Chapter 6: The Voice on the Recording
By evening, June's living room had become an unofficial command center.
Two detectives sat at the dining table. An evidence technician worked beside a laptop. Hank stood near the window, watching the street.
Eli sat on the couch beneath a warm blanket.
For the first time in months, nobody was telling him to be quiet.
Nobody was ordering him back into a locked room.
Nobody was taking food away from him.
June placed a plate of chicken and mashed potatoes on the coffee table.
“Eat while it's warm.””
Eli looked at the plate.
“Can I have more if I'm still hungry?””
June smiled sadly.
“As much as you want.””
Hank pulled a chair closer.
“How's the food, champ?””
Eli took a bite.
“Good.””
“Better than diner pancakes?””
Eli considered it.
“Different.””
Hank laughed.
“Fair enough.””
Detective Harris approached with a tablet.
“We've recovered several files from Rachel's phone. Some are photographs, some are text messages, and one is an audio recording.””
June's hands tightened around her napkin.
“Is it the conversation with Richard?””
“Yes.””
“Can I hear it?””
The detective looked at Eli.
“We can play it in another room first, so he doesn't have to listen unless he wants to.””
Eli shook his head.
“I want to hear Mommy.””
June's eyes filled.
Hank looked at the detective.
“Let him decide, but don't make him sit through anything he isn't ready for.””
The specialist connected the tablet to a small speaker.
A moment later, Rachel's voice filled the room.
It was softer than June remembered.
But unmistakably hers.
“Richard, I know what you're giving me.””
A man's voice answered.
“You're confused, Rachel.””
“Don't lie to me. I checked the prescription numbers.””
“Your condition is complicated.””
“My doctor never prescribed these.””
There was a pause.
Then Richard spoke again.
“Your husband is trying to help you.””
Rachel laughed bitterly.
“Derek doesn't want to help me. He wants me quiet.””
June pressed a hand against her mouth.
The recording continued.
Richard's voice became lower.
“You should stop looking into the shop's accounts.””
“Why? Because I found the missing money?””
“Because you don't understand what you're dealing with.””
“I understand perfectly. You've been using my husband's business to move money from customers and insurance companies.””
“Keep your voice down.””
“I'm going to the police.””
A chair scraped across the floor.
Then another voice entered.
Derek.
“Give me the phone.””
Rachel sounded frightened.
“Get away from me.””
“Give it to me!””
The recording became chaotic.
A loud crash followed.
Then Rachel's voice returned, trembling.
“If anything happens to me, my mother will know.””
The audio ended.
Nobody moved.
June was crying silently.
Hank stared at the floor.
Eli had stopped eating.
“That's Mommy,” he whispered.
June pulled him close.
“Yes, sweetheart.””
“Is she angry?””
June kissed his forehead.
“She was trying to protect you.””
Detective Harris paused the recording.
“There are additional files, but we need to verify their authenticity and establish a timeline.””
June wiped her cheeks.
“Can you arrest them?””
“Richard is being questioned. Derek is also being investigated. The recording provides important leads, but we still need corroborating evidence.””
Hank nodded.
“What about the pharmacist records?””
“We've requested them. We also have to determine whether any medical professional knowingly participated.””
June looked at the detective.
“Rachel said her doctor never prescribed those medications.””
“That's something we'll investigate.””
Eli suddenly spoke.
“Mom had another recording.””
The detective turned.
“What do you mean?””
“Dad said there was a camera in the kitchen.””
Hank leaned forward.
“A camera?””
Eli nodded.
“Mom said it was tiny. She told me not to look at it because Dad would know.””
June stared at him.
“Where was it?””
“On the shelf. Near the clock.””
The detective made a note.
“Do you remember when it was installed?””
Eli shook his head.
“No. But Dad checked it every night.””
Hank exchanged a glance with Boone, who had arrived earlier with clean clothes and a bag of groceries.
“Would that camera have recorded the medicine being given?”” Boone asked.
“Maybe,” Eli replied.
The detective immediately contacted the forensic team.
“If the device is still there, we'll need to recover it and determine whether any recordings remain.””
June suddenly stood.
“I remember that clock.””
Everyone looked at her.
“What clock?”” Hank asked.
“Rachel gave Derek a decorative wooden clock for his birthday. He kept it in their kitchen.””
She swallowed.
“After Rachel died, he brought it to my house. He said he couldn't bear looking at it anymore.””
Detective Harris stared at her.
“Where is it now?””
June pointed toward the hallway.
“In the guest bedroom.””
The detective called an officer.
They retrieved the clock without opening it, then documented and secured it for examination.
While they worked, Hank sat beside Eli.
“Your mom was a brave woman.””
Eli stared at the blanket.
“Was it my fault?””
Hank's expression changed.
“What?””
“If I had told Grandma earlier, maybe Mom wouldn't have died.””
Hank leaned forward.
“Listen to me, Eli. You were a little boy. Your job was to be a kid. It was the adults' job to protect you.””
“But I knew Dad was doing bad things.””
“You knew something was wrong. That's not the same as knowing how to stop it.””
Eli's eyes filled.
Hank continued.
“Your mother didn't hide that backpack because she expected you to save her. She hid it because she wanted the truth to survive.””
The boy slowly nodded.
Across the room, the technician called Detective Harris.
“We've got something.””
The clock had contained a small memory card.
It was intact.
The specialist inserted it into a protected device.
A video appeared.
The kitchen.
Rachel was sitting at the table, pale and visibly weak.
Derek stood beside the refrigerator.
Richard entered carrying a small brown bottle.
The timestamp showed October 12.
Two weeks before Rachel died.
June leaned closer to the screen.
“That's Richard.””
The video continued.
Richard placed the bottle on the table.
Derek poured a liquid into a glass.
Rachel looked at it.
“What is that?””
Derek answered.
“Your medication.””
“It's not what the doctor prescribed.””
“Drink it.””
“No.””
Derek slammed the glass down.
“Don't start this again.””
Richard stepped closer.
“Rachel, you need to cooperate.””
She stood, but her knees buckled.
Derek caught her arm.
For a moment, it looked as though he was helping her.
Then he tightened his grip.
“You're going to do what I say.””
The video froze.
The technician zoomed in on the glass.
Then he enlarged the label on the brown bottle.
A pharmacy number appeared.
Detective Harris wrote it down.
“That's enough to start tracing the prescription.””
June stared at the screen.
“My daughter was asking for help.””
Hank placed a hand on the back of her chair.
“I know.””
Then the video resumed.
Richard looked directly toward the kitchen clock.
Toward the hidden camera.
He said something that made the entire room go silent.
“Once she's gone, nobody will ever know.””
Derek replied:
“Her mother might.””
Richard laughed.
“Then we'll make sure she never finds anything.””
The video ended.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then Detective Harris stood.
“We need to move quickly.””
An officer entered carrying a phone.
“Detective, we received a call from the hospital.””
“What happened?””
“Richard Mitchell's attorney contacted them. Richard claims he has a medical emergency.””
The detective frowned.
“Is he being treated?””
“Yes. But there's something else.””
The officer looked at June.
“Someone just tried to access Rachel's old medical file using a hospital administrator's credentials.””
Hank straightened.
“Who?””
The officer glanced at his notes.
“Dr. Samuel Reed.””
June felt her blood turn cold.
The same name Rachel had mentioned.
The same name Richard had shouted about.
Detective Harris immediately called the hospital's security department and requested that the access logs be preserved.
Then his phone rang again.
He answered.
Listened.
And slowly turned toward Eli.
“Son, I need to ask you something.””
Eli looked frightened.
“What?””
“Do you remember your mother ever mentioning a doctor who visited your house?””
Eli nodded.
“One time.””
“What did he look like?””
“Tall. Bald. He wore glasses.””
Detective Harris closed his eyes briefly.
“Did he say anything to you?””
Eli swallowed.
“He told me Mommy was going to sleep for a long time.””
June gripped the edge of the table.
“What?””
Eli began crying.
“And when I asked if she would wake up, he told me not to worry.””
Hank knelt beside him.
“What happened next?””
Eli looked at the detective.
“Mommy heard him.””
He wiped his tears.
“She grabbed my hand and whispered something.””
“What did she say?””
Eli's voice trembled.
“She said…”
He took a shaky breath.
“That's not my doctor.””
Detective Harris immediately reached for his phone.
Because Dr. Samuel Reed had not simply appeared in Rachel's medical records.
May you like
He had signed the final medical certification after her death.
And according to the hospital's preliminary records, he had never actually examined her before that night.
