Chapter 15 - THE SECOND MESSAGEAt the police station, a forensic specialist carefully opened the photograph’s backing.
A narrow strip of paper had been folded beneath Anna’s portrait.
The first message warned Ethan about Celeste and Locker 317.
The second message was addressed to Sophie.
My sweet girl, if you are reading this, someone tried to take away your name.
Remember that home is not a mansion, a trust, or a room filled with beautiful things.
Home is the person who keeps you safe when telling the truth is difficult.
Trust your father.
He may not see danger immediately, but when he sees it, he will cross any distance to reach you.
Ethan stopped reading.
His voice failed.
Sophie took his hand.
“Keep going.”
The final lines contained another clue.
The proof about my car is inside the lighthouse bell.
The stars will show the date.
Ethan looked at Claire.
Sophie’s bedroom ceiling contained dozens of silver stars.
Three stars were larger than the others.
Anna had painted dates inside them.
Sophie remembered the numbers.
Four.
Seventeen.
Twenty-four.
The date matched the day Anna placed the recording in Locker 317.
Police returned to the lighthouse.
The old bell hung inside the upper tower.
A sealed metal tube had been placed inside its hollow support.
The tube contained a diagnostic report from Anna’s car.
She had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic after noticing unexplained braking problems.
The mechanic found an unauthorized transmitter connected beneath the dashboard.
Anna asked him to remove it.
Instead, she secretly instructed him to photograph it and reinstall a harmless duplicate.
She suspected someone was watching.
The report included fingerprints recovered from the original device.
One belonged to Richard.
The other belonged to Noah.
There was also an audio recording.
Richard’s voice discussed disabling the car.
Noah warned that the plan could kill Anna.
Richard answered that her death was necessary.
Celeste’s voice then entered the conversation.
“She should have stayed out of the trust.”
The evidence proved all three knew about the sabotage.
Noah had not designed the murder.
But he knew it was being planned and failed to stop it.
Detective Bennett prepared new charges.
Richard and Celeste would face prosecution for Anna’s death.
Noah would face conspiracy charges and years in prison.
Before Ethan left the station, Bennett handed him a recovered phone.
It belonged to Richard.
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One unsent message was addressed to Celeste.
It contained a photograph of a second child.
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