Chapter 7 - The Audio of a Murder
The recording started with the sound of Clara sobbing, followed by the frantic whispers of my daughter, Lily.
"Shh, baby, it's okay. Mommy's here," Clara's voice echoed through the phone’s tiny speaker. Then came the sound of heavy footsteps, and the doorknob rattling violently.
"Clara! Open this door!" It was my mother's voice, muffled through the wood.
"Leave us alone, Teresa! I've already called the police!" Clara shouted.
"You stupid girl," Teresa sneered. "The police in this town work for Vance. You've ruined everything. You should have just minded your own business."
There was a long silence on the recording, filled only by Clara's ragged breathing. Then, the sound of the bedroom window being forced open.
A deep, unfamiliar male voice spoke. "Mrs. Davis?"
Clara screamed. "Who are you? Get out!"
"Mr. Vance sends his regards," the man said calmly. There was the sound of a struggle, a heavy thud, and then a sickening snap. Lily's horrific scream pierced the audio, followed by the man’s cold voice. "The kid is still here. Boss didn't say anything about a kid."
The bedroom door unlocked from the outside. My mother walked in. "Don't hurt the child," Teresa said coldly. "She's blood. Just make sure the wife is strung up right. Beatrice is on her way with the coroner."
The recording clicked off. Clara had managed to stop the recording and shove the phone under the bed just before she was killed, where my mother later found it and hid it.
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Detective Miller looked physically sick. "Your own mother stood there and watched her get murdered."
"She didn't just watch," I said, a dark, freezing resolve settling over my heart. "She orchestrated it."
