Chapter 5 - The Camera Above the Chart Table

The yacht had forty-two cameras.

Only one had been turned off.

The one above Captain Hale's office.

"How convenient," Celeste said when we crowded into the security room.

I ignored her.

The technician pulled up the system log. Camera C-17 went dark at 7:42 p.m. It came back at 7:49.

Seven minutes.

During those seven minutes, my father's recorder disappeared.

"Who has access?" I asked.

"Senior crew," Hale said. "Myself. First officer. Security chief. Owners' administration."

Celeste folded her arms. "Meaning half the boat."

The technician shook his head.

"Not for remote disable. Only four credentials."

He turned the monitor.

CAPTAIN-H.

SECURITY-1.

ADMIN-RW.

EWHITMORE.

Every face turned toward Evan.

He went still.

"That's not possible."

Richard stood behind him, expression unreadable.

"Son?"

"I haven't used that login in months."

Celeste scoffed. "Of course."

I watched her instead of Evan.

She was too pleased.

"Check device origin," I said.

The technician clicked deeper into the log.

"Login came from a tablet on the upper deck."

"Which tablet?"

He hesitated.

"Guest suite four."

Celeste's suite.

Her smile disappeared.

"That's ridiculous. Anyone could have been in my room."

"Were they?" I asked.

"I don't answer to you."

"You shoved me on a dock ten minutes before evidence tied to my dead father disappeared from a locked office. You might want to start."

Richard stepped between us.

"No accusations without proof."

"Agreed," I said. "So let's get proof."

Captain Hale ordered security to seal the interior decks.

Celeste exploded.

"You cannot lock down my family's yacht."

Hale looked at me.

I looked at him.

"Actually," I said, "he can."

Celeste's face went blank.

I had not planned to tell her tonight.

But there was no reason to hide it anymore.

"VALOR was transferred to Cross Harbor Holdings at noon."

The room went silent.

"This isn't your family's yacht now," I said.

Then the technician frowned at another screen.

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"Ms. Cross... someone just activated the tender garage."

A boat was leaving.