Chapter 1: Fifty-One Missed Calls
“What happened?””
Marcus Hale's voice echoed through the living room as he dragged his suitcase across the hardwood floor.
He had barely stepped inside before noticing the police officer standing beside the fireplace.
Then he saw his ex-wife.
Emily sat on the edge of the sofa, wearing a charcoal cardigan over a black dress. Her braided hair hung loosely over one shoulder. A crumpled tissue trembled between her fingers.
Her eyes were swollen.
On the side table stood a framed photograph of their daughter, Lily, smiling with a gap between her front teeth.
Marcus stopped walking.
Behind him, his new partner, Vanessa, adjusted the strap of her handbag. She wore a cream blouse and an expensive-looking watch. Her expression changed the moment she noticed the officer.
"Emily?"" Marcus asked.
"What's going on?""
Emily looked up.
For several seconds, she said nothing.
Then her lips began to tremble.
"I called you fifty-one times.""
Marcus frowned.
"What?""
"Fifty-one times, Marcus.""
He glanced at his phone.
"I've been traveling. I told you I was busy.""
Emily let out a small, broken laugh.
"Busy?""
The word came out almost like a scream.
"Our daughter died while you ignored me.""
Marcus's suitcase slipped from his hand.
The wheels struck the floor with a hollow clatter.
"No," he whispered.
Emily pressed the tissue against her mouth.
"She kept asking for you. Even when she could barely open her eyes, she kept asking where Daddy was.""
Marcus shook his head.
"No. I didn't know.""
"You never answered.""
"Emily, I swear—"
"You never answered!""
The officer stepped forward slightly.
"Sir, I need you to remain calm.""
Marcus turned toward her.
"Why are the police here?""
The officer, a woman in her forties with a silver badge pinned to her uniform, studied him carefully.
"Mr. Hale, I'm Officer Reynolds. We're investigating the circumstances surrounding your daughter's final hours.""
Marcus looked at Emily.
"Why didn't anyone tell me?""
Emily stared at him.
"I tried.""
Her voice was barely audible.
"I tried until I couldn't hold the phone anymore.""
Vanessa moved closer to Marcus.
"Baby, maybe we should sit down.""
Emily's eyes shifted toward her.
"Don't call him that in this house.""
Vanessa stiffened.
"Excuse me?""
"This was Lily's home. She used to sit right there and wait for her father. So please don't stand here pretending you understand what happened.""
Marcus raised a hand.
"Emily, stop. Vanessa has nothing to do with this.""
Officer Reynolds cleared her throat.
"Actually, that's something we need to discuss.""
Marcus looked at her.
"What does that mean?""
The officer reached into a folder and removed a printed phone record.
"Your daughter attempted to contact your number repeatedly on the evening of October fourteenth. According to the records, she also received a text message from your phone.""
Marcus blinked.
"What message?""
Officer Reynolds unlocked her phone.
Then she turned the screen toward him.
A message was visible.
DON'T CALL ME AGAIN.
Marcus stared at it.
His face lost every trace of color.
The message had been sent to Lily's number at 7:42 p.m.
Three hours before she died.
He took a step backward.
"I never sent that.""
Officer Reynolds watched him.
"Are you certain?""
"I said I never sent it!""
"Your number is attached to the message.""
Marcus looked at Emily.
She was crying silently now.
"She read it," Emily whispered.
Marcus swallowed.
"What?""
"She read your message. Then she put her phone under her pillow and stopped asking me to call you.""
He covered his mouth.
"No...""
Emily stood, gripping the back of the sofa.
"Do you know what she said to me?""
Marcus couldn't answer.
"She said, 'Mommy, maybe Daddy doesn't love me anymore.''"
His knees almost buckled.
Vanessa reached for his arm.
"Marcus, we should go.""
Officer Reynolds immediately looked at her.
"Nobody is leaving yet.""
Vanessa withdrew her hand.
Marcus barely noticed.
He was staring at the photograph on the side table.
Lily was seven years old in that picture. She had been wearing the yellow raincoat he bought her during their last family vacation.
He remembered that day.
He remembered carrying her on his shoulders.
He remembered her laughing when the rain splashed against his shoes.
He remembered promising her that no matter what happened, she could always call him.
And now there was a message telling her never to call again.
"Officer," he said quietly, "I need to see the original phone.""
"Why?""
"Because something is wrong. I didn't send that message. I haven't spoken to Lily in weeks, but I never told her not to call me.""
Emily looked at him with an expression that was almost worse than anger.
"Then where were you?""
Marcus opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
He knew exactly where he'd been.
He had spent that evening at a hotel with Vanessa, celebrating the completion of a business deal. His phone had been on the table for most of dinner.
He remembered receiving several notifications.
He had ignored them.
Not because he didn't love Lily.
Because he was angry with Emily, and he'd made a foolish decision to avoid anything that reminded him of his former marriage.
But he had never opened Lily's messages.
At least, that was what he remembered.
Officer Reynolds held out her phone again.
"There's something else you should see.""
She swiped to another screen.
It showed a screenshot of the message conversation.
Beneath the cruel sentence was a small blue notification.
Read 7:43 p.m.
Marcus stared.
Then he noticed something.
The message had been sent from a device he didn't recognize.
He looked up.
"Officer, can you tell where this message originated?""
"We're working on that.""
"No. Look at the device information. That's not my usual phone.""
Officer Reynolds studied him.
"You're saying someone else had access to your account?""
Marcus nodded slowly.
"My phone was with me that night.""
Vanessa suddenly dropped her handbag.
The sound made everyone turn.
A lipstick rolled across the hardwood floor.
"Vanessa?"" Marcus asked.
She quickly bent down.
"I'm fine.""
But her hands were shaking.
Emily noticed.
So did the officer.
Officer Reynolds looked from Vanessa to Marcus.
"Mrs. Hale—"
"Ex-wife," Emily corrected quietly.
"Emily, did anyone else have access to Lily's phone?""
Emily frowned.
"Her phone?""
"Yes.""
"Only me and Marcus. Why?""
Officer Reynolds turned toward Vanessa.
"Miss, may I ask you a question?""
Vanessa forced a smile.
"Of course.""
"Where were you on October fourteenth at approximately 7:42 p.m.?""
Marcus looked at her.
He knew where she had been.
They had been together.
Vanessa looked at him, then at the officer.
"At the hotel.""
"Which hotel?""
"The Grand Meridian.""
"Did you leave the table at any point?""
Vanessa's expression tightened.
"Why are you asking me that?""
"Because the message was sent from a device connected to your home Wi-Fi network.""
Silence swallowed the room.
Marcus turned slowly.
"What?""
Officer Reynolds placed the phone on the table.
"Mr. Hale, we have reason to believe someone used your account to send that message.""
Vanessa's face had gone pale.
Emily gripped the tissue so tightly that it tore.
Then Officer Reynolds added one more sentence.
"And according to the preliminary digital report, the device that sent it was registered under the name Vanessa Cole.""
Marcus looked at his girlfriend.
"Vanessa?""
She shook her head immediately.
"This is ridiculous.""
But the officer wasn't finished.
"There's another detail.""
She opened the report.
"The device was used again the following morning.""
Marcus's stomach tightened.
"Used for what?""
Officer Reynolds looked directly at Vanessa.
"To delete a voicemail from your daughter's phone.""
May you like
Vanessa stopped breathing.
And for the first time since Marcus had entered the house, she looked genuinely terrified.
