Daniel’s voice came through the speaker as calmly as if he were calling to ask what time dinner started.
“Now you understand why Christmas had to happen without you.”
I stared at the phone.
For most of my life, I had thought evil would sound different.
Cold.
Cruel.
Obvious.
Daniel sounded almost gentle.
That frightened me more.
Detective Harris held up one finger, signaling everyone to stay silent.
Officers were already tracing the call.
Daniel continued.
“You were never supposed to see those recordings.”
“Then why are you calling?”
“Because there is still a way to make this end quietly.”
I looked at Sophie.
My stepdaughter.
My half-sister.
The young woman Mark had spent months trying to push away from me.
“What do you want?”

“Rachel.”
Rachel stiffened.
“And the copies Margaret hid.”
“You don’t have those.”
“Not yet.”
“You took the ledger.”
“The ledger is useless without the originals.”
“Then maybe my mother was smarter than you.”
Daniel laughed softly.
“She usually was.”
That tiny note of respect made my skin crawl.
“You killed her.”
Silence.
Rachel covered her mouth.
Sophie squeezed my hand.
Daniel answered carefully.
“I did not kill Margaret.”