Chapter 7 - THE WOMAN MARA CALLED FIRST
Mara called someone before she called me.
That hurt.
Her name was Avery Klein.
Operations manager at Lark & Thread.
Mara’s friend.
Not as close as Celestine.
Close enough.
Avery had left the company two months after Mara died.
Why?
“Because I was scared.”
We met at Detective Ellis’s office.
Avery stared at the table.
“Mara thought Celestine was stealing.”
“How long did you know?”
“Three weeks.”
“And you didn’t tell me?”
“She told me not to.”
Everyone had protected me with silence.
I was beginning to hate protection.
“Why?”
“You were negotiating that logistics acquisition. She said if she was wrong, she didn’t want to blow up your deal or your friendship with Celestine.”
I laughed bitterly.
Mara had done to me what I later did to Roselle? Wrong story. What Calder did to his wife in prior story. Same pattern across humans.
She decided what truth I could handle.
Love does that sometimes.
Still wrong.
Avery continued.
“Mara asked me to pull Bellbird receiving reports.”
“What did you find?”
“Quantities did not match invoices.”
“Did Celestine know?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“She caught me in records.”
“What happened?”
“She told me Mara was unstable and asked whether I wanted to be dragged into a lawsuit.”
“Threat?”
“Not exactly.”
Fear without explicit threat.
Avery backed off.
Then the night before Mara’s death, Mara called.
“She said she had enough.”
“Enough for what?”
“To go to outside counsel.”
“Did she?”
“I don’t know.”
“She mentioned car?”
Avery’s face changed.
“She said someone had been in the garage.”
My pulse jumped.
“Who?”
“She thought Celestine.”
“Why?”
“Camera.”
There.
Then:
“Mara said she moved something out of the house.”
The USB.
Not out.
Into the doll.
Maybe she planned to send it.
Then Avery said something worse.
“Mara asked me to keep Poppy overnight.”
“What?”
“She said she needed one night to handle something.”
“Why didn’t she call me?”
“She said you were on a flight.”
I checked.
I was.
Chicago.
Landing near midnight.
Mara died the next morning before I saw her.
Avery had not kept Poppy overnight because Mara changed her mind.
Why?
Text:
Never mind. I’m keeping Pop with me. If Celestine comes back, I want witnesses? No.
Actual message:
Never mind. I moved the copy. She won’t find it.
The copy.
Meaning maybe original evidence existed elsewhere.
We searched Mara’s old office storage.
Nothing yet.
Then the separately encrypted audio cleared initial authentication.
Police allowed us to hear it under controlled conditions because Gage? I was witness/family. My lawyer present.
Mara’s voice.
Low.
Angry.
Poppy could be heard somewhere in background humming.
Celestine:
Turn that off.
Mara:
No.
Celestine:
You think a recording proves anything?
My stomach dropped.
There was the sentence.
That recording won’t prove I did anything.
Celestine had heard similar words before.
Mara:
It proves you were here.
Celestine:
So?
Mara:
It proves you knew I found Silver Row.
Celestine:
You found money. Congratulations.
Mara:
Mine.
Celestine:
Company money.
Mara:
That went to you.
Silence.
Then Celestine:
You have no idea what you’re about to break.
Mara:
Then tell me.
Celestine:
Delete it.
Mara:
No.
The audio ended.
No crash.
No brake.
No confession.
But Celestine knew exactly what recording the USB might contain.
Her fireplace panic now made sense.
Not full truth.
Still a major piece.
Then Detective Ellis said:
“There are six more audio files.”
“Play them.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because one references counsel. One may involve privileged communication. Two need warrants tied to financial records. We do this correctly.”
I hated her.
I trusted her.
Both.
Then she added:
May you like
“The last file is dated the morning Mara died.”
My whole body went cold.
