But the sound was clear.
And it recorded Evelyn opening the door.
Her scream.
Mallory's order that she return inside.
Then the words that changed everything.
“THAT IS YOUR NEW POLICE CHIEF!”
The third recording came from the officer's body camera.
Or rather, part of it.
The camera had been active when Mallory approached.
It recorded the initial questions.
The sound of Marcus explaining that the house belonged to his family.
Then the officer's aggressive commands.
But the footage stopped abruptly during the physical confrontation.
The device recorded a deactivation event.
Investigators needed to establish whether it resulted from an equipment malfunction, accidental contact, or deliberate interference.
They preserved the original files and obtained the device's activity logs.
The findings would become important later.
For now, what troubled Marcus most was something else.
The officer's first words on the recording.
“Your neighbor says you've been harassing the homeowner.”
Marcus listened carefully.
Then played the sentence again.
He hadn't been harassing anyone.
He was repairing his mother's porch.
And the only neighbor who had approached him that afternoon was Alan Pierce, who complained about the house still being occupied.
Marcus looked toward Evelyn.
She sat beside him at the kitchen table.
For several seconds, she listened.
Then her expression changed.
“Alan told the police you were harassing me?”
Marcus nodded slowly.
“That's what Mallory said.”
His mother shook her head.
“He knows you're my son.”
Marcus looked up.
“What?”
Evelyn stared.
For a moment, she seemed surprised by the question.
“Marcus, Alan came here when you visited last Christmas.”
The young man frowned.
“He did?”
“Yes. He brought another letter about the property.”
She took a breath.
“You answered the door.”
Marcus remembered.
A tall white man in an expensive coat.
A silver luxury SUV parked beside the curb.
And a conversation about development plans.
He'd told the man his mother had no interest in selling.
Then asked him not to bring further pressure to her doorstep.
Marcus slowly lowered the phone.
For several seconds, he remained silent.
Then whispered.
“He knew.”
Evelyn nodded.
“He knew you were my son.”
Marcus stared toward the window.