Chapter 8 - Four Hours
At 5:12 a.m., I called every board member myself.
Half did not answer.
Three told me their lawyers advised them not to speak.
One said, “Vincent, the video looks bad.”
I wanted to throw the phone.
Instead I asked, “Have you seen what happened before the video starts?”
“No.”
“Then you haven’t seen the event. You’ve seen an edit.”
Theo found the original party footage from a guest’s livestream.
Vanessa dumping the pasta.
Marco grabbing me.
Sofia crying.
The basement revelation.
Everything.
We sent it to the board with Elena’s video and Shaw’s backup footage.
At 8:43, Anthony’s lawyer demanded the material be excluded as unauthenticated.
At 8:51, Claire received a warrant for Anthony’s office.
At 8:57, one of my board members called.
“Vincent, Anthony says Elena is dead and you fabricated the video because you can’t accept it.”
I closed my eyes.
“Then ask him why Detective Shaw carried a living woman into my basement yesterday.”
Silence.
The board meeting began at nine.
I joined by video from my home office with Sofia asleep on the couch behind me.
Anthony appeared from a conference room with two attorneys.
He looked composed.
“Vincent needs help,” he said. “I love my brother, but grief has broken him.”
My own brother used compassion like a knife.
I let him speak.
Then I played Elena’s recording.
Nobody interrupted.
When it ended, Anthony said, “Deepfake technology is very advanced.”
Claire stepped into frame.
“So is forensic authentication.”
Anthony’s lawyer whispered to him.
His face changed.
The board postponed the vote.
I had won time.
Then Claire’s phone rang.
She listened.
“We found the van from yesterday.”
I stood.
“Where?”
“Abandoned outside Murfreesboro.”
“Was Elena inside?”
May you like
Claire looked at me.
“No. But there was fresh blood in the back.”
