Chapter 7 - THE RECORDING
Detective Reed returned that afternoon.
He placed a small device on the table.
“We recovered this from Luke's office.”
Caroline stared at it.
“What is it?”
“A digital recorder.”
Reed pressed play.
Luke's voice filled the room.
At first, Caroline couldn't understand the conversation.
Then she heard Margaret.
“What if she finds out?”
Luke answered calmly.
“She won't.”
“And if she does?”
“She'll be too afraid to tell anyone.”
Caroline froze.
The recording continued.
Margaret asked:
“What about the babies?”
Luke was silent.
Then he said:
“They were never supposed to survive.”
Emily covered her mouth.
Caroline stopped breathing.
Reed paused the recording.
“We have more.”
He played another section.
Luke was speaking to someone else.
“She thinks she's broken.”
A man laughed.
Luke continued.
“That's exactly how I want her.”
Caroline stared at the recorder.
Then came the sentence that changed everything.
“I don't need her to love me. I only need her to believe she can't live without me.”
Emily began crying.
Caroline didn't.
Something inside her had gone strangely quiet.
For years she had wondered why Luke never seemed satisfied.
Now she understood.
It was never about a son.
It was about control.
Detective Reed looked at her.
“This recording is powerful evidence.”
Caroline nodded.
“But there is something else.”
“What?”
“Luke wasn't acting alone.”
Caroline looked at him.
“Who?”
Reed placed another photograph on the table.
A man Caroline had never seen before.
“His business partner.”
Caroline frowned.
“What does he have to do with me?”
Reed answered:
“Money.”
He explained that Luke had been moving money from Caroline's accounts into shell companies.
Millions of dollars.
Caroline stared at him.
“I don't have millions.”
May you like
Reed looked at her.
“You did.”
