Chapter 3 - What the Recordings Heard
Deputy Cole waited until the nurse confirmed I was stable enough to talk.
Then he placed the tablet on the tray beside my bed.
He did not play everything.
He did not need to.
The first recording began with porch boards creaking.
My husband’s voice followed.
“If she loses the baby, that’s because she chose stress over obedience.”
I stopped breathing.
I remembered that afternoon.
I had been half-conscious.
I had not remembered those words.
Then his mother’s voice came through.
“You should have done this months ago.”
Mara laughed.
“Imagine explaining the dirt marks at the doctor.”
The recording continued.
My husband said something I had never heard clearly from inside the ground.
“After Monday, it won’t matter.”
Deputy Cole paused the audio.
“What was Monday?”
I stared at him.
“My appointment.”
“What kind?”
“With my lawyer.”
The room went quiet.
Three weeks earlier, I had secretly met with an attorney named Hannah Price.
I had gone because my husband had started transferring money from our joint accounts.
He had also pressured me to sign documents I did not understand.
I had told Hannah I wanted to protect the inheritance my grandmother left me before our marriage.
I had planned to sign a temporary financial protection order Monday morning.
My husband was not supposed to know.
Deputy Cole leaned forward.
“Who knew about the appointment?”
“Only Hannah.”
“And me.”
“Maybe my doctor knew I had a legal appointment afterward.”
He tapped the tablet.
“There’s more.”
The next recording came from the second night.
My husband and his mother were arguing near the porch.
His mother said, “You promised once she signed the medical papers, this would be finished.”
My husband answered, “She refused.”
His mother lowered her voice.
“Then make her look incapable.”
My skin went cold.
Deputy Cole paused the recording.
“What medical papers?”
I shook my head.
“I don’t know.”
He played another clip.
Mara’s voice came through.
“I still think the psychiatric route is cleaner.”
My husband replied, “Not if she reaches Hannah first.”
That name made my entire body tense.
They knew.
Someone had told them.
Deputy Cole closed the tablet.
“This wasn’t spontaneous punishment.”
“No.”
“We believe they were trying to stop you from signing something.”
Dr. Barnes entered before I could respond.
She looked at the monitor.
“We need to move.”
A nurse immediately lowered the rails.
“What’s happening?”
“The baby’s heart rate is dropping.”
My hands started shaking.
Dr. Barnes leaned close.
“I need you focused on me.”
“We may have to deliver tonight.”
“I’m only thirty-two weeks.”
“I know.”
The bed began rolling.
Deputy Cole stepped aside.
As we reached the door, he called my name.
I looked back.
“One more thing.”
“What?”
May you like
“Your lawyer’s office reported a break-in this morning.”
The doors closed between us before he could tell me what had been taken.
