Chapter 3 - The Recording
Daniel took the documents to his attorney, Rebecca Collins. She confirmed that the suspicious transactions required investigation.
That night, Daniel discovered a flash drive hidden among Claire's belongings.
It contained a recording.
“If you're hearing this, Daniel, something has happened to me,” Claire whispered. “Vanessa came to see me. She wants control of Emma's trust, and she threatened me when I refused.”
Daniel replayed the recording, barely able to breathe.
Then his phone rang.
Vanessa.
“You found Claire's recording,” she said.
“How do you know?”
“Because you're holding something that doesn't belong to you.”
“Claire made it!”
Vanessa laughed bitterly.
“You still believe she was innocent? Ask yourself why she was so desperate to hide the truth.”
The call ended.
Moments later, Daniel received a photograph of Emma sleeping in her bedroom.
Someone had taken it from inside the house.
He called the police, but the intruder had already disappeared.
The following morning, Daniel discovered that the flash drive and Claire's original letter were missing from his study.
Only one thing remained on his desk: a photograph of Vanessa standing beside Andrew Cole.
On the back, someone had written:
May you like
She wasn't working alone.
Who else had helped Vanessa—and why were they so determined to silence Daniel?
