However, the email was too large to be previewed online.
It took Rayna several minutes to download the audio clip. After reducing the volume, she held the device beside her ear.
The audio clip began with only the sound of footsteps before various other noises joined the cacophony as if somebody was watching television.
Rayna sped the clip up.
After listening for a while, she put the playback speed back to normal when she detected the sound of somebody opening the door to enter the room.
“I bought you some strawberries and cherries, Kristie.” A low male voice sounded from the audio clip, followed by the sound of footsteps. “I’ll rinse them in the kitchen, then watch television with you. How does that sound?”
Kristie hummed her assent.
Having listened to the dialogue, Rayna assumed from Kristie’s state that it was during the interval when Curtis brought her back from Yartran.
Why did Ringo’s people plant a bug in Kristie’s place at that time?
She did not delve into it but instead pressed the phone against her ear and listened intently.
Curtis’ tone was gentle when he spoke to Kristie, but she merely responded with noncommittal grunts no matter what he said.
Rayna could sense how awful Curtis must have felt.
Feeling awful herself, she once again sped up the clip.
After a while, Rayna heard the sound of the doorbell, followed by Jeremy’s and Wyatt’s voices.
The group chatted a little while until Jeremy suddenly said, “Have James come over, Curtis. You saw how much Kristie wanted to see him when I showed her his photograph.”
“That’s unnecessary. I don’t need outsiders to be concerned about my sister.”
Silence befell the group.
“Ms. Garland called me, Curtis. She wants to help Jefferson, but she requires the signatures of the politicians who attended the party. It just so happens I’m on that list too.”
“We have long since severed ties,” Curtis said blandly. “There’s no need to consider my feelings.” A while later, Curtis asked Jeremy, “When is the party?”
“Two months from now.”
“Inform James of the time and place,” the man said coldly.
“Yartran is Arnaud’s turf, Curtis. If you send James, we may not be able to rescue him if he’s captured.”
“Enough! Leave if there’s nothing else to discuss.”
The audio clip ended at that point. Rayna’s eyes were wide with disbelief.
Only then did she understand how James could have gotten such an accurate inkling of Arnaud’s movements and how he had managed to ambush the latter from his vantage point atop the building.
Turns out it was Curtis who told him all of that!
Her phone vibrated at that moment.
Rayna tapped open her new WhatsApp message and felt her head splitting open when she saw the image Ringo sent.
It was a photograph of an emerald pendant smeared with blood.
She had gotten it at the temple for James. She would recognize it even decades later.
I can’t believe he had…
Gazing at the photograph of the emerald pendant, Rayna almost collapsed when her limbs gave way.
It was my mistake for what happened to Kristie. How could Curtis drag my brother into this and send him to exact vengeance on Arnaud by himself? How could he be so wicked?
Rayna’s heart broke when he thought of the man’s cruelty.
She let go of her hand supporting herself against the wall and fell limply onto the floor, startling the others who were eating.
Carl turned around. When he saw Rayna on the floor, he leaped off his chair and ran over. “Ms. Rayna, what’s wrong?”
Seeing that she had fainted over, he calmly ordered Kristie, who was passing by, “Aunt Kristie, hurry up and get a doctor!”
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