As the security system activated, Rochelle began screaming at the cameras. \u201cNatalie! Open this door immediately! You can\u2019t lock us inside!\u201d Garrett tried the windows, but the steel shutters wouldn\u2019t move. Josephine rushed toward the entrance and pulled at the handle repeatedly. My father remained near the fireplace, holding the folder against his chest. Then the speaker system crackled, and a familiar voice filled every room. It was my father\u2019s voice, recorded during a phone call the previous winter. He had called me that night asking for another transfer of money, claiming creditors were threatening to take everything he owned.<\/p>\n
In the recording, my father could be heard speaking to Rochelle after he thought the call had ended. \u201cThere are no creditors,\u201d he said, laughing. \u201cNatalie always pays. She believes everything I tell her.\u201d Rochelle laughed too. Then he added, \u201cThe money is enough to keep Garrett comfortable, and once the villa is transferred, we\u2019ll never have to worry again.\u201d The room became silent. Garrett slowly turned toward his father, while Rochelle stopped shouting. I watched my father\u2019s expression change as he realized that the recording had been preserved. He had forgotten that the call had remained connected, and he had never imagined those words would eventually be played back inside the very house he had tried to steal.<\/p>\n
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