Chapter 9 - What the Camera Saw
Nathan wanted to race back to the mansion. Nora stopped him at the door.
"You're angry. You're also being accused of instability. Let us do this carefully."
With Nora's help he requested access to the property's security system under his own account. It had been disconnected from his phone months earlier, but the installer kept a service record. Nathan discovered that the cameras had not been removed; his access had been revoked.
The installer agreed to preserve the footage pending proper authorization. Nathan could feel the outline of the problem getting larger. Whoever had done this planned ahead.
That afternoon Caroline brought Max to Nora's house. Max looked like he expected to be punished. Lucy hid behind Nathan until her cousin spoke.
"I'm sorry I didn't help you," Max said.
"You gave me your cookie," Lucy replied.
"That wasn't enough."
"It helped."
Max produced a memory card he'd hidden inside his sneaker. "Grandma didn't know my tablet saved copies here."
The first video showed a Thanksgiving practice dinner two weeks earlier. Evelyn stood over Lucy as the little girl carried a tray toward the dining table.
"Not at the grown-up table," Evelyn said on the recording. "You know the rule."
Another clip showed the pantry door closed. From inside came Lucy's small voice asking for water. The footage did not establish how long she'd been there, but it was enough to make Nathan grip the counter.
"Dad?" Lucy asked.
He turned the screen off. "You don't have to watch any more."
Max cleared his throat. "There's another video."
In the final clip, Evelyn sat in the east study with Gerald Vale. She slid a blue metal box across the desk. The camera had captured only a reflection in a dark window, and the sound was faint.
May you like
Vale's voice said, "Once the transfer goes through, Nathan will have nothing left to challenge us with."
Evelyn replied, clearly enough for everyone to hear, "Then make sure the girl never finds out what her mother signed."
