Chapter 8 - The Recording
Marta placed the phone facedown beneath a stack of books.
I could hear everything.
She told Daniel she was dusting.
He asked why she had locked the door.
She said the lock engaged automatically.
Daniel did not believe her.
I heard drawers opening.
Books fell to the floor.
Then Evelyn entered.
“Stop wasting time with her,” she said.
“The technicians will erase everything.”
Daniel’s voice moved closer to the phone.
“What if Claire already downloaded the footage?”
“She would have used it by now.”
“She’s waiting for court.”
“Then court is where we destroy her.”
Marta tried to leave.
Daniel ordered her to stay.
“Did Claire contact you?”
“No, sir.”
“Do you know where she is?”
“No, sir.”
Evelyn laughed.
“She knows.”
“People like her always know more than they admit.”
Marta remained silent.
I gripped the phone so tightly my injured palm began bleeding through the bandage.
Daniel threatened to fire her.
Evelyn threatened to report Marta’s undocumented brother to immigration authorities.
Marta’s brother was a naturalized citizen and a decorated Army veteran.
Evelyn had never bothered to learn that.
Finally, Marta began crying.
“I do not know where Mrs. Claire is.”
Daniel sounded satisfied.
“Good.”
“If she contacts you, call me.”
The door closed.
Marta waited almost a full minute before retrieving the phone.
“Are you safe?” I asked.
“For now.”
“You need to leave.”
“I have one more thing to do.”
“No.”
“You need the footage.”
“I have the recovery code.”
“Not all cameras upload to the cloud.”
She explained that the camera inside Daniel’s study stored files on a separate drive.
Daniel had installed it secretly to monitor employees.
Marta had seen him review it after meetings.
If he had discussed the foundation fraud in the study, the drive could contain direct evidence.
“You cannot search his office.”
“He is leaving for church with Mrs. Evelyn.”
“You have already risked enough.”
“So have you.”
Her answer ended the argument.
At nine fifteen, Daniel and Evelyn left the estate.
Marta entered the study.
She found the hidden drive beneath the desk.
Before she could remove it, a voice spoke behind her.
“Looking for something?”
It was Peter Lang, Daniel’s business partner.
Marta froze.
Peter closed the study door.
For several seconds, neither of them spoke.
Then Peter walked to the desk, disconnected the drive, and placed it in Marta’s hand.
“Give this to Claire.”
Marta stared at him.
“Why?”
“Because Daniel plans to blame me for everything.”
Peter opened a side entrance and led her outside.
A car was waiting.
Marcus brought Marta and the drive to the secure apartment.
The recordings contained weeks of conversations.
Daniel discussing forged documents with Dr. Shaw.
Evelyn directing transfers from the foundation.
Vanessa being instructed to impersonate me.
Peter warning them that the scheme was becoming dangerous.
Then we found the conversation that changed the case.
It had been recorded two days before my father’s death.
May you like
Daniel’s voice was unmistakable.
“If Arthur refuses to transfer the shares, Shaw says the medication will make his heart look natural.”
