Chapter 7 - the voice on the recording
Julian Vale entered the residence smiling.
He was Thomas’s younger brother, Vale Global’s chief financial officer, and the person Marcus had trusted to steady the company after his father’s death.
Age had silvered Julian’s hair but had not softened his confidence. He moved through the security checkpoint as though the officers were his employees.
Khloe’s former supervisor followed him.
Her name was Serena Holt.
She had hired Khloe at Brighton Strategy, assigned her to small nonprofit accounts, and recommended the bookstore near the Vale Foundation offices whenever Khloe needed a quiet place to work.
Khloe had not seen her in years.
Serena avoided her eyes.
Julian removed his coat.
“I came as soon as I heard there had been an incident.”
“You came before the incident became public,” Marcus said.
Julian’s smile remained.
“Isabella called me.”
“Her phone was taken.”
“Before that.”
Ethan stepped forward.
“Your authorization code was used to access Mrs. Vale’s medical records.”
“My authorization code has been used by hundreds of employees.”
“It is biometric.”
“Then your system is less secure than you claim.”
Marcus looked toward Serena.
“Why is she here?”
Julian gestured casually.
“Serena contacted me after seeing Khloe’s name connected to the Aurelia inquiry.”
Khloe stood.
“You knew about Aurelia?”
Serena’s hands trembled.
“I knew Brighton received payments.”
“Did you send me to the bookstore to meet Marcus?”
“No.”
Julian answered before she could continue.
“She did not know you would meet Marcus.”
Khloe turned toward him.
“But you did?”
Julian looked at Marcus.
“This conversation should be private.”
“No,” Khloe said. “You brought my past into this house. You can explain it in front of everyone.”
Margaret stepped between Julian and the door.
“Thomas suspected you.”
“My brother suspected everyone.”
“He photographed you outside the Aurelia hospital.”
“I served on the property committee.”
“And his plane crashed three days later.”
Julian’s face hardened.
“Be careful, Margaret.”
“Were you careful when you used my card to open the corridor?”
“I was in the air.”
“Someone working for you was not.”
Ethan placed the black drive on the table.
Julian’s eyes moved toward it.
Only once.
Marcus noticed.
“You recognize it.”
“I recognize an evidence pouch.”
“Aurelia’s records were stored on this.”
“You should give it to the authorities.”
“We intend to.”
“Then why am I here?”
“Because Isabella said Khloe was placed in my path.”
Julian sighed.
“She was.”
Khloe felt Serena move beside him.
Marcus’s voice dropped.
“Explain.”
“After Thomas died, we believed he had hidden evidence with someone outside the family. Aurelia’s last payment to Brighton included instructions to monitor people who visited a particular bookstore.”
Khloe looked at Serena.
“You assigned me there.”
“I asked you to work there twice a week,” Serena said. “I didn’t know why.”
Julian continued.
“Thomas used that bookstore to meet a journalist. We thought the journalist might return.”
“But Marcus arrived instead,” Khloe said.
“Yes.”
“Did you tell me to approach him?”
“No.”
“Did you tell Serena to manipulate me?”
“I told her to observe you after Marcus became interested.”
Marcus took one step toward Julian.
“You investigated Khloe before I introduced her to anyone.”
“I protected you.”
“You watched her.”
“I needed to know whether she had found Thomas’s evidence.”
Khloe understood the cruelty of it.
Her love had been real.
Marcus’s love had been real.
But someone had placed surveillance around them and waited to see whether their relationship would lead to the missing archive.
“You allowed us to marry,” Marcus said.
“I could not stop you.”
“You encouraged Isabella to remain close.”
“She understood the risks.”
“Did you order her to push Khloe?”
Julian looked genuinely offended.
“No.”
The room fell silent.
Ethan played the audio captured in Isabella’s earpiece.
“Finish it before Marcus arrives.”
Julian listened.
“That is not my voice.”
“It was distorted,” Ethan said.
“Remove the distortion.”
“We are working on it.”
Serena suddenly sat down.
Khloe noticed that she was struggling to breathe.
“What’s wrong?”
Serena opened her handbag and pulled out a small recorder.
Julian’s expression changed.
“Put that away.”
Serena looked toward Khloe.
“I was told to bring you to the bookstore. I was told to keep records of every meeting. When you and Marcus became serious, I wanted to stop.”
“Who told you?”
Serena placed the recorder on the table.
“I never met him. He called once a month.”
Ethan pressed play.
The first recordings contained dates, payments, and instructions.
The final call had been made two days earlier.
The distorted voice said:
“Khloe has received the Aurelia photograph. Isabella will guide her to the archive. Once the drive is recovered, Julian will be blamed.”
Julian stared at the recorder.
Marcus looked at his uncle.
“You were not directing Isabella.”
“No.”
“You were supposed to take the fall.”
“Yes.”
Khloe listened to the final seconds.
There was a faint sound behind the caller’s voice.
Three notes from a piano.
She had heard that melody earlier that evening.
The pianist in the ballroom had played it during Isabella’s speech.
But the call had been recorded two days before the dinner.
“Ethan,” Khloe said. “Play the background again.”
He increased the volume.
The three piano notes repeated.
Margaret turned toward the wall.
“That is not music.”
“What is it?” Marcus asked.
“The old residence elevator. It makes those tones when it reaches the private basement.”
Ethan checked the security system.
“The private basement elevator was used during the call.”
“By whom?”
He opened the access log.
The user name had been erased.
But the camera outside the elevator had captured a reflection in its metal doors.
A man wore a Vale security uniform.
On his shoulder was the insignia of Ethan’s office.
Ethan enlarged the image.
His face drained of color.
“I know him.”
Marcus looked at him.
“Who?”
Ethan slowly removed his own security badge and placed it on the table.
“My deputy.”
A second alarm sounded.
This time, it came from Isabella’s secured room.
Ethan touched his earpiece.
No one answered.
May you like
When the officers reached the room, Isabella was gone.
On the bed, someone had left Ethan’s deputy badge.
