Chapter 6 - The Voice
Arthur listened to the recording seven times.
Every time, the same words.
Every time, the same voice.
His.
But something felt wrong.
He called a forensic audio specialist.
The expert arrived that evening.
After examining the recording, he gave Arthur a serious look.
“The voice is authentic.”
Arthur's shoulders dropped.
“But?”
“There are edits.”
Arthur looked up.
“Where?”
“Several places.”
Daniel leaned forward.
“Could someone have assembled different sentences?”
“Yes.”
Arthur's eyes narrowed.
“Can you prove it?”
“I can prove the recording was manipulated.”
The expert played the audio again.
Small cuts.
Background noise changing.
A sentence missing between two sections.
Then another clue.
A faint sound in the background.
A grandfather clock.
Arthur recognized it.
Michael's old mansion.
The same place where Julia had disappeared.
Arthur stood.
“We're going there.”
Daniel followed.
Renata remained silent.
Arthur looked at her.
“Your mother ever mention Michael?”
Renata shook her head.
“She said he was dangerous.”
Arthur stopped.
“How would she know?”
“She saw him arguing with Grandma.”
Arthur's heart tightened.
“Your grandmother?”
Renata nodded.
“She said Grandma was crying.”
Arthur suddenly remembered something.
His mother had called him the night Julia disappeared.
She had begged him not to sign something.
He had ignored her.
The next morning, she had suffered a stroke.
Arthur had spent eleven years believing those events were unrelated.
Now they didn't feel unrelated anymore.
They reached Michael's abandoned mansion.
Inside, dust covered everything.
Arthur walked toward the old study.
Renata stopped.
“That's the room.”
Arthur looked at her.
“What room?”
“The one Mom told me about.”
Arthur opened the door.
Behind a painting was a hidden compartment.
Inside was another envelope.
Arthur opened it.
One sentence was written inside.
Arthur was never supposed to find Julia.
Below it was a name.
Beatrice Hale.
Arthur knew her.
His former attorney.
May you like
The woman who had handled every legal document surrounding Julia's disappearance.
👉 Arthur had finally found the name of the person who could explain how his own voice was used against him—but Beatrice Hale had vanished years ago.
