Chapter 1: The Footage No One Was Supposed to See
Chapter 1: The Footage No One Was Supposed to See
I slipped the evidence bag into my jacket pocket without another word.
"Thank you, Mara," I said quietly.
She nodded.
"There... there's something else."
I waited.
"I thought it was strange, so I checked the security cameras."
My heart skipped.
The cameras.
I had installed them months earlier after a string of package thefts in the neighborhood. Most covered the entrances, but one overlooked part of the kitchen.
Mara opened the security app on her phone.
"I didn't want to watch alone."
The recording began.
Noah sat at the kitchen table, happily stirring chocolate milk in his favorite blue cup.
A few seconds later, Celeste walked into the frame.
She looked over both shoulders.
Then she reached into her pocket.
A tiny packet appeared in her hand.
She emptied a dark powder into Noah's drink.
My hands tightened around the phone.
Noah looked up.
"What are you putting in it?"
Celeste smiled.
"Just vitamins, sweetheart. They'll make you stronger."
She stirred the drink until the powder disappeared.
Noah trusted her.
He took a long sip.
The timestamp continued.
Twenty minutes later, he doubled over in pain.
The video ended.
Neither Mara nor I spoke.
Finally, I said, "Make copies of everything."
"I already did."
"Good."
That night, I didn't confront Celeste.
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People who believe they're winning often reveal more than those who know they've lost.
So I waited.
