{"id":21662,"date":"2026-09-26T17:35:35","date_gmt":"2026-09-26T17:35:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/?p=21662"},"modified":"2026-09-26T17:35:35","modified_gmt":"2026-09-26T17:35:35","slug":"part-11-dale-broke-open-roberts-hidden-compartment-while-we-watched-from-the-street-but-the-metal-case-inside-was-already-missing-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/?p=21662","title":{"rendered":"PART 11 \u2013 Dale Broke Open Robert\u2019s Hidden Compartment While We Watched From the Street, but the Metal Case Inside Was Already Missing"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>I recorded everything.<\/p>\n<p>Dale disappeared behind the workshop carrying the pry bar.<\/p>\n<p>From the street, we could see only part of the rear wall through a gap between the fence and a line of overgrown shrubs.<\/p>\n<p>Alan shifted the truck forward a few yards until we had a better angle without blocking anyone\u2019s driveway.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAre we doing anything illegal?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou sound very sure.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m not.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That earned the first genuine laugh either of us had managed all day.<\/p>\n<p>It lasted about one second.<\/p>\n<p>Then the sound of metal striking metal carried across the yard.<\/p>\n<p>Pam was still on speaker.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s opening it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow do you know?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve heard that plate before.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYears ago.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDoing what?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRobert stored deeds there before he got sick.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My eyes narrowed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou knew the compartment existed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI knew there was a floor safe.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat is different from \u2018Robert hid a metal case.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat else have you simplified for me?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNancy, please.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo. We are past please.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Alan raised one hand.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLater.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I looked at him.<\/p>\n<p>He nodded toward the workshop.<\/p>\n<p>Another metallic crack.<\/p>\n<p>Dale cursed.<\/p>\n<p>I kept filming.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPam,\u201d Alan said, \u201ccould Dale destroy whatever he finds?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My stomach tightened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWould he?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She did not answer.<\/p>\n<p>That was answer enough.<\/p>\n<p>I called Mr. Creighton.<\/p>\n<p>He picked up immediately.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are still on the public street,\u201d I said before he could speak.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat is happening?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDale appears to be opening a concealed compartment in Robert\u2019s workshop.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Creighton went silent.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo you have evidence?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m recording from the road.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo not enter.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIs law enforcement present?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAn officer came and left.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCall again if you see destruction of documents or anything that creates an immediate concern.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCan you come?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m leaving now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I looked at the clock.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re fifteen minutes away.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo am I.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He hung up.<\/p>\n<p>The hammering stopped.<\/p>\n<p>For several seconds, nothing happened.<\/p>\n<p>Then Dale reappeared around the side of the building.<\/p>\n<p>Empty-handed.<\/p>\n<p>He walked quickly to the front, disappeared through the workshop door, and emerged with a flashlight.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d Alan asked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe didn\u2019t find what he expected.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Pam made a sound that was almost a laugh.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She sounded stunned.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe case is gone.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow do you know?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause if it were there, he wouldn\u2019t need a flashlight.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That logic made uncomfortable sense.<\/p>\n<p>Dale vanished around the back again.<\/p>\n<p>I watched the camera screen.<\/p>\n<p>His movements were faster now.<\/p>\n<p>Less controlled.<\/p>\n<p>After several minutes, he came back carrying a small steel plate.<\/p>\n<p>He threw it onto the grass.<\/p>\n<p>Then he kicked the side of the workshop hard enough to make the metal siding shudder.<\/p>\n<p>Alan whispered, \u201cHe didn\u2019t find it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I lowered the phone slightly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf Robert\u2019s case was there once, somebody removed it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGrandpa?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMaybe.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Pam interrupted.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>We both looked at the phone.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow do you know?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHenry couldn\u2019t get in after Dale changed the locks.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCould Robert have moved it before he died?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo. He was already too sick.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen who?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Pam said nothing.<\/p>\n<p>I waited.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou did.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She began crying again.<\/p>\n<p>I closed my eyes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPam.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThree years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI found the floor compartment while Dale was out.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI knew where Robert kept deeds. I needed an old closing file.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd you found the case.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat did you do with it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI took it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Alan stared at the phone.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI hid it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt my mother\u2019s house.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I had met Pam\u2019s mother maybe six times.<\/p>\n<p>Evelyn Mercer.<\/p>\n<p>A tiny woman with immaculate white hair who lived forty minutes away and treated store-bought pie like a moral failure.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDoes she know?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhere in the house?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAttic.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIs it still there?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think so.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou think?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI haven\u2019t checked in over a year.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I gripped the phone.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy didn\u2019t you open it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI did.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Silence filled the truck.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat was inside?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFiles.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhich files?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRobert\u2019s insurance policy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My heartbeat increased.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBeneficiary forms?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWas my name on one?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>There it was.<\/p>\n<p>Not an impression on a page.<\/p>\n<p>Not Grandpa\u2019s note.<\/p>\n<p>Pam had seen it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen was it signed?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYears before Robert died.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd the later form naming Dale?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat was there too.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWas it signed by Robert?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Pam hesitated.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe signature was there.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat isn\u2019t what I asked.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDid you believe it was his?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI didn\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat else was in the case?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLetters.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFrom Robert?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSome.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo Grandpa?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The missing letter.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat did it say?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI didn\u2019t read all of it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy not?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI panicked.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPam, you opened a hidden steel case and read insurance paperwork.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou were not too panicked to keep going.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was when I saw Dale\u2019s name.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat about it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She breathed in slowly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere was a ledger sheet Robert kept.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRed ledger?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo. Business ledger.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat did it show?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMoney moving from Robert\u2019s accounts into Harper Property Solutions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBefore his death?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWith authorization?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI couldn\u2019t tell.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow much?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t remember exactly.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGuess.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMore than two hundred thousand.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Alan swore.<\/p>\n<p>I stared through the windshield.<\/p>\n<p>Two hundred thousand.<\/p>\n<p>Grandpa\u2019s seventy-six thousand.<\/p>\n<p>Another twenty-eight thousand check.<\/p>\n<p>The numbers were no longer isolated.<\/p>\n<p>They formed a trail.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat did you do with the case after opening it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI put everything back.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd hid it at Evelyn\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause I was afraid of Dale.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That answer came too easily.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWere you afraid he would hurt you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen what?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDestroy it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I looked toward the workshop.<\/p>\n<p>Dale was now dragging lumber away from the back wall, searching for something no longer there.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou knew he destroyed records.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI knew he threw things away.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSame thing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy warn me today instead of telling me about the case?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause I thought the case was safe.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat doesn\u2019t answer the question.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Pam\u2019s voice lowered.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was trying to decide how much I could admit without losing my marriage.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>There it was.<\/p>\n<p>Not noble.<\/p>\n<p>Not purely selfish.<\/p>\n<p>Human.<\/p>\n<p>Messy.<\/p>\n<p>I understood it and resented it at the same time.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat changed?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDale told me this morning that if you found the bonds, he would make sure you looked like you stole from Grandpa.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My jaw tightened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe said there were checks showing Henry supported you for years.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGrandpa did support me sometimes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe said he could make it look like you pressured him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Alan leaned forward.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe has copies of withdrawals.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhich withdrawals?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCash. Checks. Things Henry gave Nancy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My face warmed.<\/p>\n<p>Those gifts had already been shame points in the family.<\/p>\n<p>Car repairs.<\/p>\n<p>Utilities.<\/p>\n<p>Medical bills.<\/p>\n<p>Nothing enormous.<\/p>\n<p>But arranged strategically, maybe they could tell a different story.<\/p>\n<p>A struggling granddaughter.<\/p>\n<p>An aging grandfather.<\/p>\n<p>Money flowing.<\/p>\n<p>Then missing bonds.<\/p>\n<p>A removed ledger.<\/p>\n<p>Dale had been preparing a narrative.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe knew I\u2019d find the envelope.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo,\u201d Pam said. \u201cHe thought you might.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen why hire me to clean the basement?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She answered quietly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo see whether you would find it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I went cold.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe couldn\u2019t locate it after Henry died.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo he sent me into the basement hoping I\u2019d uncover it for him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd then take it from me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Three hundred dollars.<\/p>\n<p>Not charity.<\/p>\n<p>Not convenience.<\/p>\n<p>Bait.<\/p>\n<p>The insult of it made me almost laugh.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe paid me to search for my own property.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Pam said nothing.<\/p>\n<p>Alan stared at the dashboard.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDid you know?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I believed him.<\/p>\n<p>The workshop door slammed.<\/p>\n<p>Dale marched to the Tahoe, grabbed his phone, and started dialing.<\/p>\n<p>My phone beeped.<\/p>\n<p>Another call.<\/p>\n<p>Unknown number.<\/p>\n<p>I answered.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMrs. Ellis?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is Officer Landry. I responded earlier.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I straightened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m still in the area. Dispatch says you called back?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI didn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Alan looked at me.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo one here called.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A pause.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSomeone reported suspicious persons watching the property.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dale.<\/p>\n<p>I looked toward him.<\/p>\n<p>He was staring at our truck with his phone to his ear.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat would be my cousin.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Officer Landry sighed softly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAre you still on the public street?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHave you entered the property?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cStay where you are. I\u2019ll come back.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I ended the call.<\/p>\n<p>Pam whispered, \u201cHe\u2019s trying to make you leave before Creighton gets there.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cProbably.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDon\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It was the first direct instruction from her I trusted.<\/p>\n<p>Officer Landry arrived six minutes later.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Creighton arrived three minutes after that.<\/p>\n<p>Dale stood at the edge of his property with his arms folded.<\/p>\n<p>The four of us gathered on the sidewalk.<\/p>\n<p>Officer Landry looked tired.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is getting bigger than I expected.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Creighton introduced himself and explained only what was necessary: disputed estate records, evidence that a deceased relative\u2019s files might relate to financial transactions under review, and documentation suggesting Henry Harper had specifically sought preservation of certain materials.<\/p>\n<p>Dale interrupted.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is nonsense. That workshop belonged to my father.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Creighton nodded.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd you now control it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen you will have no objection to preserving any remaining records while counsel determines their relevance.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve already told everyone I\u2019m not destroying anything.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Creighton looked toward the broken floor compartment.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat were you trying to retrieve?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dale\u2019s jaw tightened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOld tools.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Pam made a choking sound through my phone speaker.<\/p>\n<p>Everyone looked at me.<\/p>\n<p>I muted it.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Creighton continued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFrom a concealed floor compartment?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy father stored things there.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat things?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPersonal property.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWas there a metal case?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dale\u2019s face changed.<\/p>\n<p>Barely.<\/p>\n<p>Enough.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I watched Mr. Creighton register the lie.<\/p>\n<p>He did not challenge it.<\/p>\n<p>He simply said, \u201cGood. Then there should be no problem documenting what remains.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dale stepped closer.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou have no authority here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCorrect.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Creighton smiled slightly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat is why I am asking rather than entering.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dale looked at Officer Landry.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMake them leave.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The officer shook his head.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019re on a public sidewalk.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dale swore.<\/p>\n<p>Then he looked directly at me.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is what you wanted, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA scene.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I almost laughed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou hired me for three hundred dollars to find an envelope you couldn\u2019t locate.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His eyes widened.<\/p>\n<p>That hit.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow do you know that?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Pam had told me.<\/p>\n<p>I did not answer.<\/p>\n<p>He looked at my phone.<\/p>\n<p>His face went pale.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIs Pam on there?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>No one spoke.<\/p>\n<p>Dale took out his own phone.<\/p>\n<p>He dialed.<\/p>\n<p>My speaker vibrated in my hand.<\/p>\n<p>Pam\u2019s second line.<\/p>\n<p>She whispered, \u201cDon\u2019t say anything.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n<p>Dale\u2019s call apparently went unanswered.<\/p>\n<p>His expression hardened.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Creighton looked at me.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIs there something I need to know?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I kept my eyes on Dale.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRobert\u2019s metal case is not in the workshop.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dale stopped breathing.<\/p>\n<p>At least that was how it looked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause somebody removed it three years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Creighton\u2019s gaze sharpened.<\/p>\n<p>Officer Landry looked confused.<\/p>\n<p>Dale took one step toward me.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I said nothing.<\/p>\n<p>His voice rose.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWho took it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The panic was unmistakable.<\/p>\n<p>Not anger.<\/p>\n<p>Fear.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Creighton noticed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo the case exists.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dale realized his mistake.<\/p>\n<p>Too late.<\/p>\n<p>Officer Landry raised one hand.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEverybody stay where you are.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dale backed away.<\/p>\n<p>I spoke slowly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe case contains Robert\u2019s insurance records.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dale stared at me.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd letters.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His face drained.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd a business ledger.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He looked toward my phone.<\/p>\n<p>Then toward the Tahoe.<\/p>\n<p>For one moment, I thought he might run.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, he said something so quietly that only those nearest heard it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf that case opens, this family is finished.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Creighton answered before I could.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo, Dale.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His voice was calm.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf the contents are genuine, the family will finally know what happened.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dale looked at me.<\/p>\n<p>And for the first time since this began, he no longer looked like a man managing an inconvenience.<\/p>\n<p>He looked cornered.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h2><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/?p=21663\">Click here to continue reading: PART 12: The Metal Case Held Robert\u2019s Original Insurance Papers, but His Last Letter Revealed Grandpa Had Been Protecting Me From a Much Larger Betrayal<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I recorded everything. Dale disappeared behind the workshop carrying the pry bar. From the street, we could see only part of the rear wall through a gap between the fence &hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":21651,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21662","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insightdrama"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21662","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=21662"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21662\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21706,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21662\/revisions\/21706"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/21651"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=21662"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=21662"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=21662"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}