Chapter 7
By six that evening, Claire had a judge.
Not physically.
But close enough.
An emergency hearing was scheduled by video for eight-thirty.
The goal was simple.
Freeze Ryan and Diane’s devices.
Prevent destruction of documents.
Demand return of anything removed from the house.
Then the first problem arrived.
The judge wanted evidence that the red case actually belonged to the trust.
We didn’t have any.
It had belonged to my father personally.
His estate had closed years ago.
“If they argue it was abandoned property, we have a complication,” Claire said.
“Abandoned inside a locked office?”
“I didn’t say it was a good argument.”
Daniel paced behind us.
“We need Rebecca.”
I looked at him.
“You suddenly trust her?”
“No. But she can identify the case.”
I called.
No answer.
Again.
Nothing.
At seven-fifteen, a message arrived from her.
DON’T CALL ME AGAIN.
I stared at it.
Claire frowned.
“That’s odd.”
Daniel said, “Maybe Ryan reached her.”
I typed back.
ARE YOU SAFE?
The response came thirty seconds later.
YES. LEAVE THIS ALONE.
I read it twice.
Something felt wrong.
Rebecca had spent years trying to expose our family.
Now she wanted me to leave it alone?
Daniel saw my face.
“What?”
“She wouldn’t say that.”
“You haven’t spoken to her in fifteen years.”
“No. But she called me today because she wanted the case back.”
Claire leaned closer.
“What are you thinking?”
“Someone else has her phone.”
Daniel was already dialing a contact.
At eight, a private investigator called us.
Rebecca’s apartment door was unlocked.
She wasn’t there.
Her purse was.
Her medication was.
Her car was still parked outside.
Daniel swore.
Claire immediately called the police.
At eight-thirty, the hearing began.
Ryan appeared from Victor’s office.
Diane sat beside him.
They looked calm.
Too calm.
Claire presented the voicemail.
The photograph.
The disabled camera.
The access attempt.
Victor argued that the entire situation was a domestic dispute exaggerated by my wealthy relatives.
Then the judge asked Ryan directly.
“Mr. Hayes, do you currently possess a red leather document case taken from the petitioner’s residence?”
Ryan looked straight into the camera.
“No, Your Honor.”
My nails dug into my palm.
The judge asked Diane.
“Mrs. Hayes?”
“No.”
Claire held up the photograph.
Diane smiled faintly.
“That could be any case.”
“When was this photograph taken?”
“I don’t know.”
“It was sent three hours ago.”
“By whom?”
“An unknown number.”
Victor leaned in.
“So there is no proof my clients sent it.”
The judge frowned.
Not enough.
Claire tried another angle.
“Your Honor, there is also concern for the safety of a potential witness.”
Victor objected.
The judge asked, “What witness?”
Claire looked at me.
I nodded.
“My aunt, Rebecca Carter.”
Diane’s face changed.
Barely.
But the judge noticed.
“Mrs. Hayes, do you know Rebecca Carter?”
“No.”
I whispered to Claire.
“She’s lying.”
Claire said, “We have testimony indicating Mrs. Hayes visited Ms. Carter six months ago.”
Victor objected again.
“Testimony from whom?”
“My client.”
“Hearsay from an alleged phone call.”
The judge sighed.
The hearing was slipping away.
Then Daniel’s phone vibrated.
He read the message.
His eyes widened.
He shoved it toward Claire.
She went still.
“Your Honor, new information.”
Victor protested.
Claire ignored him.
“A security camera across from Ms. Carter’s apartment captured a vehicle leaving at approximately six-forty this evening.”
She turned her screen toward the camera.
The image was grainy.
But the license plate was visible.
The judge leaned forward.
Claire continued.
“The vehicle is registered to Mrs. Diane Hayes.”
Silence.
Diane’s mouth opened.
Ryan turned toward her.
“What?”
Victor closed his eyes.
The judge’s tone became sharp.
“Mrs. Hayes, where is Rebecca Carter?”
“I don’t know.”
“You just told this court you did not know her.”
“I don’t.”
“Then why was your car outside her residence?”
“My car was stolen.”
Ryan stared at his mother.
“Mom.”
“Quiet.”
The judge said, “Was a police report filed?”
Diane didn’t answer.
“Mrs. Hayes?”
“No.”
The judge sat back.
That was it.
The order came fast.
Ryan and Diane were prohibited from destroying, altering, transferring, or concealing any document or electronic record connected to the Carter family.
Their devices were to be surrendered for forensic imaging within twelve hours.
The red case, if in their possession, had to be turned over immediately.
And the judge referred the possible witness issue to law enforcement.
The screen went dark.
I should have felt relieved.
I didn’t.
Ryan called me less than a minute later.
I answered.
“What?”
His voice shook.
“I didn’t know.”
“Know what?”
“About Rebecca.”
I said nothing.
“My mother left the hotel this afternoon. She told me she was meeting a friend.”
“Where is the case?”
“I don’t have it.”
“Who does?”
He was silent.
Then he whispered,
“My mother.”
A sound behind him.
A door opening.
Ryan stopped speaking.
Then Diane’s voice came through the phone.
“You stupid boy.”
The call ended.
I tried him back.
No answer.
Again.
Nothing.
Then I received another photograph.
This one was different.
Rebecca sat in a chair in a dim room.
She wasn’t tied.
She wasn’t visibly injured.
But her face was terrified.
Diane stood behind her.
Holding the red case.
The message underneath said:
May you like
MIDNIGHT IS NO LONGER YOUR DEADLINE.
RYAN’S IS.
