He remained there as the recording played.
Cynthia spoke smoothly, almost cheerfully. Brenda’s voice floated in through the speaker, asking practical questions in the tone of someone planning furniture delivery, not the slow destruction of a woman’s marriage. Then Elias entered.
“Tonight I still have to pretend I’m desperate to sleep with her.”
My father’s hand curled against the window frame.
Rebecca did not react. She took notes.
That was what made me feel strangely steadier. Her calmness gave the horror shape. It became evidence, timeline, motive, people, money, words. Something that could be handled one piece at a time.
When the recording ended, the library was silent.
Rebecca removed her glasses and set them down carefully.
“It’s strong,” she said. “Very strong. But it’s not a magic wand.”
“I know.”
“Good. Because the next few days matter. They will likely panic when they realize you left. Panic makes people careless, but it can also make them dangerous in less obvious ways. Not violent necessarily. Emotional. Legal. Financial. They may try to bait you into messages that make you look unstable.”
