Chapter 6: The Voice Behind the Door
The recording continued.
Julian’s voice came through next.
“I won’t accuse my wife of taking it.”
“You won’t need to,” Victoria replied.
“Just move the case.
I will handle the rest.”
Mrs.
Doyle stopped the recording.
Elena faced Julian.
“You knew.”
“I knew she wanted to frighten you.
I didn’t know she would call the police.”
“You heard her say she would make everyone believe I took it.”
“She said it was theater.”
Elena’s face crumpled for one second before she turned away.
Julian reached toward her shoulder.
“Please let me explain.”
She spun back.
“You stood beside me while they searched my gown.
You watched me ask for your help.”
“I was afraid.”
“So was I.”
Her voice cracked.
Father took her hand, but Elena kept her eyes on Julian.
“You were the one person in that room who knew I was innocent.”
Julian’s arms fell to his sides.
“Yes.”
The single word struck harder than any excuse.
Elena covered her mouth.
Her father pulled her against him as tears escaped despite her effort to hold them back.
“I believed he would stop it,” she whispered.
Father held the back of her head.
“You do not have to stand alone now.”
Mrs.
Doyle wiped her eyes with the corner of her apron.
Victoria pointed at the phone.
“That recording was made illegally.”
Delia answered, “Not in this house.
Mrs.
Doyle was part of the conversation.”
“Then she altered it.”
Marcus lifted his tablet.
“The time on her recording matches the study camera.
It shows Mrs.
Doyle entering and leaving at the exact moments heard in the audio.”
Victoria lunged for the phone.
The officer caught her wrist before she reached Elena.
“Do not touch potential evidence.”
“Take your hand off me!”
“Then step back.”
Victoria pulled free and turned to Julian.
“Tell them Elena planned this.
Tell them she knew the necklace was a copy.”
Julian stared at her.
“I will pay what you owe,” Victoria continued.
“I will transfer the house to you tomorrow.
But you must tell them Elena arranged the recording.”
Elena slowly moved out of her father’s arms.
“You are bribing your son in front of two officers.”
“I am reminding him where his loyalty belongs.”
Julian looked at Elena’s wedding ring resting in her palm.
“My loyalty should have belonged to my wife.”
Victoria’s face tightened.
“She will leave you the moment she has what she wants.”
“She already had what she wanted.
She wanted me to believe her.”
Delia placed another document on the bench.
“This is the loan application involving Rose Cottage.
A document examiner compared Elena’s supposed signature with fifteen verified examples.”
Victoria folded her arms.
“Experts can be bought.”
“The bank also supplied the electronic access records.
The application was uploaded from the computer in your study.”
Julian looked at his mother.
“You said it had never been submitted.”
Victoria turned toward the door.
The officer stopped her again.
“You need to remain here.”
“I am calling my solicitor.”
“You may do so.”
She pulled out her phone and dialed.
“Graham, come to the house immediately.
They are trying to turn a domestic misunderstanding into a crjme.”
Delia gave the officer a second page.
“The bank froze the application this afternoon.”
Victoria’s phone lowered slightly.
Father spoke quietly.
“You cannot touch Rose Cottage.”
Victoria recovered her smile.
“Perhaps not through that application.
But your business loan is held by our family company.
I can call it in tomorrow morning.”
“You would ruin dozens of employees to punish Elena?”
“I will protect my family by any lawful means.”
Mrs.
Doyle looked at her.
“You stopped protecting your family a long time ago.”
Victoria raised the phone again.
“You will never work in a respectable home after tonight.”
Marcus stepped beside Mrs.
Doyle.
“She won’t need your reference.
The estate trustees employ the staff, and I have already filed a formal complaint.”
For the first time, Victoria looked uncertain.
The officer turned to Marcus.
“You said there was another camera angle.”
“Yes.
The corridor camera shows Mr.
Hale carrying the case upstairs.
But a service camera covers the second entrance to the guest bedroom.”
Julian frowned.
“I never used the second entrance.”
“I know,” Marcus said.
He opened a new recording and placed the tablet on the bench.
The image showed Julian leaving Elena’s room.
May you like
Three minutes later, the second door opened.
Victoria walked inside with something hidden beneath her shawl.
