Chapter 6 - Peter Vance Denies Knowing Lily
Peter Vance cooperated with investigators at first.
He admitted knowing the house contained an old service cavity.
His father Samuel had told him stories about Robert Hayes’s hidden
passages.
But Peter denied installing the speaker or magnetic latch.
Records showed one of his employees purchased identical hardware.
The employee was Marcus Bell.
Marcus had stopped reporting to work two days earlier.
His phone was off.
Peter claimed Marcus handled the hallway repair independently.
Daniel wanted to believe the explanation was too convenient.
Police wanted evidence.
Then forensic technicians recovered a partial fingerprint from the
speaker.
It did not match Peter.
It matched Marcus.
Claire asked the question nobody could answer.
“Why would he lure Lily inside?”
Investigators recovered audio files from the speaker.
Most were simple commands.
Lily, come closer.
Look under the board.
Take the key.
Do not be scared.
One file was different.
It was never played.
The recording said:
Claire, if you’re hearing this, Michael is alive.
Claire nearly dropped the headphones.
The voice was male.
Older.
Unfamiliar.
But one phrase caught her.
At the end, the speaker said:
“Bluebird still owes you a bicycle.”
Claire began sobbing.
Michael had called her Bluebird.
And when they were children, he promised to buy her a bicycle after
accidentally breaking hers.
Only Michael would know.
May you like
Her brother had not merely survived.
He had been communicating through the wall.
