospital administrator and requested that no visitor be allowed into my mother's room without my approval.
Then I drove to Robert's office.
It was nearly nine in the evening.
His office was on the second floor of an old brick building downtown. The waiting room smelled of coffee and polished wood.
Robert was standing beside his desk when I entered.
"Show me what you found.""
I handed him the envelope.
He examined the bank statements first.
His expression grew darker with every page.
"These transactions are significant.""
"How significant?""
"Your father documented nearly three million dollars in suspicious transfers.""
I sat down.
"Three million?""
"Possibly more. These are only the transactions he managed to identify.""
Robert connected the USB drive to his computer.
Several folders appeared.
One was labeled *COMPANY RECORDS*.
Another was labeled *AUDIO*.
The third contained scanned copies of contracts and invoices.
Robert opened the audio folder.
There was one file.
*OCTOBER_14_FINAL_MEETING.*
He looked at me.
"Are you ready?""
I nodded.
He clicked play.
At first, there was only static.
Then my father's voice.
"I know what you've been doing, Richard.""
A second voice answered.
Richard.
"You're making a mistake, Frank.""
"I've reviewed the accounts.""
"Then you've misunderstood them.""
"Three million dollars doesn't disappear because someone misunderstands a spreadsheet.""
A chair scraped against the floor.
Richard spoke again.
"Listen. We can fix this.""
"No.""
"Frank, think about your family.""
"My family has nothing to do with this.""
"Your son does.""
My heart stopped.
My father's voice became colder.
"Leave Daniel out of it.""
Richard laughed.
"He's already involved.""
There was a long silence.
Then my father said something that made my hands go numb.
"Did you ask him to do it?""
Richard answered quietly.
"He came to me.""
I looked at Robert.
He paused the recording.
"Marcus, did you know your brother was involved with the company?""
"Daniel worked there briefly. He left years ago.""
Robert shook his head.
"Listen to the rest.""
He pressed play.
My father's voice returned.
"Daniel is my son.""
"And he made his choice.""
"He's young. He made a mistake.""
"He's thirty-two years old, Frank.""
My father sighed.
"What do you want?""
"The documents.""
"They're not yours.""
"Then you'll have a problem.""
The recording ended abruptly.
I stared at the screen.
"That's it?""
Robert checked the file.
"That's all that's there.""
I leaned back.
"Richard threatened him.""
"Yes.""
"And Daniel was involved.""
"Apparently.""
I rubbed my face.
"Why did Mom say there's an original recording?""
Robert examined the USB drive.
"Perhaps this is only an excerpt.""
He opened the file properties.
The recording had been copied from a longer source.
There was a reference to another file, but the actual file was missing.
Robert leaned forward.
"Your father may have stored the original somewhere else.""
I thought about the clock, the wardrobe, and the hidden compartment.
"Mom said Richard knew about the recording.""
"Then we need to locate it before he does.""
My phone vibrated.
A message from Lily.
*Dad, Aunt Grace says someone came to the house.*
I immediately called her.
She answered in a whisper.
"Dad?""
"What's wrong?""
"There's a man outside.""
"Where are you?""
"At Aunt Grace's house.""
"Are the doors locked?""
"Yes.""
"Stay inside. Don't open the door.""
I heard my sister's voice in the background.
Then Lily whispered:
"He's holding a photograph.""
"What photograph?""
"The one of Grandpa.""
My heart pounded.
"Don't go near the window.""
"Dad, he just put something in the mailbox.""
I stood.
"Stay where you are. I'm coming.""
Robert grabbed his keys.
"I'm driving you.""
We reached Grace's house twenty minutes later.
The street was quiet.
A porch light illuminated the front steps.
There was no car outside.
Grace opened the door immediately.
"Marcus!""
I rushed inside.
"Where's Lily?""
"Upstairs.""
"Is she okay?""
"She's frightened, but she's safe.""
I went upstairs.
Lily was sitting on the bed, holding her phone.
When she saw me, she ran into my arms.
"Dad, I thought he was going to come inside.""
I hugged her tightly.
"Nobody is going to hurt you.""
Robert went outside to examine the mailbox.
He returned carrying a white envelope.
There was no return address.
Inside was a photograph.
My father stood beside Richard Collins outside the company building.
Someone had written on the back:
*YOUR FATHER KNEW WHO WOULD BETRAY HIM.*
Beneath it was another sentence.
*ASK DANIEL WHY HE WAS THE LAST PERSON TO SEE HIM ALIVE.*
I stared at the words.
My father died eight years ago.
Daniel had told us he was home that night.
He had said he received the news the following morning.
I called him.
He answered almost immediately.
"Marcus?""
"Where were you the night Dad died?""
Silence.
Then he said, "Why are you asking me that?""
"Answer the question.""
"At home.""
"Are you sure?""
His breathing changed.
"What's going on?""
"I found Dad's recording.""
The silence stretched.
Then Daniel whispered:
"You weren't supposed to find that.""
My stomach tightened.
"What does that mean?""
He didn't answer.
Instead, he said something I would never forget.
"Marcus, I was at the house that night. But I wasn't the only one.""
"Who else was there?""
May you like
Daniel's voice cracked.
"Mom.""
