Chapter 14 – The Recording
Charles inserted the second cassette.
Static crackled.
Then his father's voice returned.
"They've already taken one child."
"I don't know who I can trust."
"They're inside the house."
Grace exchanged a worried glance with Detective Brooks.
The recording continued.
"If anything happens to me..."
"...never destroy the archive."
"It proves everything."
A loud crash interrupted the tape.
Someone shouted in the background.
Another voice calmly replied,
"He knows too much."
A gunshot echoed through the speaker.
The recording ended.
No one moved.
Detective Brooks quietly removed the cassette.
"This wasn't an accident."
One of the forensic officers rushed into the room.
"We've got a problem."
"What happened?"
"The archive downstairs..."
"...it's on fire."
Charles ran.
Grace followed.
Smoke was already pouring into the underground hallway.
Someone had ignited multiple cabinets at once.
Years of evidence were disappearing before their eyes.
Then Grace saw a shadow running through the smoke.
She shouted,
"Stop!"
May you like
The figure disappeared through a hidden doorway no one had noticed before.
End of Chapter 14
