Chapter 6
The Voice I Thought I'd Never Hear Again
I hadn't heard my father's voice in twenty years.
Not clearly.
Not like this.
I remembered the sound of his laughter.
The way he called me Champ.
The bedtime stories he told when I was little.
But memories fade.
Voices become softer.
Faces blur around the edges.
And eventually, you begin to wonder whether you remember the person or only the love they left behind.
Then his voice filled Grandma's bedroom.
"Marcus, if you're hearing this, there's something you need to know about Raymond."
My knees weakened.
Arthur pulled a chair toward me.
I sat.
The cassette continued.
"My brother has made terrible decisions."
I looked toward Raymond.
He stared at the floor.
My father continued.
"But I need you to understand something."
A pause.
"Those decisions were not yours to carry."
Tears streamed down my cheeks.
My father's voice trembled.
"Raymond borrowed money without telling me. He used my name on documents I never approved."
I froze.
Raymond's head snapped up.
"That isn't—"
Arthur raised one hand.
"Quiet."
The recording continued.
"When I discovered what he'd done, I confronted him."
I gripped the cassette player.
"He admitted he'd been working with Leonard Carter."
My stomach twisted.
My father knew Leonard.
Long before Nia and I met.
The recording crackled.
"They planned to use family property as collateral for investments that never existed."
I stared at Raymond.
My father continued.
"I refused to help them."
His voice grew stronger.
"Raymond begged me to keep quiet. He said Leonard would ruin him."
I felt sick.
"So I agreed to help him repay what he owed, but I refused to sign fraudulent documents."
A long pause followed.
Then my father spoke again.
"Two days later, someone tampered with the brakes on my car."
My heart stopped.
My parents had died in a car accident.
That was what I'd always believed.
The police said my father lost control on a wet highway.
But now...
I couldn't breathe.
The tape continued.
"I discovered the damage before driving. I reported it, but there wasn't enough evidence to prove who did it."
Tears blurred my vision.
My father's voice became quiet.
"If anything happens to me, I want you to know I tried to protect our family."
I covered my mouth.
He continued.
"Your mother and I are taking copies of the records to an attorney outside Georgia."
A pause.
Then the final words.
"Marcus, never let fear convince you to betray the people who love you."
The tape clicked.
Silence.
I stared at the recorder.
My father had known.
He'd tried to stop Raymond and Leonard.
And then he died.
My mother died beside him.
I looked toward Raymond.
He was crying.
"Marcus..."
I stood.
"Did you kill my parents?"
His face went pale.
"No."
I stepped closer.
"Did Leonard?"
"I don't know."
My voice rose.
"Don't lie to me!"
Arthur placed a hand on my shoulder.
I pulled away.
"Twenty years!"
Tears streamed down my face.
"For twenty years, Grandma told me their deaths were an accident!"
Raymond covered his face.
"I swear I didn't know what happened to them."
I stared at him.
"Then why didn't you tell the police about the threats?"
He said nothing.
I laughed bitterly.
"Because you were afraid."
He nodded.
"Yes."
I felt disgust rise inside me.
"Grandma lost her son."
My voice broke.
"I lost both my parents."
Raymond began sobbing.
"And you stayed silent."
He whispered, "I'm sorry."
I shook my head.
"Sorry doesn't bring them back."
Arthur stepped forward.
"Marcus, let the investigators take the recording."
I looked at the cassette.
Then slowly handed it to him.
My hands were shaking.
"I want the truth."
Arthur nodded.
"We'll find it."
The officers escorted Raymond downstairs.
He didn't resist.
At the doorway, he turned.
"Marcus."
I didn't answer.
He looked devastated.
"I loved your father."
I stared at him.
"Then you should have protected him."
He lowered his head.
Then disappeared.
I sat alone on Grandma's bed.
For a long time, I couldn't move.
I thought about my parents.
The funeral.
The years Grandma spent raising me.
The sacrifices she made.
And the wedding that had nearly ended her life.
Everything was connected.
Nia.
Leonard.
Raymond.
The trust.
The land.
The debt.
And now my parents' deaths.
I felt anger rising.
But beneath it was something worse.
Grief.
Fresh grief for people I'd already mourned.
Arthur sat beside me.
"Marcus."
I looked at him.
"How did Grandma find this tape?"
He shook his head.
"We'll ask her."
I nodded.
Then my phone rang.
Detective Olivia Grant.
She had been assigned to investigate the rooftop assault.
I answered.
"Detective?"
Her voice was serious.
"Marcus, we need to talk."
My stomach tightened.
"What happened?"
"We've reviewed Nia's financial records."
I held my breath.
"And?"
"She received a large transfer three days before the wedding."
I felt sick.
"From whom?"
Grant paused.
"Leonard Carter."
I closed my eyes.
"How much?"
"Two million dollars."
My knees weakened.
I sat down.
Grant continued.
"The transfer was routed through an investment company connected to Raymond."
I stared at the floor.
Two million dollars.
For what?
A wedding?
A betrayal?
A murder?
Grant's voice softened.
"Marcus, we believe there may have been a financial incentive for your grandmother's death."
I couldn't speak.
Then she added something that made my blood run cold.
"There's another payment scheduled."
I looked up.
"What payment?"
"Five million dollars."
My heart pounded.
"When?"
"Upon confirmation that Evelyn Williams is deceased."
I felt physically sick.
The woman I had planned to marry had been promised millions if my grandmother died.
And somewhere, Leonard Carter was still free.
Still powerful.
Still capable of hurting everyone I loved.
I stood.
"Detective, where is Leonard?"
Grant hesitated.
"We're trying to locate him."
I looked toward the window.
Then at the photograph of my parents.
And I made a promise.
I would not let their deaths remain a mystery.
I would not let my grandmother's attacker escape justice.
And I would never again allow someone to use my love against me.
But before I could speak, Grant said one more thing.
"Marcus, we've found evidence that Leonard may have been involved in the accident that killed your parents."
My heart stopped.
May you like
And suddenly, the past wasn't buried anymore.
It was coming for us.
