Chapter 5: The Voice That Wasn’t Mine
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Not me.
Not Sarah.
Not even Jason.
The only sound inside the warehouse was the recording playing through the small device in his hand.
My own voice.
My own tone.
My own words.
But they weren’t mine.
“Sarah, if anything happens to Daniel… we both know who the police will blame.””
The sentence echoed through the empty building.
Again.
And again.
Like a nightmare that refused to end.
Jason watched my face carefully.
He wasn’t surprised.
He wanted that reaction.
He wanted me confused.
He wanted me scared.
“Interesting, isn’t it?”” he said.
I stared at the device.
“What did you do?””
Jason smiled.
“That’s your first question?””
“What did you do?””
My voice was louder this time.
Sarah stepped closer to me.
“David…”
I didn’t look away from Jason.
“What did you do?””
Jason slowly turned the device off.
“You should be thanking me.””
I almost laughed.
“Thanking you?””
“Yes.””
“For what?””
“For showing you how fragile the truth really is.””
He walked deeper into the warehouse.
“You think people care about what actually happened?””
He held up the recorder.
“They care about what they hear.””
I felt anger building.
“You edited my voice.””
Jason shrugged.
“Did I?””
“You know you did.””
“Can you prove it?””
The question stopped me.
Because that was exactly what he wanted.
Doubt.
Confusion.
A fight over reality.
Jason looked at Sarah.
“You see? This is what I’ve been telling you.””
Sarah’s face hardened.
“Don’t talk to me like you know anything about me.””
Jason laughed.
“After everything we’ve been through, you still pretend you’re innocent?””
Sarah looked away.
I noticed.
A tiny movement.
But I noticed.
“What does he mean?””
Sarah didn’t answer.
“Sarah.””
Her eyes closed.
“I made mistakes.””
Jason smiled.
“More than mistakes.””
“Shut up.””
“No.””
His voice became colder.
“You don’t get to pretend anymore.””
I looked between them.
“What happened?””
Nobody spoke.
Then Jason stepped forward.
“Your ex-wife and I made a deal.””
My stomach tightened.
“What kind of deal?””
Sarah whispered:
“David, don’t listen to him.””
But Jason continued.
“The kind where two people think they can solve a problem together.””
He looked at me.
“Daniel Brooks was a problem.””
The room went silent.
My heart started pounding.
“What did you do?””
Jason smiled.
“Ask Sarah.””
I turned.
Sarah looked like she wanted to disappear.
“Sarah.””
Her voice trembled.
“I didn’t know.””
“Didn’t know what?””
She wiped her eyes.
“I thought Jason was going to scare him.””
My hands curled into fists.
“Scare him?””
“Yes.””
“You knew he was threatening Daniel?””
She nodded.
“I knew they were fighting.””
“And you said nothing?””
“I was afraid.””
“Of him?””
She looked at Jason.
“Yes.””
Jason laughed.
“Now she’s afraid.””
Sarah flinched.
“Because I finally know what you are.””
Jason’s smile disappeared.
For the first time, I saw anger in his face.
Not irritation.
Not arrogance.
Real anger.
“You should have stayed quiet.””
Sarah stepped back.
“David, we need to leave.””
I didn’t move.
“Not until I understand.””
Jason looked amused.
“You still don’t get it.””
“Get what?””
“This was never about Daniel.””
My eyes narrowed.
“Then what was it about?””
Jason walked closer.
“You.””
The word landed heavily.
“Me?””
“Yes.””
I shook my head.
“That makes no sense.””
“Oh, it makes perfect sense.””
He tapped the recorder.
“You’re the perfect person to blame.””
I stared at him.
“Why?””
“Because everyone already thinks you’re angry.””
My face changed.
“What?””
“Your divorce. Your arguments with Sarah. Your complaints about me being around Emily.””
He smiled.
“You built the story for me.””
A cold feeling moved through my body.
He had been collecting things.
Not evidence.
A narrative.
A version of events.
One where I looked guilty.
“What happened to Daniel?””
Jason’s smile faded slightly.
“That’s not your concern.””
“It is.””
“No.””
His voice became sharp.
“Your concern is keeping your daughter safe.””
My heart stopped.
“What does that mean?””
Jason didn’t answer.
I stepped forward.
“What does that mean?””
He smiled again.
“You really should ask Emily what she saw.””
I froze.
“She already told me.””
“No.””
Jason shook his head.
“She told you what she remembers.””
The way he said it made my skin crawl.
“What are you talking about?””
Jason looked at Sarah.
Then back at me.
“She doesn’t know everything.””
A loud noise suddenly came from outside.
A car engine.
Jason looked toward the door.
For the first time, he seemed nervous.
Only for a second.
But I saw it.
Then he looked at me.
“This conversation is over.””
“No.””
I moved toward him.
“You’re not walking away.””
Jason smiled.
“You think you’re in control because you found your daughter.””
He stepped backward.
“But you have no idea what you found.””
Then he threw something onto the floor.
A small flash drive.
It landed between us.
“Watch that.””
I stared at it.
“What is it?””
“Your answer.””
“To what?””
Jason smiled.
“To why Emily was never supposed to see the pool.””
Then he turned and disappeared through a side exit.
I ran after him.
“Jason!””
By the time I reached the door, his vehicle was already speeding away.
I stood in the rain.
Watching the taillights disappear.
Behind me, Sarah approached slowly.
“He’s not going to stop.””
I turned.
“You knew this would happen?””
“No.””
“Then why does he have a recording of me?””
Sarah looked down.
“Because he records everything.””
I held up the flash drive.
“And this?””
She shook her head.
“I don’t know.””
I looked at her.
“For once, tell me the truth.””
She met my eyes.
“I am.””
“Are you?””
Her face broke.
“I know you hate me.””
“I don’t know what I feel.””
“That’s fair.””
A long silence passed.
Then I asked the question I had been avoiding.
“Where were you?””
Sarah looked away.
“After Jason locked Emily up, I tried to get her out.””
“When?””
“The next morning.””
My expression hardened.
“The next morning?””
She nodded.
“Jason stopped me.””
“What did he do?””
“He showed me something.””
“What?””
“A video.””
I frowned.
“A video of what?””
She hesitated.
“Of Daniel.””
My stomach turned.
“What happened to Daniel?””
Sarah’s eyes filled with tears.
“David…”
“What happened?””
She whispered:
“Daniel isn’t missing.””
The rain seemed louder.
“What?””
Sarah looked at me.
“He’s dead.””
I couldn’t breathe.
“And Jason…”
She looked down.
“He buried the truth with everything else.””
My phone suddenly rang.
I pulled it out.
Detective Miller.
I answered immediately.
“Detective?””
Her voice was tense.
“Mr. Carter, where are you?””
I looked at Sarah.
“At an old warehouse.””
“Are you with Sarah?””
I froze.
“Yes.””
A pause.
Then:
“You need to leave.””
“Why?””
“Because we found something at the house.””
“What?””
Her voice lowered.
“The black bags.””
My grip tightened around the phone.
“What was inside?””
Another pause.
Then she said:
“Mr. Carter…”
I waited.
“Those bags weren’t thrown into the pool to hide something.””
My heart pounded.
“Then why?””
Detective Miller took a breath.
“They were placed there to protect something.””
I looked at Sarah.
“What something?””
May you like
The detective’s next words made my blood run cold.
“Your daughter’s name was written on one of them.””
