Chapter 2: The Voice From the Dead
The first recording lasted eleven seconds.
But it was enough to change everything.
Boone took the old phone from Evelyn and examined the screen.
It was an older smartphone, the kind people used before everything became an app. The charging port was damaged, and the battery indicator flashed red.
Duke approached.
"Can you get anything out of it?""
"Maybe.""
Daniel straightened his jacket.
"You're not touching that.""
Boone didn't look at him.
"Then you should've thought about that before putting your hands on a little girl.""
Daniel glanced toward the diner entrance.
His eyes moved from the phone to the windows, then back to Sophie.
"Mom, listen to me. You don't understand what you're getting involved in.""
Evelyn stepped between him and her granddaughter.
"I understand that you just knocked me into a booth.""
"She shouldn't have that phone.""
"Why?""
"Because it's private.""
"Private?"" Evelyn's voice broke.
"Your dead wife's phone is private?""
Daniel lowered his voice.
"Mom, please. Give it to me, and I'll explain everything at home.""
Sophie immediately shook her head.
"Don't go home, Grandma.""
Evelyn turned toward her.
"Why, sweetheart?""
Sophie looked at her father.
"Because Daddy said Uncle Ryan would take me there.""
Daniel closed his eyes.
Boone noticed.
"Who's Ryan?""
"My brother," Daniel answered.
"Where does he live?""
"That's none of your business.""
Duke pulled out a chair.
"Funny. You seem to have a lot of opinions about what isn't our business.""
Boone turned the phone over.
"Does anybody have a charger?""
The waitress hurried toward the counter.
"I have one in the office. My husband left an old charging cable here.""
"Get it.""
While she disappeared, Boone crouched beside Sophie.
He made sure his voice was gentle.
"Hey, sweetheart. I'm Boone.""
Sophie nodded.
"I know.""
"You know me?""
She pointed toward his leather vest.
"Your patch says Boone.""
He smiled faintly.
"That's right. Can I ask you something?""
She nodded again.
"Did your mommy tell you to hide that phone?""
"Yes.""
"What did she say?""
Sophie looked down at her shoes.
"She said if Daddy ever came looking for it, I should find Grandma.""
Evelyn covered her mouth.
"When did she tell you that?""
"Before she went to the hospital.""
Daniel interrupted.
"She was confused. Laura was taking medication. She wasn't thinking clearly.""
Sophie looked up.
"Mommy wasn't confused.""
Daniel's face hardened.
"Enough, Sophie.""
Boone stood.
"Don't talk to her like that.""
The waitress returned with a charging cable.
Duke connected it to the phone.
Nothing happened.
He adjusted the cable.
The screen flickered.
Then a small white apple appeared.
Everyone waited.
A minute later, the phone opened.
There were dozens of recordings.
Some were only a few seconds long.
Others lasted several minutes.
The filenames were dates, followed by numbers.
Evelyn leaned closer.
"Those dates...""
She recognized them.
They were from the weeks before Laura died.
Boone tapped the first recording.
A woman's voice filled the diner.
"Testing. October fourteenth. If this works, I need to remember to copy everything somewhere safe.""
Evelyn gasped.
"Laura.""
The recording continued.
"I don't know who will find this. Maybe nobody. Maybe Sophie will be old enough to understand one day.""
There was a pause.
Then Laura whispered:
"Daniel has been lying to me.""
Daniel lunged toward the phone.
Duke caught his shoulder and pushed him back.
"Easy.""
"Turn that off!""
Boone continued listening.
Laura's voice trembled.
"Ryan came over again last night. He said the arrangement was temporary. He said Daniel owed him money, and this was the only way to settle it.""
A door slammed in the recording.
Then another voice appeared.
A man's voice.
Deep.
Calm.
Ryan.
"You need to stop recording things, Laura.""
The recording ended.
Nobody spoke.
Evelyn looked at her son.
"What arrangement?""
Daniel rubbed his forehead.
"Mom, that recording means nothing.""
"What arrangement?""
"Laura was having problems. She became paranoid.""
Boone tapped another file.
Daniel moved forward.
"Don't!""
The second recording began.
This time, Laura was crying.
"If something happens to me, never let him take Sophie to his brother's house.""
Boone stopped breathing for a second.
Evelyn reached for the table.
"Why would she say that?""
The recording continued.
"Ryan told Daniel that he had already arranged everything. He said the little girl would be better off there. I heard him talking about changing her school, changing her last name, and making sure nobody could contact her.""
A faint sound came through the speaker.
Then Laura whispered something that made Boone's expression darken.
"He said Sophie wasn't the only child.""
The recording ended.
Duke stared at the phone.
"What does that mean?""
Daniel shook his head.
"You're listening to a sick woman's imagination.""
Sophie suddenly spoke.
"Mommy told me about the other children.""
Everyone turned.
Evelyn crouched in front of her.
"What other children, sweetheart?""
Sophie reached into her backpack.
She removed a folded piece of paper.
It was a school photograph.
Three children stood in front of a brick building.
Sophie pointed to the boy in the middle.
"That's Tyler.""
Then she pointed to a little girl with blonde hair.
"That's Emma.""
"And who's the boy?""
"His name is Noah.""
Evelyn looked at the picture.
"Do you know them?""
Sophie nodded.
"They came to Uncle Ryan's house.""
Daniel's face drained of color.
"Where did you get that?""
"Mommy showed me.""
"When?""
"Before she died.""
Boone took the photograph carefully.
On the back, written in Laura's handwriting, were four words:
Find their mothers. Ask why.
Duke looked at Boone.
"Brother...""
Outside, headlights swept across the diner windows.
A large black pickup slowed near the entrance.
It stopped directly in front of the restaurant.
Sophie saw it.
Her small fingers dug into Boone's leather vest.
"That's Uncle Ryan.""
Daniel backed away from the table.
For a moment, he looked like a man watching a nightmare become real.
May you like
Then he whispered something Boone would never forget.
"Get her out the back door. Now.""
