Chapter 2 - Claire’s Final Recording
Natalie took the note with shaking hands.
“Baby?”
Rachel lifted Emma into her arms.
Adrian opened the jewelry case again as though another answer might appear beneath the velvet lining.
There was nothing else.
Daniel removed the flash drive and held it by the edges.
“We should copy this on an isolated computer.”
Adrian nodded.
They moved into Claire’s adjoining sitting room.
The room had been sealed after the funeral.
Her books remained on the shelves.
A pale scarf still rested across the back of a chair.
Adrian remembered wrapping it around Claire’s shoulders during their final winter together.
The memory hit so hard that he had to grip the desk.
Natalie noticed.
She did not offer comfort.
She understood that some grief became sharper when touched.
Daniel connected the drive to a secure laptop.
One video file appeared.
It was dated two days before Claire’s death.
Adrian clicked it.
Claire appeared on the screen.
She sat in the same chair now standing beside him.
Her face was pale.
Her eyes were swollen from crying.
“Adrian, I do not know whether I will have the courage to show you this.”
Her recorded voice filled the silent room.
“If I do not, I am sorry.”
“I found financial records connecting Madison to Caleb.”
Caleb stepped forward.
“This is insane.”
Adrian raised one hand.
“Be quiet.”
Claire continued.
“They have been moving money through the Westwood Family Foundation.”
“At first, I thought it was only theft.”
“Then I found messages about my pregnancy.”
Adrian’s knees nearly gave way.
Pregnancy.
Claire had never told him she was pregnant.
On the screen, she touched her stomach.
“I was going to surprise you after your trip.”
“But Madison already knew.”
“I told her because I trusted her.”
“She begged me not to tell anyone else until she could help arrange a dinner.”
“Then I found the messages.”
Claire lifted several printed pages toward the camera.
One message appeared large enough to read.
IF CLAIRE HAS A CHILD, ADRIAN WILL NEVER CHANGE THE TRUST.
Another message followed.
THEN MAKE SURE SHE DOESN’T.
Rachel covered Emma’s ears.
Natalie began crying without sound.
Adrian stared at Caleb.
His brother’s face had become completely still.
“That is not me.”
Claire continued before Adrian could answer.
“I confronted Madison.”
“She said the messages were jokes.”
“Then she threatened me.”
“She said Caleb had already fixed the car.”
Adrian stopped the video.
The room seemed to tilt.
Caleb backed toward the door.
Daniel blocked him.
Adrian rose slowly.
“What did you fix?”
“Nothing.”
Claire’s voice resumed when Adrian pressed play again.
“My brakes felt wrong yesterday.”
“I took the Mercedes to the dealership.”
“They found nothing because the service appointment had been canceled before I arrived.”
“I called the dealership myself.”
“They said Caleb’s office canceled it.”
Caleb shook his head.
“My assistant handles appointments.”
“You expect me to believe I tried to kill her?”
Adrian looked at him.
“I expect nothing from you anymore.”
The video continued.
Claire held up a small black notebook.
“I copied everything.”
“The original records are somewhere Madison will never search.”
“If anything happens to me, check the nursery.”
The recording ended.
Adrian stared at the dark screen.
There had been no nursery.
Claire had died before telling anyone about the baby.
Emma tugged his sleeve.
“There is a baby room.”
Everyone turned toward her.
May you like
She pointed toward the wall behind Claire’s bookshelves.
“The blue lady cries there.”
