Chapter 11: The Trap
Chapter 11: The Trap
Working in complete, heavily coordinated secrecy with Detective Hayes and Sarah, Bridget bravely agreed to be the bait. The precinct’s technical team discreetly wired the hospital room, placing high-fidelity recording devices under her mattress and connecting a digital tap directly to her bedside phone. Detective Hayes stood in the corner, wearing bulky headphones, giving Bridget a silent thumbs-up to begin.
Bridget dialed Tyler's number. When he answered, she expertly forced her voice to tremble, crack, and waver convincingly. Ironically, she was utilizing the very same acting and vocal manipulation skills Tyler had aggressively forced her to learn for his terrible sketch videos over the years.
"Tyler... thank God you picked up," she gasped, hyperventilating slightly for effect. "Leo just came to visit me at the hospital."
Over the recorded, monitored line, Tyler’s breathing audibly hitched. It was a sharp, panicked intake of air that completely betrayed his carefully maintained, innocent public composure. "What? Why would Leo be there?" Tyler asked, his voice tight.
"He was acting crazy, Tyler. He was sweating and pacing the room," she lied, pouring every ounce of genuine trauma she had endured into the performance. "He said he was looking at the raw footage from the party. He told me he has hidden angles of the fall... footage showing you doing something to the suspension cables on the lower terrace before the guests arrived. Tyler, what is he talking about? I'm so scared."
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"Don't worry about it, babe. He's just stressed and confused about the accident. The lighting was bad," Tyler replied, his soothing, husbandly tone rapidly mutating into something dangerously cold, flat, and hollow. The mask was slipping entirely. "I'll take care of Leo tonight. Just rest your eyes, Bridget. I'll handle everything. He won't be a problem for us anymore."
Hayes hit a button on his console, saving the audio file. It wasn't a direct confession to cutting the wire, but it was undeniable, premeditated intent to do severe harm to the only witness. The trap was set, and Tyler was walking right into it.
