Chapter 9 - THE VOICE ROBERT SAVED
Police called Raymond's death suspicious.
Martin called it coincidence.
Evan stopped believing in coincidence.
That night, he searched Robert's old office until two in the morning.
Claire stayed with him.
Then she said, "I meant what I said at dinner."
"I know."
"I also hate that I meant it."
Claire wiped her face.
"I spent years blaming you because blaming Dad would have meant admitting he failed both of us."
"Understanding why you hurt someone doesn't make the hurt disappear."
"I know."
It was the first honest thing between them in years.
At 2:17 a.m., Evan found a hidden compartment behind a filing cabinet.
Inside was an old digital recorder.
They charged it in the kitchen.
Robert's voice came first.
"Say it again."
Mara.
"Martin changed the ownership records," she said on the recording.
"He moved my shares into a holding company and used your signature."
Robert sounded sick.
"I never signed that."
"Then stop protecting him."
Mara spoke again.
"If something happens to me, Evan gets everything that was mine."
Robert whispered, "Nothing is going to happen to you."
Mara laughed sadly.
"You keep saying that like your brother is only greedy."
The recording crackled.
Then Robert said something that made Claire cover her mouth.
"Helen knows enough to bury us all."
Footsteps sounded in the original recording.
Martin's voice entered from far away.
"What are you two doing?"
Evan stared at the recorder.
Claire whispered, "Dad knew Martin was stealing."
"And still protected him."
A floorboard creaked behind them.
They turned.
The back door was open.
May you like
Someone had entered the house.
Then the lights went out.
