Chapter 3: The Forgotten Recording
Chapter 3: The Forgotten Recording
Rachel placed a small digital recorder on the head table.
"It was recovered from Caroline's belongings."
Douglas stared at it.
"That's impossible."
"The official inventory listed it as water-damaged," Rachel replied.
"It wasn't."
She pressed play.
Static filled the ballroom.
Then a young woman's voice emerged.
Caroline.
"If anyone ever hears this..."
"I need you to know I'm scared."
The guests stopped breathing.
"I found documents in Father's office."
"They're falsifying clinical trial results."
"I told Juliette because she's my sister."
A pause.
"I thought she'd help me."
Another pause.
"But she told someone."
Caroline's breathing quickened.
"Someone followed me here."
"If anything happens..."
The recording ended with a loud crash and frightened screaming before cutting off completely.
Juliette stumbled backward.
"No..."
Rachel looked directly at her.
"The fire investigation ignored that recording."
"It also ignored the security logs showing someone entered the west wing minutes before the fire started."
Douglas turned slowly toward his daughter.
"Juliette..."
She shook her head violently.
"I didn't kill her."
"No one said you did," Rachel answered.
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"But you knew far more than you ever admitted."
The ballroom that had gathered for a wedding now felt more like a courtroom.
