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“I wouldn’t have slept at all. I appreciate it.”
Pulling out a tape recorder, she laid it on the bed. “Dr. Michaels, the one who did your blood work, had a locker with a tape recorder regarding you being framed.”
I interrupted her. “What? It clears me?”
“Yes, but one of the voices has been altered. I can’t make out who it is. Even if it’s male or female.”
Picking up the tape recorder, I looked at it while turning the black object in my hand. “Where’d you find this?”
“Under his desk, there was a key taped behind the drawer. I have spent the last two weeks going everywhere within an hour driving distance that had a lock number 212. Three days ago, I found it at the bus station.”
My head was swimming with everything. Glancing to Jaxson, he nodded. “Let’s hear it.”
I pressed play and the wheels spun. The recording was silent for a few seconds as I stared at the small device while nerves became more prevalent. The doctor started off the conversation while the background noise crackled. “It’s been done. London McNally’s blood results have been changed. It’ll appear she was driving drunk with no other substance in her blood.”
A strange digitally answered voice came on. “Good. She’ll be put away for a while with the evidence and what else I have planned.”
“Very well.”
The digital voice answered, but harsher this time. “No one must know or I’ll turn over the malpractice evidence I have. That bitch is going to get what she deserves in court after trying to take away what is mine.”
“You have my word.”
The line went dead. I waited for more to come, but it didn’t. Only static. “Is that it?”
Millie nodded. “That’s it. I know it’s not much, but I thought you’d want to hear it. The original lab results were also in the locker. I want to see if we can strip away the digital voice to any semblance of someone we know.”
I handed the recorder back to Millie, feeling sick remembering the hatred of the altered voice. They truly hated me to the depths of their soul.
Jaxson chimed in, “I may know someone. It might be best if we have someone away from Alabama analyze a copy of the tape.”
Jaxson’s hand came to my leg, breaking me away from the memory. “You’re deep in thought.”
I rubbed my hand over my temples. “I wish I knew why this all started. There has to be something that triggered it all.”
Jaxson let out a sigh. “Hopefully seeing us happy together stops anything else after this weekend. You refused Charles repeatedly and made no attempt to speak to him this morning at breakfast. There’s something not right about Rachel.”
“I hope if it’s Rachel, she saw I have no interest.”
The barn came into view on the McCole Ranch. Ty and Levi were waiting outside. Jaxson had texted his parents as we came up the long drive. Vigorously, our son waved. “I’m glad to be home, Jaxson.”
Jaxson gave me a quick kiss as he turned off the truck. “Me too, sweetheart.”
As soon as the truck door opened, little feet spurred their way toward us. I knelt to embrace my son. “I missed you so much, Ty.”
“Did you miss me enough for a dog?”
Jaxson scooped Ty up. “You are persistent.”
“Like father, like son.” I smiled as I spoke.
Jaxson gave me a wink. “Means us McCole men get what we want.”
That perked Ty’s ears up as we headed inside. The dog persuasion doubled in efforts. As we caught up over dinner, a fog settled over me. I wasn’t sure what was wrong. An unsettling feeling loomed in the back of my mind. Thank goodness Ty kept the conversation going.
In the kitchen, I put the last of the leftovers away. Pam asked, “Are you feeling okay?”
“I . . . uh . . . I don’t know. I’m tired and I feel off.”
