Voice Lock

Elise held the phone away from her mouth.

Theo shook his head hard. Roslyn pointed to the recording indicator on her own device and mouthed, keep him talking.

Martin's voice stayed gentle. "Elise, say you are safe. That is all."

"Why?" Elise asked.

"Because June is frightened."

June stood ten feet away, frightened and furious and very much not with Martin.

"Put her on," Elise said.

"You know I cannot. The court order."

"You called me."

"I called because this ends tonight if you stop fighting. Say you are safe, let the bank process the identity bypass, and tomorrow we can start repairing the family."

Repairing. As if the family were a fence he had not burned.

Elise looked at Theo. He typed fast on his tablet, tracing the call route.

"What account are you trying to open?" Elise asked.

Martin paused. "You do not understand the account."

"Then educate the dead woman."

His patience thinned. "Your mother created a restricted restitution account. If it stays frozen, every victim lawyer in the state will tear HartLine apart and take June's money with it."

"So you want to steal it first."

"I want to control distribution."

"You mean victims."

"Victims are expensive when they become greedy."

Roslyn's eyebrows lifted. That line would travel well in court.

Theo turned the tablet toward Elise. Call route: HartLine executive floor.

Elise spoke clearly. "Martin, I am safe."

Theo's eyes widened.

She continued, "I am safe because I am not alone, because Ruby is alive, because June heard you, and because Detective Meyers is recording every word."

The line went dead.

Theo exhaled. "Do not do that to me again."

"Did he get enough voice?"

"Maybe."

Roslyn was already running toward her car. "Then HartLine now."

Above the playground, the church bell rang midnight, though no one had touched it in years.