Chapter 10 - The Woman Behind the Face The laptop contained hundreds of recordings.
Claire's laugh.
Claire's anger.
Claire saying my name.
Claire talking to Noah.
Vanessa had been collecting her voice for years.
Then Ruiz found something worse.
A cremation invoice.
The deceased was listed as:
MARA COLE.
Date:
Three days after Claire's injury.
The crematorium was ninety miles north.
We drove there.
The director remembered the case.
Private transfer.
No family service.
Doctor's paperwork.
Marcus Hale.
Then he showed us the release ledger.
The person who claimed the ashes had signed:
V. CARTER.
Vanessa.
My sister had been cremated under a false name.
Ruiz asked where the ashes went.
The director pointed toward an old ledger.
"A cemetery was mentioned."
"Which one?"
"He couldn't remember."
Then he opened an evidence drawer.
Inside was Claire's silver chain.
No compass.
Just the chain.
I held it in my palm.
My sister had worn it for fifteen years.
Someone had taken the compass.
My phone rang.
Marcus Hale was awake.
He wanted to see me.
Before the police.
Before his lawyers.
Before anyone.
I looked at Ruiz.
"Why?"
May you like
She answered:
"Because he's finally scared enough to tell the truth."
Related Stories
