Claire had always loved the basement. It was the only room in the house that truly belonged to her—cool, dim, lined with old sketchbooks and unfinished canvases collecting dust in the corners.
Claire had always loved the basement.
It was the only room in the house that truly belonged to her—cool, dim, lined with old sketchbooks and unfinished canvases collecting dust in the corners.
Arthur never came down here.
He always claimed the damp air aggravated his sinuses.
Tonight, she was finally tackling a project she'd been putting off for months.
The old mahogany bookshelf had to move.
She gripped the heavy frame and pulled.
The shelf scraped across the concrete floor.
Then—
Click.
Something small bounced once and skidded to a stop.
Claire frowned.
She bent down and picked it up.
A USB drive.
No label.
Wrapped in black electrical tape.
The strip of tape that had held it flush beneath the bottom shelf was still tacky, as if someone had hidden it there on purpose.
Her pulse slowed.
She turned the drive over in her hand.
Someone had gone to great lengths to make sure no one would ever find it.
She carried it upstairs without another thought.
Her laptop recognized the drive instantly.
No password.
Just one folder.
Inside were dozens of audio recordings, neatly organized by date.
The earliest was six weeks old.
The most recent stopped her cold.
Claire_Final_Statement.wav
She stared at the screen.
Her own name.
A file she had never created.
Her finger hovered over the touchpad.
Then she clicked.
The recording crackled.
A voice filled the room.
Her voice.
Steady.
Calm.
Broken.
"I'm so sorry... I know I've been a burden for a long time. I don't want anyone to feel guilty about this. It's my decision... and mine alone."
May you like
Claire's blood turned to ice.
She had never spoken those words.
