CHAPTER 6 — The Video Emily Left Behind
CHAPTER 6 — The Video Emily Left Behind
The next morning, investigators received permission to access Emily's preserved medical records.
Among them were high-resolution fingerprint scans taken after her fatal car accident.
Using one of those archived scans, the cybercrime team unlocked the laptop.
Everyone gathered around the dining room table.
The desktop contained only one file.
IF YOU'RE WATCHING THIS, I'M GONE.
My heart stopped.
Brooks clicked Play.
Emily appeared on the screen.
She looked exhausted.
Her beautiful brown eyes were swollen from crying.
Behind her was our old lake house.
The recording date appeared in the corner.
Three weeks before her death.
"James..."
Her voice cracked.
"If this video reached you, then I failed."
I couldn't breathe.
She looked directly into the camera.
"I know you're going to think I'm leaving because I stopped loving you."
She shook her head.
"I never stopped."
Tears rolled down my face.
Emily continued.
"When Leo was four, I discovered someone inside the Aurora Foundation was collecting information about children from powerful families."
"They approached me first."
"They wanted access to Leo."
"I refused."
She paused, fighting tears.
"So they threatened our family."
The room was frozen.
"I reported everything to the authorities."
"I thought that would protect us."
She looked away.
"It didn't."
Her voice dropped to a whisper.
"They already had people everywhere."
Doctors.
Lawyers.
Private security.
Even employees inside charitable organizations.
Emily took a shaky breath.
"There was only one way to protect Leo."
She reached for something off-camera.
A photograph.
It showed Victoria.
"I asked Victoria to stay close to you."
I stared in disbelief.
Emily continued before anyone could speak.
"She owed me her life years ago."
"I believed I could trust her."
Victoria burst into tears.
"I was supposed to protect him..."
Emily's recorded voice continued.
"If you're seeing this..."
"...then somehow they got to Victoria too."
Brooks immediately paused the video.
"What did she just say?"
Victoria covered her face.
"They threatened my brother."
Everyone looked at her.
"They knew he was in debt."
"They promised to erase everything if I cooperated."
"They said they'd kill him if I refused."
Brooks leaned forward.
"Who?"
Victoria slowly whispered two words.
"Arthur Kane."
The name hit the agents like a bomb.
One detective immediately grabbed his phone.
Brooks' face hardened.
"Are you absolutely certain?"
Victoria nodded.
"I met him twice."
"He ran everything."
Brooks turned toward me.
"James..."
"You have no idea who Arthur Kane really is."
Before he could explain, every light in the mansion suddenly went out.
Darkness swallowed the room.
A second later...
The security system began screaming.
INTRUDER ALERT.
Then came the sound that froze every soul inside the house—
A single gunshot...
May you like
...followed by the terrified scream of one of the officers outside.
"THEY'RE INSIDE!"
