CHAPTER 3: THE EVIDENCE THAT COULDN’T BE ERASED

I pulled Lily’s broken phone from my pocket.
The screen was cracked.
Still recording.
Still alive.
I pressed play.
Richard’s voice filled the air:
“My family owns this town… go ahead, call the police…”
No one moved.
No one breathed.
Then came the sound.
The impact.
Lily’s voice breaking.
That did it.
One woman gasped.
Another turned away.
Truth doesn’t need explanation when it’s heard.
It just needs space.
And I had just given it a stage.
The Chief stepped back.
Not forward.
May you like
Back.
That told me everything.