Chapter 8: The Secret Sarah Recorded
The police replayed the recording three times.
Each time, the same thing happened.
Sarah looked at the door.
Someone entered.
She whispered in fear.
Then the man spoke.
“You weren’t supposed to find out.””
The audio ended.
No name.
No face.
Only a voice.
A voice that had destroyed the last six years of my life.
Officer Harris looked at me.
“Do you recognize the voice?””
I wanted to say no.
I wanted to protect myself from another betrayal.
But I did recognize it.
My mouth went dry.
“I think I do.””
Everyone waited.
I looked at David.
“You knew.””
David looked away.
“What?””
“You knew whose voice that was.””
His silence confirmed it.
“Who?””
David took a breath.
“Sarah didn’t trust Vanessa alone.””
My patience disappeared.
“Stop protecting people.””
“I’m not.””
“Then tell me.””
David looked at Marcus.
“It was someone from her family.””
Emily stepped backward.
“No.””
I looked at her.
“You know?””
She shook her head.
“No, I don’t.””
But her face said something else.
I turned toward Marcus.
“Was it you?””
Marcus immediately shook his head.
“No.””
For the first time, he looked genuinely angry.
“I did terrible things, Richard. I lied. I helped Vanessa. But I didn’t kill Sarah.””
The honesty surprised me.
Then Vanessa laughed quietly.
Everyone looked at her.
“You’re all so close.””
Her smile was strange.
Almost peaceful.
“You think you understand everything.””
I stared at her.
“What are you talking about?””
She looked at me.
“You still think Sarah was innocent.””
The room froze.
“What does that mean?””
Vanessa leaned back.
“You never knew your wife as well as you thought.””
Emily stepped forward.
“Don’t.””
Vanessa looked at her.
“You know I’m right.””
I looked between them.
“What is she talking about?””
Nobody answered.
Then Emily whispered:
“Sarah had secrets.””
I felt like I had been hit.
“Everyone keeps saying that.””
My voice cracked.
“Everyone keeps telling me Sarah hid things from me.””
I looked at the letter.
“At some point, someone needs to tell me the truth.””
Emily lowered her eyes.
“Sarah was searching for Lily’s father.””
My heart stopped.
“What?””
David looked uncomfortable.
“Richard…”
“No.””
I shook my head.
“Explain.””
Emily swallowed.
“Before Sarah met you, she was involved in a legal battle with her family.””
“What legal battle?””
“The Hart inheritance.””
I looked at Lily’s empty chair.
“Why?””
Emily answered quietly.
“Because Sarah believed someone was trying to take her daughter away.””
My hands shook.
“But I’m Lily’s father.””
Emily looked at me.
“You are the father who raised her.””
The sentence hurt.
“What does that mean?””
Nobody spoke.
Then Marcus finally said:
“Richard…”
I turned toward him.
“What?””
He looked at the floor.
“There’s something you need to know.””
I waited.
“Sarah and I knew each other before you met her.””
The room became silent.
My eyes narrowed.
“You?””
Marcus nodded.
“We were engaged.””
Vanessa closed her eyes.
I looked at her.
“You knew?””
She didn’t answer.
I felt sick.
“My wife’s ex-husband and my current wife were both hiding things from me.””
Marcus continued.
“Sarah left me because of my mistakes.””
“What mistakes?””
“I betrayed her.””
His voice was quiet.
“But when she met you, she changed.””
I looked away.
I didn’t know if I wanted to hear anything else.
Marcus continued.
“Sarah believed Lily deserved a normal life.””
“And I gave her that.””
“Yes.””
He looked at me.
“That’s why she chose you.””
For a moment, I felt relief.
Then David interrupted.
“But there’s still one question.””
I looked at him.
“What?””
David pointed at the screen.
“Who was Sarah talking to that night?””
Nobody answered.
Then Officer Harris walked in from the hallway.
“Mr. Collins.””
I turned.
“We found something.””
“What?””
He held a small evidence bag.
Inside was a key.
“We found this hidden behind a loose board upstairs.””
I recognized it immediately.
It was from Sarah’s old jewelry box.
The one I thought disappeared after her death.
Officer Harris continued:
“There’s a locker number engraved on it.””
I picked it up.
A single number was written underneath.
*614.*
Then my phone buzzed.
A message appeared from an unknown number.
*The truth about Sarah is inside Locker 614.*
I stared at the screen.
Another message arrived.
*But if you open it, you’ll lose the only person you still trust.*
I looked around the room.
At Vanessa.
At David.
At Marcus.
At Emily.
May you like
And I realized something terrifying.
The person who sent the message was watching us.
