Chapter 3 - Caroline Knew Vanessa Before Ethan
The recovered audio changed everything.
Vanessa had told Ethan they first met at a charity auction eight months
after Caroline died.
Caroline’s recording proved that was a lie.
She described seeing Vanessa meet Ryan at North Harbor under her legal
surname, Reed.
“If she ever comes near Ethan or Lily, it isn’t an accident.”
Police reconstructed Vanessa’s history.
She had worked for a Boston auction house and an art restoration
company, with professional links to Ryan going back seven years.
The charity auction where she “met” Ethan had been deliberate access.
Maria then revealed Caroline had become nervous during the month before
her crash.
She changed routes and once asked Maria to photograph a gray sedan
parked outside the estate.
Maria found the old image in cloud storage.
The sedan had been leased by a company tied to Ryan.
Still, following Caroline did not prove he caused her crash.
Ethan forced himself to remember that.
The storage unit contained three archive boxes but not Caroline’s blue
leather notebook.
Lily remembered it.
“The one with the moon.”
Maria had packed it after Caroline’s funeral.
Now it was missing.
Footage showed Vanessa carrying a blue object into Unit 314.
Ryan arrived later.
Then Vanessa’s hidden phone rang.
Police recorded the call and let Ethan answer.
Ryan spoke.
“You found Caroline’s recorder, didn’t you?”
“Where are you?”
“You want the truth about Caroline’s crash? Find the blue notebook.”
“You have it.”
“No. Vanessa gave me a fake.”
Ethan frowned.
Ryan continued.
“Caroline knew someone would search her things. She made copies.”
“Copies of what?”
“Shipping records.”
“What was moving through my warehouses?”
Ryan’s answer was not what Ethan expected.
May you like
“People.”
The call ended.
