Daniel Played the Recorder Sophie Found — Then Vanessa Mentioned a Suitcase Hidden Upstairs
Chapter 8 — Sophie Remembers the Blue Envelope
Daniel searched the entire box again.
Nothing.
Police searched with him.
No envelope.
Then Sophie quietly said:
“Blue stars?”
Daniel turned.
“What?”
“Mommy had one with blue stars.”
His heart began beating faster.
“Where?”
Sophie pointed toward her room.
Daniel followed her.
She opened a small wooden toy chest.
Then removed an old picture book Rachel used to read to her.
Inside the back cover was a pocket.
Sophie pulled out a faded blue envelope covered in tiny silver stars.
Daniel couldn’t believe it.
“How long has this been here?”
Sophie shrugged.
“Mommy said it was important.”
She had been too young to understand.
But she remembered being told not to throw it away.
Daniel opened the envelope with police present.
Inside was a flash drive.
And a handwritten note.
Copies of invoices, emails and photographs. Keep somewhere Eric cannot reach.
The flash drive contained far more evidence than the notebook.
Original invoices.
Bank records.
Photographs of incomplete repairs.
Emails in which Eric discussed changing invoice amounts after approval.
One message was especially clear.
Rachel keeps comparing the site photos to billing. We need her off these accounts.
Daniel stared at it.
The notebook was not merely something Eric found embarrassing.
Rachel had been documenting a suspected financial scheme.
And after all these years, Eric still wanted the evidence gone.
