Chapter 9 - Rebecca’s First Confession
The recording was five years old.
Laura sounded calm.
Rebecca sounded terrified.
“I can protect you.”
Laura said.
“No, you can’t.”
Rebecca whispered.
“You think this is about charity accounts.”
“What is it about?”
“Everything.”
There was a sound like a chair scraping.
Rebecca continued.
“Victor owns people.”
“What does that mean?”
“He pays them.”
“For what?”
“For signatures.”
“For evaluations.”
“For testimony.”
“For silence.”
Andrew and I looked at each other.
The pattern was already familiar.
Forged signatures.
False psychological evaluations.
Manipulated legal documents.
Laura asked the question I wanted answered.
“Why are you helping him?”
Rebecca started crying.
“Because he’s my uncle.”
I stared at the computer.
Victor Hale had been introduced to me as Rebecca’s family friend.
Not her uncle.
Rebecca continued.
“My mother died when I was sixteen.”
“Victor paid for everything.”
“School.”
“College.”
“My apartment.”
“My job.”
“And every time I tried to leave, he reminded me what I owed him.”
Laura’s voice softened.
“Then help me expose him.”
“I can’t.”
“You already are.”
“No.”
Rebecca’s breathing became ragged.
“You don’t understand.”
“He knows about your daughter.”
The recording ended.
I sat motionless.
Andrew opened another.
This one was recorded two days later.
Rebecca sounded different.
Colder.
“I want protection.”
Laura answered.
“You’ll have it.”
“And money.”
There was a pause.
“How much?”
“Enough to disappear.”
“How much, Rebecca?”
“One million.”
Laura sounded disappointed.
“You said this was about escaping him.”
“It is.”
“Then why are you negotiating?”
“Because fear is expensive.”
The second recording ended.
Andrew leaned back.
“She was willing to sell evidence.”
“And years later she came after Emily.”
We opened another file.
In this recording Victor’s voice could be heard in the background.
Rebecca must have secretly recorded him.
He was discussing accounts.
Then he said something that made me stand.
“Once Grant is gone, the child becomes the problem.”
Rebecca answered.
“What do you mean?”
“The trust survives the mother.”
“And?”
“The child owns it.”
Victor sounded irritated.
“You need to stop asking questions you already understand.”
The recording ended abruptly.
My mouth went dry.
“What did he mean by Grant is gone?”
Andrew shook his head.
“We don’t know.”
I wanted to call the detectives immediately.
Then another file caught my attention.
Its date was the night before Laura’s crash.
I pressed play.
Laura spoke first.
“Rebecca, where are you?”
Rebecca’s voice was shaking.
“Don’t go to the meeting tomorrow.”
“Why?”
“Victor knows.”
“How?”
“I don’t know.”
“Rebecca, did you tell him?”
Silence.
“Did you tell him?”
Rebecca started sobbing.
“I’m sorry.”
The recording cut off.
I stared at the screen.
That was when my phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
A text message appeared.
YOU SHOULD HAVE MARRIED HER.
A second message arrived.
NOW YOU HAVE MADE EMILY’S LIFE MUCH MORE DIFFICULT.
Andrew read it.
“We call the police.”
Then a photograph arrived.
It had been taken less than thirty seconds earlier.
Emily was visible through the kitchen window of my house.
May you like
Someone was watching her.
Right now.
