Chapter 5: The Night Lauren Never Came Home
The recording began with a timestamp.
November 18.
Three years earlier.
10:16 p.m.
Darius stood in the security room, his eyes fixed on the monitor.
The footage showed the rear driveway of the mansion. Rain fell heavily, blurring the camera's view of the gates.
A black luxury sedan entered.
The headlights illuminated the wet stone path.
The vehicle stopped near the side entrance.
A woman stepped out.
Darius leaned closer.
It was Brittany.
She wore a dark coat and carried a large handbag.
“Go back,” Darius ordered.
Marcus rewound the recording.
“Freeze it.””
The image stopped.
Brittany was looking toward the house.
Darius stared at her face.
“What's she doing here?””
Marcus clicked forward.
The woman entered the building.
Ten minutes later, she left.
But she wasn't alone.
A second figure appeared beside her.
A man.
Darius squinted.
“Enhance that section.””
Marcus adjusted the footage.
The man's face remained partially hidden beneath a baseball cap, but his jacket was unmistakable.
Darius recognized it.
“That's my former driver.””
Marcus nodded.
“His name is Raymond Price.””
“Where is he now?””
“He resigned six months after Mrs. Morgan's accident.””
“Why?””
Marcus hesitated.
“He said he was moving out of state.””
Darius looked at him.
“Find him.””
“Yes, sir.””
“Now.””
In the private suite upstairs, Brittany paced between the bed and the window.
Cynthia sat in an armchair with both hands wrapped around her handbag.
Neither spoke for several minutes.
Finally, Brittany turned.
“You said the recording was deleted.””
Cynthia looked up.
“I thought it was.””
“You told me nobody could recover it.””
“I thought nobody could.””
Brittany grabbed her phone.
“Call Raymond.””
“He won't answer.””
“Call him!””
Cynthia shook her head.
“Brittany, listen to me. We need to leave.””
The younger woman stared at her.
“Leave?””
“Pack a bag. We can be at the airport in an hour.””
Brittany laughed nervously.
“You want to run?””
“I want to avoid making things worse.””
“It's already worse! Darius knows about the money!””
Cynthia stood.
“Then let the investigators look at the accounts. We can explain the transfers.””
“And what about the recording?””
Cynthia's face tightened.
“That is what I'm worried about.””
Brittany dropped onto the edge of the bed.
For the first time, her confident mask completely collapsed.
“He promised he would never show it to anyone.””
Cynthia stared at her.
“Who?””
Brittany looked up.
“Raymond.””
Cynthia closed her eyes.
“You should never have trusted him.””
“He said it was safe.””
“He was driving Lauren's car that night!””
Brittany covered her mouth.
A long silence followed.
Then Cynthia whispered, “What did you really see?””
Brittany's eyes filled.
“I didn't see the accident.””
“Brittany.””
“I swear.””
Cynthia sat down beside her.
“Then tell me exactly what happened.””
Brittany stared at the floor.
“Lauren called me.””
“When?””
“That evening.””
Cynthia's eyes widened.
“What?””
“She wanted me to meet her at the house.””
“What did she say?””
Brittany swallowed.
“She said she knew about the money. She said she had copies of everything, and she was giving Darius the documents that night.””
Cynthia gripped her arm.
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“Because you told me to handle it!””
Cynthia released her.
“I told you to get the documents.””
“I tried!””
Brittany's voice rose.
“Lauren wouldn't hand them over. She said she wanted to protect Kayla from people like us.””
Cynthia stared at her.
“So what happened?””
Brittany's eyes moved toward the window.
“Raymond drove me there. He was supposed to collect the folder from Lauren's car while I distracted her.””
“And?””
“She left before I could get it.””
Cynthia slowly stood.
“Where?””
“She said she was going to the police.””
The room went silent.
Cynthia looked as if she might collapse.
“Did Raymond follow her?””
Brittany nodded.
Cynthia took a step backward.
“Oh, God.””
“I didn't tell him to hurt her!””
“Did you know he was following her?””
“I thought he was going to get the documents!””
Cynthia stared at her daughter.
For several seconds, neither moved.
Then Cynthia asked the question Brittany had been avoiding for three years.
“What happened after he left?””
Brittany began crying.
“He called me.””
“What did he say?””
“He said there had been an accident.””
Cynthia covered her mouth.
“He said the car went off the road. He told me Lauren was dead.””
“And you did nothing?””
“I was scared!””
“You should have told the police!””
Brittany grabbed her mother's arm.
“Do you think I don't know that?””
Cynthia shook her off.
“You let me sit here for three years believing this was simply a financial crime!””
Brittany's voice dropped.
“Mom, I didn't cause her death.””
Cynthia looked at her daughter.
“But you knew someone was following her.””
Brittany began sobbing.
Before Cynthia could answer, three sharp knocks sounded at the door.
“Ms. Whitmore?””
It was Marcus.
“Mr. Morgan needs both of you downstairs.””
Brittany wiped her face.
“What does he know?””
Marcus didn't answer.
He simply opened the door.
Behind him stood two uniformed officers.
Darius stood in the library.
Lauren's photograph rested on the desk beside the old letter.
A television screen displayed the security recording.
He didn't look at Brittany when she entered.
Instead, he addressed the officers.
“This is Brittany Whitmore. Her mother is Cynthia Whitmore. Both are connected to the financial records I provided.””
One officer stepped forward.
“Ms. Whitmore, we need to ask you some questions about the evening of November 18, three years ago.””
Brittany's eyes darted toward Darius.
“I have nothing to say.””
The officer looked at her.
“Did you visit this property that evening?””
“No.””
Marcus pressed a button.
The recording appeared on the television.
Brittany entering the mansion.
Brittany leaving beside Raymond.
The room fell silent.
Her face crumpled.
Darius finally looked at her.
“You told me you had never met Raymond outside of the house.””
She shook her head.
“Darius—”
“You told me you were at your mother's apartment that night.””
“I was trying to explain—”
“You lied to me for three years.””
Tears streamed down her cheeks.
“I didn't kill Lauren!””
Darius stepped forward.
“Then tell me why you were following her.””
Brittany looked toward the officers.
“Can I speak to my attorney?””
“Of course,” one officer replied.
Darius nodded.
“That's probably the first sensible decision you've made today.””
Brittany glared at him.
“Do you think you're innocent? You left Lauren alone that night! She called you, and you didn't answer!””
The words struck him like a physical blow.
He went still.
Brittany continued.
“She needed you, Darius. But you were too busy with business. You didn't answer her call!””
Darius looked down.
He remembered the message.
Call me when you're free. It's important.
He had never heard her voice again.
Then Evelyn entered the library.
She had heard the accusation from the hallway.
“Don't you dare blame him for what you did.””
Brittany turned.
“Stay out of this, Evelyn.””
Evelyn walked directly to Darius.
“You don't get to put your guilt on him.””
Darius rubbed his eyes.
“I should have called her.””
Evelyn took his hand.
“You loved her. You were working. You didn't know what was happening.””
Brittany shook her head.
“You don't know anything!””
Evelyn turned toward her.
“I know you frightened a little girl, destroyed something her mother loved, and expected everybody to applaud you for it.””
The officer stepped between them.
“That's enough.””
Brittany looked at Darius one final time.
“Please. You know I love you.””
He didn't answer.
She lowered her voice.
“I could have made us happy.””
Darius looked at her.
“You had three years to show my daughter kindness.””
Brittany began crying harder.
“You never gave me a chance.””
He glanced toward the doorway.
“Kayla gave you more chances than she should have needed to.””
The officers escorted Brittany and Cynthia out.
But before they reached the entrance, Cynthia stopped.
She turned toward Darius.
“There is one more thing you need to know.””
He said nothing.
“Lauren didn't keep all the documents at the house.””
Darius frowned.
“What?””
“She gave the original records to Evelyn.””
Darius turned toward his mother.
Evelyn looked stunned.
“Me?””
Cynthia nodded.
“She told you something about a blue music box. Didn't she?””
Evelyn's face slowly changed.
Darius stared at her.
“What blue music box?””
Evelyn looked toward the stairs.
For a moment, she seemed unable to speak.
Then she whispered, “Lauren gave me something before she died.””
Brittany suddenly shouted from the doorway.
“DON'T LET HER OPEN IT!””
The officers pulled her outside.
Darius turned back toward his mother.
“Mom?””
Evelyn swallowed.
“It's been in my bedroom closet for three years.””
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“Because Lauren made me promise not to open it unless Kayla was in danger.””
Darius looked toward the second floor.
“Then let's open it.””
Twenty minutes later, Evelyn placed a small blue music box on the dining-room table.
It was made of painted wood, with a tiny ballerina inside and a silver clasp.
Kayla sat beside her father.
She had asked to come downstairs after hearing the voices.
Darius wanted to send her upstairs, but Evelyn explained that Lauren had specifically wanted the truth to reach her daughter.
“Can I open it?”” Kayla asked.
Evelyn smiled.
“Not yet, sweetheart.””
Darius examined the box.
There was a small keyhole beneath the lid.
But no key.
Kayla leaned forward.
“Mommy used to play that song.””
Evelyn looked at her.
“You remember?””
Kayla nodded.
“She played it when she brushed my hair.””
Darius carefully lifted the box.
Something rattled inside.
He shook it gently.
A tiny folded piece of paper slipped through a narrow opening at the bottom.
He unfolded it.
It was another note in Lauren's handwriting.
Darius, if you've found this, please listen to the recording before you believe anything you hear about that night.
Below the message was a small flash drive.
Darius stared at it.
Evelyn covered her mouth.
“That's it,” she whispered.
“What?””
“Lauren told me there was something she wanted you to hear if she couldn't tell you herself.””
Darius looked at the flash drive.
His phone vibrated.
A message from Marcus appeared.
*Sir, Raymond Price has been located. He has agreed to speak with investigators. He says he has the original recording from the night of the accident.*
Darius looked toward Kayla.
Then at his mother.
He took a slow breath.
“Play the one Lauren left first.””
Evelyn nodded.
Darius connected the flash drive to the laptop.
A video appeared.
The screen went black.
Then Lauren's face appeared.
She was sitting in the nursery.
Her hair was tied back, and little Kayla was sleeping in the crib behind her.
Lauren looked directly into the camera.
“If you're watching this, Darius, then I need you to know that the person you trusted most is not the person you think she is.””
Darius stopped breathing.
Lauren looked down at something beside the camera.
Then she said a name.
May you like
“Cynthia Whitmore.””
And what she revealed next would change everything Darius thought he knew about the last three years.
