Letting in Light ✔️ [Completed] [Book two]

Chapter 22

A melancholy classical tune plays through my phone speaker. It's frustratingly familiar, but I just cannot place it. The profoundly sad song drifts into my office, making me feel as though it's sorrowful score could dance a noose around my throat.

Louise looks at me in anticipation. "Do you recognise the music?"

I clear my throat. "I do, but I'm not sure where from."

"That's exactly what I thought when I first listened to the messages. I've heard it before, but I'm not sure where. It's been driving me crazy." She shakes her head, clearly annoyed.

The music builds to a dramatic and emotional finale before it cuts off abruptly.

The automated voice then gives me the options about whether I want to save the message or delete it. Oddly, there is no option to return the call, which makes me uneasy.

I ignore the choices given, and instead just  wait to listen to the next message. My ragged breathing seems to be the only sound in the silent room.

A distorted voice speaks on the second message as though someone is talking through a machine. "You're just so perfect, Lizzie. Everything about you is flawless. You always look beautiful."

The message then clicks off, and the machine provides me with the same options as before.

I look from the phone up to Louise with wide eyes. "What the hell was that?" A shudder ripples through my body, making my hairs stand on end.

"It gets worse." Louise comments solemnly.

The same distorted voice is back. "Can anyone really be flawless? Maybe you're not so pure. Maybe if I dig a little I might find something out about you. Maybe then he won't think you're so perfect." The line goes dead.

My heart begins to race at the thought of whoever this is finding out what happened to me. I notice my palms are sweaty, and wipe them roughly down my fitted trousers.

On the next message I hear Daniel's voice, and the familiarity startles me. "You are quite simply the love of my life, you are all I see and you make me a better man. I want to spend the rest of my life making this mess I've made up to you." The message clicks off.

"That's what he said in that interview from way before Christmas." She comments, and I nod in response feeling sick that someone is using and twisting Daniel's words.

I don't say anything between the messages. I can't find any words. Louise continues to bite her nails as each message plays.

The robotic voice returns. "He's completely in love with you. Do you realise how lucky you are? That some people would kill to be in your shoes?"

Holy shit, did he...she... just threaten me?

I try to decipher whether the voice sounds like a woman or a man, but it's so distorted that it could be anyone.

The same song then plays again on the next message. I close my eyes and can almost place it. It's on the tip of my tongue, but then just as I think I have it, it slips back to the depths of my mind.

"Lizzie, Lizzie, Lizzie. You're his princess. Play your cards right, you really could be the next Lady Diana."

The rest of the mailbox is filled with various clips of Daniel talking about me from the interview where he opened up about us.

But then the last message is by far the shortest.

"How was Ireland? I was so glad you got to spend some time together after the unfortunate mix up."