A woman’s voice came through first. “Hey, Daniel. Come here a second.” Brian looked up at once. A man answered from farther away. “Is it recording?” “I think so.” There was a rustle, then a child’s laugh in the background. The woman laughed too, but there was a strain in it. “Okay. If Jamie ever hears this, then I hope we’re sitting right there with him when he does.”
The man moved closer. “We just wanted to put a few things somewhere safe,” he said. “Just for a while.” “Until things are better,” the woman added. A pause. Then the child said something too faint to catch. The woman answered softly, “Yes, sweetheart. We’ll come back for it.” Nate leaned toward the player. The tape hissed, and the man spoke again.