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Rachel tugged at his sleeve, whispering urgently as phones discreetly began recording. “Jason, sit down.”
My legs nearly gave out. I hadn’t known. Tears clouded my vision.
Jason let out a bitter laugh. “Her sister? Emily can’t even manage her own bills. This is insane.”
He reached into his briefcase and withdrew a thick sealed envelope.
“This was delivered to my office two days before Lily’s death,” he said. “It is marked in her handwriting: ‘To be opened only if my death is ruled an accident.’”
Mr. Hayes opened the envelope.
My stomach twisted painfully.
“I installed a small security camera at the top of the stairs,” he continued. “If something happens to me, my lawyer has instructions.”
“This contains the footage Lily sent to my office the night before she died.”
Jason stared at it like it might explode.
Two weeks later, I sat in a cramped police station room with my parents, Mr. Hayes, and a detective. A laptop sat open in front of us.
The video was grainy but unmistakable. Lily stood at the top of the staircase, eight months pregnant, crying, phone in hand. Jason was below, shouting.
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