Chapter 9: The Voice in the Dark
The lights returned.
Everyone was standing.
Everyone was looking around.
But nobody was there.
Nia stood frozen.
Her eyes searched the room.
The coffin.
The chairs.
The doors.
Nothing.
Only frightened faces.
Daniel grabbed her arm.
“Nia, what happened?””
She couldn’t answer.
Because she knew what she heard.
She knew.
“Someone said my name.””
Terrence looked around.
“Who?””
Nia’s voice shook.
“Marcus.””
Nobody reacted.
Not because they believed her.
Because they were afraid she might be right.
Evelyn slowly approached.
“Nia…”
“Don’t.””
The word stopped her.
Nia stepped back.
“You knew.””
Evelyn looked confused.
“Knew what?””
“That this was happening.””
“No.””
“You knew Marcus left something behind.””
Evelyn looked down.
“Yes.””
The honesty surprised everyone.
Nia stared.
Finally.
A real answer.
“What else did you know?””
Evelyn’s face broke.
“He asked me to help him.””
The room became silent.
“When?””
“The night before he died.””
Nia swallowed.
“And did you?””
Evelyn closed her eyes.
“I tried.””
“That’s not an answer.””
Evelyn looked at the coffin.
“I tried to convince him to stop.””
“Why?””
“Because I knew he was putting himself in danger.””
Nia stepped closer.
“And you let him?””
Evelyn’s eyes filled with tears.
“I thought I could fix it.””
The detective interrupted.
“Mrs. Reed, this is exactly why Marcus didn’t trust you.””
Evelyn looked at her.
“You don’t understand.””
“No,” Detective Brooks said.
“You don’t.””
The tension between them was immediate.
Nia noticed.
They weren’t strangers.
They had history.
“You two have met before.””
Neither answered.
That was enough.
Nia looked at the detective.
“You knew Evelyn too?””
Detective Brooks sighed.
“Yes.””
“How?””
“Because she was the first person Marcus asked me to investigate.””
Evelyn looked hurt.
Not angry.
Hurt.
“He thought I was capable of hurting him?””
Detective Brooks didn’t respond.
Nia looked at Marcus.
Her chest ached.
Because now she didn’t know what to believe.
The man she loved had secrets.
His mother had secrets.
His cousin had secrets.
The detective had secrets.
Everyone was telling the truth in pieces.
But pieces could still create a lie.
The phone vibrated.
Everyone looked down.
A new message.
This time, there was no signature.
*The person you trust most is the one you should fear.*
Nia stared.
Slowly, she looked around.
The message wasn’t saying who.
It was saying someone.
Someone close.
Someone trusted.
Her eyes moved.
Daniel.
Her best friend from Marcus’s side.
Terrence.
Marcus’s cousin.
Evelyn.
His mother.
Detective Brooks.
Everyone.
Then Daniel spoke.
“Nia.””
She looked at him.
His face was pale.
“I need to tell you something.””
Her stomach dropped.
“What?””
Daniel reached into his pocket.
Pulled out his phone.
And opened a photo.
“I wasn’t going to show you this today.””
He handed it to her.
Nia looked.
The picture showed Marcus.
Standing outside the chapel.
The night before he died.
But Marcus wasn’t alone.
Someone was with him.
Someone Nia recognized instantly.
Her hand started shaking.
Because the person standing beside Marcus…
Was her.
But she wasn’t supposed to have been there.
Nia looked up.
“I don’t understand.””
Daniel whispered:
“Neither did Marcus.””
She stared at the photo.
The timestamp.
The location.
Everything was impossible.
Because the picture was taken at 11:47 P.M.
The night Marcus died.
And Nia had been asleep at home.
Or at least…
That was what she remembered.
Then the phone in her hand received one final message.
*Nia, you need to remember what happened that night.*
A pause.
May you like
Then another line appeared.
*Because you were there.*
