{"id":30642,"date":"2026-10-05T15:21:55","date_gmt":"2026-10-05T15:21:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/?p=30642"},"modified":"2026-10-05T15:21:55","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T15:21:55","slug":"part-16-richard-faced-the-recording-that-named-him-but-a-hidden-second-voice-revealed-the-order-had-been-passed-through-someone-else","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/?p=30642","title":{"rendered":"PART 16 \u2013 Richard Faced the Recording That Named Him, but a Hidden Second Voice Revealed the Order Had Been Passed Through Someone Else"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Nobody moved.<\/p>\n<p>The old office seemed to narrow around Richard.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel held the recorder between them.<\/p>\n<p>Claire\u2019s words still felt alive in the room.<\/p>\n<p>The voice belongs to the person Anna trusted most after you.<\/p>\n<p>Richard Hale.<\/p>\n<p>Marcus Reed entered behind them and understood instantly from Daniel\u2019s face that something had changed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel did not look away from Richard.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cClose the door.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Marcus did.<\/p>\n<p>Richard raised both hands slightly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI did not hire Paul Renner.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel\u2019s voice was flat.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou have not heard the recording.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI heard enough.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen hear all of it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel played it again.<\/p>\n<p>Renner.<\/p>\n<p>The altered voice.<\/p>\n<p>The warning that Anna\u2019s death would make Daniel unpredictable.<\/p>\n<p>The instruction to disappear.<\/p>\n<p>Then Claire\u2019s identification.<\/p>\n<p>Richard listened without interrupting.<\/p>\n<p>When it ended, he took a slow breath.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat is not me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel stepped closer.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cClaire says ninety-six percent match.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWith what source sample?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat software?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat preprocessing?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel\u2019s anger flared.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is not court.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo. It is exactly the kind of moment where bad evidence gets people killed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Marcus Reed positioned himself near the door.<\/p>\n<p>Richard noticed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou think I\u2019m leaving?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel said nothing.<\/p>\n<p>Richard looked at the recorder.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPlay the raw file.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat was the file.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Richard pointed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou said the voice was electronically altered. Claire compared a processed reconstruction. I want the original channel.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel frowned.<\/p>\n<p>There were three buttons.<\/p>\n<p>He pressed menu.<\/p>\n<p>TRACK A.<\/p>\n<p>TRACK B.<\/p>\n<p>TRACK C.<\/p>\n<p>They had heard A.<\/p>\n<p>Claire had recorded her message on C.<\/p>\n<p>Track B remained.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel pressed it.<\/p>\n<p>At first, static.<\/p>\n<p>Then the same conversation began, but differently.<\/p>\n<p>Renner\u2019s microphone had apparently captured two channels.<\/p>\n<p>The distorted speaker was louder in the main channel.<\/p>\n<p>In the background channel, another sound appeared.<\/p>\n<p>A room.<\/p>\n<p>A faint echo.<\/p>\n<p>Keys.<\/p>\n<p>A chair moving.<\/p>\n<p>Then, several seconds before the distorted voice spoke, a second male voice murmured:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTell him he was supposed to scare her.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel froze.<\/p>\n<p>Richard\u2019s eyes sharpened.<\/p>\n<p>The distorted voice then repeated:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou were told to create fear.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel replayed it.<\/p>\n<p>The background voice came first.<\/p>\n<p>Different voice.<\/p>\n<p>Then the altered speaker repeated nearly the same phrase.<\/p>\n<p>Richard whispered, \u201cRelay.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Marcus frowned.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSomeone was feeding the speaker lines.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel stared.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re saying the person Renner spoke to wasn\u2019t the person giving the order.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen Claire matched your voice to which one?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Richard\u2019s face tightened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe distorted speaker may be me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel\u2019s pulse changed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou admit that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI admit it may be.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Marcus Reed moved one step closer.<\/p>\n<p>Richard looked at Daniel.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI need you to understand the difference between communicating an order and creating it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel almost hit him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou told the man who sabotaged my wife\u2019s brakes what to do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Richard absorbed the accusation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Silence.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel felt his control thinning.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause I was trying to manage a situation Edward created.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel stared.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cStart at the beginning.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Richard closed his eyes briefly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe morning Anna died, Edward contacted me through a contingency line.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe forwarded office number.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo. Later.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAfter seven.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat did he say?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat Anna\u2019s car had been tampered with.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel stepped closer.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat Paul Renner was responsible.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBefore the crash.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou knew who did it before she drove.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI knew Renner had been involved with the vehicle.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel\u2019s voice shook.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy didn\u2019t you call me?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI tried.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo record.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI used a secondary number.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause Edward believed Hartwell monitored your main phone.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel stared.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDid I answer?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen call police.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEdward told me not to.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>There it was again.<\/p>\n<p>Edward.<\/p>\n<p>Always one decision above the next betrayal.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel\u2019s face hardened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd you obeyed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor eleven minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat happened after eleven minutes?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI called Anna.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel froze.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c7:38.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDid she answer?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat did you tell her?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo not drive.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel felt cold.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe already knew that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe told me the car was still in the driveway.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI told her Renner had accessed it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel\u2019s jaw tightened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe knew his name.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat did she say?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Richard looked away.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe said she needed five minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor what?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe wanted to confirm who sent him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel closed his eyes.<\/p>\n<p>Anna had still been investigating.<\/p>\n<p>Even with danger sitting in her driveway.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat did you do?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI contacted Renner.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe recording.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhere were you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBellmont legal office.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWho was with you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Richard hesitated.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel saw it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEdward.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The answer hit like a physical blow.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy father was in headquarters.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAlive.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHours before Anna died.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thomas entered the office behind them.<\/p>\n<p>He had heard enough.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Richard looked at him.<\/p>\n<p>Thomas stared.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou said Edward was in Canada.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was told to.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBy whom?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEdward.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel\u2019s anger sharpened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy father was here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat was he doing?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrying to contain the fallout from Anna finding Meridian.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel laughed bitterly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cContain.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Richard continued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEdward believed Renner acted on behalf of Hartwell.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe was wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow do you know?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause Renner told me he was paid through Northbridge.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe know that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEdward believed Northbridge was Hartwell.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt wasn\u2019t?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Richard shook his head.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot originally.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Eleanor appeared in the doorway.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel had forgotten she was still below.<\/p>\n<p>She heard the last sentence.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat do you mean, not originally?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Richard looked at her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNorthbridge was created by Bellmont.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Eleanor stared.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Richard answered.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEdward.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The room went silent again.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel almost smiled at the absurdity.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy father created the company that paid the man who sabotaged Anna\u2019s brakes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen why are we still pretending he did not order it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause Northbridge changed control.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAfter Edward disappeared.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo whom?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Richard looked at Thomas.<\/p>\n<p>Thomas shook his head.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Richard looked at Eleanor.<\/p>\n<p>She did the same.<\/p>\n<p>Then Richard answered.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMargaret.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel stopped.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Richard reached into his coat.<\/p>\n<p>Marcus immediately said, \u201cHands where I can see them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Richard froze.<\/p>\n<p>Slowly he removed a folded document.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTake it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel did.<\/p>\n<p>Corporate assignment.<\/p>\n<p>Northbridge Advisory.<\/p>\n<p>Beneficial control transferred from an Edward Mercer trust to Margaret Mercer.<\/p>\n<p>Date:<\/p>\n<p>Four years before Anna died.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel stared.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy mother owned Northbridge.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLegally.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDid she know?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Richard shook his head.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t believe so.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel thought of everything.<\/p>\n<p>Margaret paying seventy-five thousand dollars to Meridian Fleet.<\/p>\n<p>Margaret\u2019s access card.<\/p>\n<p>The garage.<\/p>\n<p>Now Northbridge.<\/p>\n<p>His mother had been used repeatedly as a legal shell.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWho controlled it operationally?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat is what Anna was trying to determine.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Eleanor stepped closer.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou said Marcus used Northbridge.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe did.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen Margaret was only paper ownership.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cProbably.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel looked at Richard.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cProbably is useless.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Richard nodded.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAgreed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel pointed toward the recorder.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWho was in the room feeding you lines?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Richard\u2019s face changed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEdward.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thomas whispered, \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel replayed Track B.<\/p>\n<p>The faint background voice.<\/p>\n<p>Tell him he was supposed to scare her.<\/p>\n<p>He looked at Richard.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s my father.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Richard nodded.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel felt anger settle into something almost calm.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo Claire\u2019s software heard your voice because you were the one speaking to Renner.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut Dad was behind you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDid he order the sabotage?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Richard hesitated.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI believed he did.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The office went still.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel stared.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou believed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt the time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause Renner said he was acting under a Mercer contingency.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel\u2019s jaw tightened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd my father immediately knew what had happened.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat changed your mind?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnna.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel froze.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat did she tell you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe called me again at 7:52.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s twenty minutes before the crash.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat did she say?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Richard\u2019s voice dropped.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe had identified the payment source.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNorthbridge.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe said the instruction didn\u2019t originate from Edward.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel stared.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe did not know yet.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen why clear him?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause the payment authorization used a code Edward had discontinued.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel frowned.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSomeone reused an old protocol.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWho knew it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSeveral people.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNames.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Richard counted.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEdward. Thomas. Eleanor. Marcus Whitmore.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel waited.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd Margaret had legal ownership, though I doubt she knew the code.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnyone else?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Richard looked at him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnna.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel stared.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe knew it from her investigation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAre you suggesting Anna ordered her own sabotage?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen why mention her?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause somebody wanted the transaction to point toward the Mercer family if it was ever found.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Eleanor nodded slowly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA poisoned trail.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Richard looked at her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel paced toward the window.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo whoever hired Renner wanted Anna frightened. Used Northbridge. Used an obsolete Mercer protocol. Then the sabotage caused her death.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRenner panicked.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDad told you to make him disappear.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel turned.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat did he tell you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo keep Renner alive.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel stared.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause Renner knew who contacted him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDid he tell you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen the recording.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Richard nodded.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe recorded the original contact separately.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel felt cold.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhere is it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cClaire had only your conversation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo Renner possessed another recording.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Eleanor looked toward Daniel.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat is why he vanished.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel thought of the blood in the safe property.<\/p>\n<p>They know.<\/p>\n<p>If Renner held the actual voice of the person who hired him, someone had every reason to find him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWho knew he had it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Richard answered carefully.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEdward.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWho else?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMe.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cClaire?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEventually.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnna?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel\u2019s phone rang.<\/p>\n<p>Marcus Reed handed it to him.<\/p>\n<p>Signal had returned upstairs.<\/p>\n<p>Unknown number.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel answered.<\/p>\n<p>Nothing.<\/p>\n<p>Then a recording played.<\/p>\n<p>Paul Renner\u2019s voice.<\/p>\n<p>Clearer than before.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI want the terms in writing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Another voice responded.<\/p>\n<p>Unaltered.<\/p>\n<p>Female.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou don\u2019t need writing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel froze.<\/p>\n<p>The woman continued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou need to do exactly what you are told.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel knew the voice.<\/p>\n<p>So did Eleanor.<\/p>\n<p>Her face changed.<\/p>\n<p>Thomas whispered, \u201cOh God.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The caller played another line.<\/p>\n<p>Renner asked:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd if she drives?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The woman answered:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe won\u2019t get far.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel felt the room disappear around him.<\/p>\n<p>The voice was Margaret Mercer\u2019s.<\/p>\n<p>His mother.<\/p>\n<p>The call ended.<\/p>\n<p>Nobody moved.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel stared at the dark phone screen.<\/p>\n<p>Richard spoke first.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCould be edited.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Eleanor shook her head.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel looked at her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou recognize it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thomas did too.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel felt sick.<\/p>\n<p>Then a message appeared.<\/p>\n<p>THAT IS THE ORIGINAL RECORDING.<\/p>\n<p>A second message.<\/p>\n<p>ASK MARGARET WHY SHE WAS PROTECTING EDWARD.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel\u2019s heart hammered.<\/p>\n<p>His mother\u2019s voice.<\/p>\n<p>The garage card.<\/p>\n<p>Northbridge in her name.<\/p>\n<p>The hidden letter page.<\/p>\n<p>And Anna\u2019s warning:<\/p>\n<p>Do not accuse her until you understand why.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel looked toward the door.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhere is my mother?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Marcus Reed checked his phone.<\/p>\n<p>His expression changed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe officers at the safe location lost contact with her ten minutes ago.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel\u2019s blood turned cold.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd Sophie?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Marcus looked up.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSophie is still there.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel exhaled once.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMargaret?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGone.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Then Sophie called.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel answered immediately.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSweetheart.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her voice shook.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDaddy, Grandma left a note.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat does it say?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Paper rustled.<\/p>\n<p>Sophie read slowly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTell Daniel I did what Edward asked me to do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel closed his eyes.<\/p>\n<p>There was more.<\/p>\n<p>Sophie continued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd tell him Anna found out why.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel opened his eyes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnything else?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sophie read the final line.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf he wants the truth, he should come to the place where his father actually died.\u201d<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h2><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/?p=30643\">Click here to continue reading: PART 17: Margaret\u2019s Final Note Led Daniel to the Hospice Where Edward\u2019s Death Had Been Staged and Another Mercer Secret Had Been Buried<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Nobody moved. The old office seemed to narrow around Richard. Daniel held the recorder between them. Claire\u2019s words still felt alive in the room. The voice belongs to the person &hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":30626,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30642","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\/30642","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=30642"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30642\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30677,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30642\/revisions\/30677"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/30626"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=30642"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=30642"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=30642"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}