Chapter 15 - The Video From Five Years Ago
The laptop belonged to Julian.
Investigators believed he had hidden it at the Lang estate years earlier.
The Emily folder contained twenty-three files.
Most were financial.
One was video.
Timestamped two days before Emily died.
She was sitting in Julian’s office.
I recognized the room.
Emily looked angry.
“You moved the money.”
Julian leaned back behind his desk.
“You misunderstand the accounting.”
“No.”
She placed documents on his table.
“You created fake management fees.”
“Emily.”
“You stole from my mother.”
His voice became colder.
“Be careful.”
“I’m telling Nathan.”
Julian smiled.
“Nathan trusts me.”
“He trusts me more.”
Julian’s smile disappeared.
Emily stood.
“And tomorrow I’m giving all of this to the auditor.”
The video ended.
The next file was audio recorded one day later.
Franklin Voss’s voice.
“Truck is ready.”
Julian answered.
“No mistakes.”
“Road?”
“Westchester.”
“Passenger?”
“Only Emily.”
My hands began shaking.
Ruiz stopped the recording.
“We have enough.”
“For murder?”
“For conspiracy evidence.”
“Enough to charge him?”
“We’re taking it to the district attorney tonight.”
I wanted rage.
Instead, I felt grief.
Fresh.
Violent.
Five years old and brand new.
Maya walked into the room before I could hide it.
“Dad?”
I quickly closed the laptop.
She saw my face.
“What happened?”
I looked at Rebecca.
She understood.
“We cannot keep lying to her.”
So I told my daughter the truth.
Not every detail.
Not the audio.
Not yet.
But enough.
“Your mom may not have died because of an accident.”
Maya stared at me.
“What does that mean?”
“Someone may have caused it.”
“Isabella?”
“No.”
“Julian?”
I hesitated.
That answered her.
She sat beside me.
For a long time, Maya said nothing.
Then she asked a question I did not expect.
“Did Mom know he was bad?”
“Yes.”
“And she tried to stop him?”
“Yes.”
Maya nodded slowly.
“Then she was brave.”
I almost broke.
“Yes.”
“She called for help like me.”
I looked at her.
“Yes.”
Maya began crying.
I pulled her against me.
“She would be proud of you.”
This time, I knew it was true.
The next morning, Julian Voss was charged with conspiracy connected to Emily’s death.
Franklin Voss was arrested again on additional charges.
Isabella faced an expanding list of felonies.
For the first time, I thought the nightmare might finally be narrowing.
Then family court called.
Julian had filed a petition from jail.
He acknowledged biological paternity of Noah.
He requested full custody.
Rebecca read the filing.
“He says Isabella is dangerous.”
“She is.”
“He says you have no biological relationship to Noah.”
“That is also true.”
“He claims you are keeping his son to punish him.”
I stared toward the nursery.
“What happens now?”
Rebecca was silent.
“That depends on whether you want to fight.”
I looked at Noah.
Then at Maya.
My daughter answered before I did.
May you like
“We fight.”
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