Chapter 6 - THE STORAGE ROOM UNDER THE TRACKS
Harper spent three days in the safe apartment.
She attended her pharmacology review session remotely.
She studied drug interactions.
Memorized dosage calculations.
Tried to pretend her life was ordinary.
It wasn't.
On Thursday morning, she took her exam.
She passed.
Eighty-nine percent.
She stared at the score.
Then laughed.
For the first time in a week, something made sense.
That afternoon, her phone rang.
It was Samuel Voss.
His voice was weak.
“Harper.”
“Samuel?”
“I need to tell you something.”
She sat down.
“What?”
“The key doesn't open a locker.”
Harper frowned.
“Then what?”
“A maintenance room beneath Ashford Station.”
She stared.
“Why didn't you tell us?”
“Because I didn't trust Gabriel.”
Harper closed her eyes.
“Neither did I.”
Samuel continued.
“Nicholas hid the records behind a wall panel.”
Harper contacted the attorney handling the evidence.
The next day, investigators obtained lawful access to the abandoned station.
Harper was not permitted to enter the restricted area.
She waited outside with Gabriel.
They stood beneath the old elevated tracks.
Neither spoke for several minutes.
Finally, Gabriel said:
“I heard you passed your exam.”
Harper looked at him.
“How?”
“Rosa told me.”
She almost smiled.
“Eighty-nine.”
Gabriel nodded.
“Your father would have been proud.”
Harper looked away.
“You don't know that.”
Gabriel was silent.
Then said:
“No. But I think he would.”
Hours later, investigators emerged carrying sealed evidence containers.
The compartment had contained documents.
Old ledgers.
Photographs.
Correspondence.
And a small cassette tape.
The tape was addressed to Elena.
Harper stared when she saw the label.
Her mother's name.
Written in unfamiliar handwriting.
The attorney explained that the recording would need to be examined and copied before anyone could hear it.
Harper nodded.
She understood.
But waiting felt unbearable.
Two days later, she was allowed to listen to a copy.
The recording began with static.
Then a man's voice.
Young.
Tired.
Frightened.
“Elena, if you're hearing this, something has gone wrong.”
Harper covered her mouth.
The voice continued.
“I need you to know that I love you.”
Tears filled her eyes.
“And I love our baby.”
Harper began sobbing.
The man paused.
Then whispered:
“If I don't come back, tell our child I wanted to.”
The recording ended with a strange sentence.
“Gabriel isn't the enemy. He just doesn't know the truth yet.”
Harper froze.
She looked at the attorney.
Then at Gabriel.
May you like
Because Nicholas had recorded those words before disappearing.
And they changed everything.
