Chapter 8 - THE RECORDING UNDER THE MUSIC
Adrian discovered that the wedding sound system had stored fragments from wireless microphones.
Celeste’s microphone remained active during several private conversations.
Most audio was buried beneath music and guest noise.
An independent laboratory recovered sentences.
Eleanor’s voice:
“Once the child has it, Evelyn has to choose.”
Preston answered:
“She may go to the police.”
Eleanor said:
“Not if she believes Sophie took it.”
The recording did not explain who placed the item near Sophie or what “choose” meant.
It proved the child’s involvement had been discussed before the accusation.
Preston called the audio manipulated.
The laboratory authenticated the source.
Celeste changed her story.
She admitted seeing the case on the floor after Nora and Preston argued. Sophie picked it up and asked who owned it.
Celeste told her to place it in her jacket pocket because guests were entering the corridor.
“Why?” Lena asked.
“I didn’t want it visible during photographs.”
“Why did Preston attack her?”
“He thought Nora had given it to her.”
“Why did you remove the jacket?”
Celeste looked at the table.
“I was trying to find the case.”
“Did you?”
Her lawyer stopped the interview.
That evening Preston received permission for one supervised video call with Sophie.
The evaluator ended it after four minutes.
Preston did not ask about her head.
He asked whether she remembered what she had “done with Daddy’s black thing.”
Sophie began crying.
The evaluator preserved the call.
Preston’s visitation request was suspended again.
Then Adrian recovered a deleted access entry from the bridal-suite safe.
Celeste opened it eleven minutes after the ambulance left.
She removed one object.
The safe camera showed only her back.
She carried it into a service corridor where all footage had been erased.
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The bride had found what Preston wanted.
The question was who received it next.
