Chapter 2: The Recording Nobody Was Supposed to Find
For several seconds, I couldn't understand what Lily had said.
Her mother.
My younger sister, Emily.
Emily had died eleven months earlier in what everyone had been told was a tragic accident.
Her car had gone off a country road during a rainstorm. The police found her vehicle against a tree, and the medical examiner concluded that she had lost control on a slippery bend.
She had been thirty-two.
Lily had been in the back seat.
She survived with a broken arm and several bruises.
I had never questioned the official explanation.
Not because I didn't care.
Because Emily had been my little sister, and the thought of examining every detail of her death had felt unbearable.
Now her daughter was standing in front of my wedding guests, holding a USB drive that apparently contained something Vanessa had done that night.
I looked at Evelyn.
“Did you know about this?””
My mother-in-law's face had gone white.
“I knew Lily had found something,” she whispered.
“When?””
“Three days ago.””
“Three days?””
Evelyn lowered her eyes.
“I didn't know what to do.””
Vanessa made a frustrated sound.
“This is insane. Marcus, you cannot allow a child to turn a family tragedy into entertainment.””
I turned toward her.
“Then why are you so afraid of the recording?””
“Because it's private!””
“Emily was my sister.””
“And she's gone!””
The words came out too quickly.
Too coldly.
Even Vanessa seemed to realize what she had said.
A few guests exchanged horrified glances.
I took a step toward her.
“Don't you ever speak about my sister like that again.””
She pressed her lips together.
The DJ stood frozen behind his equipment.
I pointed toward the screen.
“Play it.””
Vanessa shook her head.
“No.””
“Play it.””
“Marcus, I am asking you to think carefully.””
“I have been thinking carefully for three years. Now I'm going to start listening.””
The DJ connected the second drive.
The screen went black.
Then a video appeared.
It was grainy, dark, and clearly recorded from a security camera.
I recognized the location immediately.
The driveway of Emily's house.
The date was November 17, eleven months earlier.
At 8:42 p.m., Emily's car pulled into the driveway.
She stepped out wearing her familiar blue coat.
She looked tired.
She was holding her phone against her ear.
At 8:47, another car entered the frame.
Vanessa's black Mercedes.
My knees almost buckled.
She stepped out carrying a large handbag.
She walked directly toward Emily.
The video had no sound, but their body language was unmistakable.
Emily was angry.
She pointed toward the house.
Vanessa crossed her arms.
Then Emily pulled something from her pocket and held it up.
A document.
Vanessa snatched it.
Emily tried to take it back.
The two women struggled.
Then Vanessa shoved Emily's shoulder.
Emily stumbled backward.
The footage ended.
The ballroom erupted.
“That's impossible,” Vanessa said.
I turned toward her.
“What were you doing at Emily's house?””
She shook her head.
“I was checking on her.””
“Why were you fighting?””
“We had an argument.””
“About what?””
“Nothing important.””
I stared at her.
“An argument that ended with you pushing my sister?””
Vanessa looked around desperately.
“Marcus, that footage doesn't show what happened before. Emily was hysterical. She was threatening me.””
“With what?””
She said nothing.
I looked at Lily.
“Where did you get this?””
“From her old computer.””
Vanessa immediately interrupted.
“She stole it!””
Lily flinched.
I moved closer to the child.
“It's okay. You're not in trouble.””
“She told me to delete it,” Lily whispered.
“Who?””
“Vanessa.””
My stomach twisted.
Lily wiped her cheeks with the sleeve of her dress.
“After Mommy died, Vanessa came to our house. She said she wanted to help Grandma organize everything. She used Mommy's computer.””
Evelyn covered her mouth.
Lily continued.
“I was looking for pictures of Mommy because I missed her. Then I found a folder with videos. I didn't know what they were.””
“When did you find them?”” I asked.
“Last Tuesday.””
Vanessa's expression hardened.
“You should have stayed out of things that don't concern you.””
Lily's eyes filled again.
“Mommy concerns me.””
The sentence silenced the room.
I wanted to pick her up and carry her away from all of this.
Instead, I turned toward Vanessa.
“Why were you at Emily's house that night?””
Vanessa looked at Richard.
He had stopped near the exit.
His expression was no longer confused.
He looked furious.
“Marcus,” Richard said, “you need to understand that Emily was unstable. She had become obsessed with Vanessa.””
I stared at him.
“What does that have to do with anything?””
“She believed Vanessa was stealing something from her.””
“What was Vanessa stealing?””
Richard hesitated.
Vanessa immediately stepped forward.
“Don't answer him.””
I turned toward her.
“Why?””
“Because you don't know the whole story.””
“Then tell it.””
She glanced at the guests.
“Not here.””
I laughed without humor.
“You were comfortable kissing my business partner in front of my wedding guests on a giant screen. I think we're past worrying about privacy.””
A few people lowered their phones.
Daniel approached Richard.
“Sit down.””
Richard ignored him.
“Marcus, this is a family matter. You shouldn't involve the police.””
I looked at him.
“Why would you mention the police?””
His jaw tightened.
Vanessa suddenly began shaking her head.
“Richard, stop.””
That was when I realized something.
They weren't simply worried about an affair being exposed.
They were worried about what Lily knew.
I crouched again.
“Lily, sweetheart, is there anything else?””
She nodded.
“Mommy told me to remember something.””
“What?””
Lily reached into the pocket of her dress and pulled out a folded piece of paper.
It was a photograph.
Emily stood in front of her house, smiling with Lily in her arms.
On the back, in my sister's handwriting, were six words.
*Marcus, if anything happens, ask Daniel.*
I stared at the photograph.
Then I looked at my best man.
Daniel's face had turned completely pale.
“Daniel?””
He didn't answer.
I held up the photograph.
“Why would Emily tell me to ask you?””
Daniel looked at Vanessa.
Then at Richard.
May you like
Finally, he whispered something that made my blood turn to ice.
“Because I was the one who called her that night.””
