Chapter 8: The Recording on the Flash Drive
The forensic specialist arrived at Robert's office at nine the next morning.
His name was Ethan Brooks, and he carried a sealed equipment case and a portable workstation. He explained that he would create a forensic image of the flash drive, preserving the original data and documenting every step.
I sat across the table from him, twisting my wedding ring around my finger.
“Can you recover deleted files?”” I asked.
“Sometimes,” Ethan replied.
“It depends on how the device was used and whether the data has been overwritten.””
Robert placed my mother's letter beside the computer.
“Whatever we find, we need to preserve it properly.””
Ethan connected the drive through a write blocker and began examining its contents.
At first, there were only ordinary files: photographs, scanned documents, and a few spreadsheets containing household expenses.
Then he found a folder labeled *PRIVATE*.
Inside were three audio files and a document titled Instructions for Lauren.
My throat tightened.
“Please open that one.””
Ethan verified the file's integrity, then displayed the text.
Lauren, if these files have been recovered, it means the people I feared may have gained access to my papers.
I cannot prove everything I suspect. But I can tell you what I witnessed.
Marcus approached me about transferring the house into a company he controlled. He said it was a temporary arrangement to protect Lauren in case of divorce or financial difficulty.
I refused.
After that refusal, he began asking questions about my medication, my memory, and my ability to manage my affairs.
I pressed my knuckles against my mouth.
The letter continued.
I discovered that Dr. Bell had received money from a company connected to Marcus. When I questioned him, he insisted the payments were for legitimate consulting work. He refused to explain why the invoices referred to medical evaluations that had never taken place.
Robert leaned forward.
“This could be significant, but we need to verify the payments independently.””
Ethan opened the first audio file.
My mother's voice filled the room.
“Richard, I want you to understand something. I am not confused, and I am not signing anything that gives Marcus control of Lauren's inheritance.””
A man's voice answered.
“Margaret, nobody is asking you to surrender anything. We're discussing options.””
“Then why did you write that I was incapable of making decisions?””
There was a long silence.
Then the man spoke again.
“I didn't write that statement.””
My mother sounded exhausted.
“Your signature is on it.””
“I know.””
“Then explain it.””
Another pause.
“I can't do that here.””
The recording ended.
I stared at the screen.
“Was that Dr. Bell?””
Ethan checked the file metadata and said the recording appeared to have been created several years earlier, but he couldn't authenticate the voices.
Robert nodded thoughtfully.
“We'll need an expert to examine the audio. Still, the content gives investigators a clear direction.””
The second recording was shorter.
My mother's voice was trembling.
“Marcus, I know you want the house. But you will not take it from Lauren.””
A man's voice answered.
“You're making this unnecessarily difficult.””
“She's your wife.””
“Exactly. Which means I know what's best for her.””
“No. It means you know what she trusts you with.””
The recording ended abruptly.
I couldn't stop the tears.
Emily wrapped an arm around me.
“Mom knew.””
“She knew something,” Robert corrected gently.
“We shouldn't assume she understood every part of what was happening.””
He was right, but the distinction offered little comfort.
We listened to the third recording.
At first, there was only background noise, followed by the sound of a door closing.
Then Marcus spoke.
“If she refuses to sign, we'll have to use another route.””
A second voice answered.
“What about the daughter?””
“She trusts me. She'll sign whatever I put in front of her if I tell her it's necessary.””
My stomach turned.
Then the second voice said something that made everyone at the table go still.
“And if the medication doesn't work?””
Marcus answered after a pause.
“Then we stop waiting for her to become confused.””
The recording ended.
I pushed my chair backward.
“What does that mean?””
Robert looked shaken, but he remained careful.
“It could mean several things. We cannot conclude that it refers to physical harm without more context. But given the insurance application and your reported symptoms, Detective Harris needs this immediately.””
Ethan preserved the files and prepared verified copies for the authorities.
While he worked, I opened the document titled Instructions for Lauren.
My mother had written three pages.
The first contained practical instructions about the house and her estate. The second listed account numbers and contact information for her attorney.
The third was different.
There is a person who can explain why I became suspicious of Dr. Bell. His name is Samuel Reed. He worked in the billing department of the medical group that handled my consultations.
Samuel contacted me after noticing invoices for services that had never occurred. He believed someone had used his department's records to authorize payments.
I asked him to preserve the documents. He was afraid of losing his job, but he promised to help if I ever needed him.
At the bottom was a phone number.
Robert called it.
A man answered after several rings.
“Samuel Reed speaking.””
Robert introduced himself and explained that we were contacting him about Margaret Bennett's estate.
The man fell silent.
“Is Lauren there?”” he asked.
I took the phone.
“I'm her daughter.””
Samuel exhaled.
“I've wondered whether you would ever call.””
“Did you know my mother?””
“Yes. She was a kind woman. And she was frightened of what was happening to her medical records.””
“Do you know who altered them?””
“I suspected someone in administration, but I never had proof. Your mother asked me to copy the invoices and preserve the originals.””
“Do you still have them?””
“I have copies. I gave the originals to a lawyer after your mother's death.””
“Which lawyer?””
“Andrew Price.””
The same name Rebecca Shaw had mentioned.
I exchanged a glance with Robert.
“Mr. Reed, can we meet?””
“I can meet tomorrow, but I need you to understand something. The invoices were only part of it.””
“What else was there?””
He hesitated.
“Your mother told me she had discovered that Dr. Bell was treating someone else under a false medical record. Someone whose symptoms had begun after her husband started giving her pills.””
My blood ran cold.
“Who?””
Samuel's answer came quietly.
“You.””
Before I could ask another question, I heard a door slam on his end of the call.
“Mr. Reed?””
His breathing became rapid.
“I have to go.””
“Wait. Who is there?””
He whispered one final sentence.
“Tell Robert to check the original invoices. The payments weren't made to Dr. Bell.””
The call disconnected.
I looked at Robert.
“Who received the money?””
He was already searching the financial records.
A minute later, he found the recipient listed on the oldest invoice.
Mitchell Strategic Holdings.
But the account's registered director wasn't Marcus.
It was someone I had trusted for years.
May you like
Someone who had attended my mother's funeral, held my hand, and promised to help me through my grief.
My older brother, Nathan Bennett.
