Chapter 8 — The Security Footage
Chapter 8 — The Security Footage
The first thing Charlotte did was call an ambulance.
The second was lock every door.
The third was download the security footage.
She didn't trust the police.
She didn't trust the board.
And after everything she had learned, she wasn't sure she trusted her own family.
Margaret was taken to the hospital under heavy security.
Before the paramedics carried her away, she grabbed Charlotte's hand.
"Don't let them erase you again."
Charlotte squeezed her fingers.
"I won't."
Margaret's eyes filled with tears.
"Find Elena."
"Why?"
"Because she knows what happened that night."
"What night?"
Margaret swallowed.
"The night your mother died."
Then the ambulance doors closed.
Charlotte stood in the driveway.
Rain began falling.
For the first time, she understood something terrifying.
The shooting hadn't been random.
Someone had known exactly where she would be.
Someone had known Margaret would tell her the truth.
And someone had been watching.
Charlotte looked up at the security camera above the garage.
"Good."
She pulled out her phone.
"Let's see what you saw."
Two hours later, Charlotte was sitting inside a private security office beneath Solmere Hotel.
Daniel Reed stood beside her.
He had connected the hotel's surveillance network to an isolated computer.
"We have thirty-two cameras covering the hotel."
"How far back?"
"Thirty days."
"I need last night."
Daniel nodded.
He opened the archive.
Camera 17.
The hallway outside Room 713.
Charlotte watched herself enter.
Then Adrian.
Then—
Nothing.
The footage jumped.
Exactly twelve minutes were missing.
Charlotte frowned.
"That's not a technical failure."
Daniel nodded.
"No."
"Someone deleted it."
"Yes."
"Can you recover it?"
"I might."
He began typing.
Charlotte watched the screen.
File fragments appeared.
Then disappeared.
Daniel cursed.
"What?"
"Someone encrypted the backup."
"Who?"
"I don't know."
"Try."
He did.
After several minutes, a hidden file appeared.
CAM_713_RECOVERY
Daniel clicked it.
The screen went black.
Then the missing footage began playing.
Charlotte watched herself enter the room.
Then Gabriel.
Then—
Someone else.
A figure appeared behind Gabriel.
Charlotte leaned closer.
"Pause."
Daniel froze the frame.
The person was wearing a dark coat.
Face hidden.
But the left hand was visible.
A silver ring.
Charlotte's heart stopped.
She knew that ring.
She had seen it her entire childhood.
"Zoom in."
Daniel enlarged the image.
The ring became clearer.
A black stone.
Surrounded by tiny diamonds.
Charlotte whispered:
"That's Margaret's ring."
Daniel turned toward her.
"Are you sure?"
"She wore it every day."
They continued watching.
The figure moved toward the camera.
Then stopped.
Slowly looked directly into the lens.
Charlotte froze.
Even though the face was hidden—
the posture was familiar.
Very familiar.
The figure raised one finger to its lips.
Then the footage ended.
Daniel stared at the screen.
"What does that mean?"
Charlotte whispered:
"They knew the camera was recording."
She pulled up another camera.
Lobby.
The previous evening.
At 9:17 p.m.
Olivia entered.
At 9:22.
Adrian.
At 9:26.
Martin.
Then—
Margaret.
Charlotte leaned closer.
"Why was she here?"
Daniel checked the access logs.
"She used a master key."
"Whose?"
"Your grandfather's."
Charlotte stared at him.
"Thomas Vale?"
Daniel nodded.
"That's what the system says."
Charlotte felt a chill.
Thomas had supposedly been dead for seven years.
Yet his master key had been used yesterday.
Someone was still using his identity.
Or—
Someone who had his key.
Charlotte opened another camera.
Basement entrance.
At 10:03 p.m., a black car arrived.
A man stepped out.
Tall.
Gray suit.
Silver hair.
Charlotte's heart stopped.
"That's him."
Daniel looked at her.
"Who?"
"Thomas."
The man entered the hotel.
Charlotte watched him walk through the lobby.
No one stopped him.
Security guards greeted him.
Employees bowed their heads.
He walked like he owned the place.
Because, in everyone's mind—
he did.
Then the man stopped.
He looked directly toward the camera.
Charlotte felt sick.
He smiled.
Then continued walking.
Daniel whispered:
"How is that possible?"
Charlotte didn't answer.
Because she knew.
Someone had been impersonating her grandfather for years.
And everyone at Solmere had accepted him.
Charlotte called Adrian.
He arrived ten minutes later.
She showed him the footage.
His face became pale.
"You recognize him."
Adrian didn't answer.
"Adrian."
He looked at the screen.
"Yes."
"Who is he?"
Adrian sat down.
"Thomas Vale."
"No."
Charlotte pointed at the screen.
"That's the man everyone thinks is Thomas."
Adrian's voice was quiet.
"He is."
Charlotte stared.
"You said my grandfather disappeared."
"He did."
"Then who is this?"
Adrian rubbed his face.
"I don't know."
Charlotte stood.
"You're lying."
"I'm not."
"You've known for years."
Adrian looked at her.
"Not everything."
"What do you know?"
He hesitated.
Then said:
"Your grandfather had a twin brother."
Charlotte froze.
"What?"
"His name was Theodore."
"Why have I never heard of him?"
"Because Thomas erased him."
"Why?"
"Because Theodore was dangerous."
"How?"
"He was smarter than Thomas."
Adrian looked at the footage.
"And far more ruthless."
Charlotte stared at the man on the screen.
"You're saying that's Theodore?"
Adrian nodded.
"I think so."
Charlotte felt the room spin.
"So the man controlling Solmere isn't my grandfather."
"No."
"He's his twin."
"Possibly."
"Then why did everyone call him Thomas?"
Adrian's answer was devastating.
"Because Thomas taught him how."
The next morning, Charlotte visited Margaret in the hospital.
Two armed guards stood outside the room.
Inside, Margaret was awake.
She looked exhausted.
Charlotte sat beside her.
"Tell me about Theodore."
Margaret closed her eyes.
"I was afraid you'd find out."
"Who is he?"
"Thomas's brother."
"Why did nobody tell me?"
"Because your grandfather wanted him forgotten."
"Was Theodore the man running Solmere?"
Margaret hesitated.
"Yes."
Charlotte's heart pounded.
"How long?"
"Since before your mother died."
"Why?"
"Because Thomas discovered what Theodore was doing."
"What?"
"Blackmail."
"Against whom?"
"Everyone."
Margaret looked at Charlotte.
"Politicians."
"Bankers."
"Businessmen."
"Judges."
"People who had secrets."
Charlotte whispered:
"Blackwell."
Margaret nodded.
"Theodore didn't create Blackwell."
"He took it over."
"And my mother discovered him."
"Yes."
"That's why she died."
Margaret looked away.
"Your mother discovered something worse."
"What?"
"She discovered Theodore wasn't working alone."
Charlotte froze.
"Who was helping him?"
Margaret shook her head.
"I never found out."
Charlotte stared at her.
"Someone inside the family?"
"Yes."
"Who?"
Margaret's eyes filled with tears.
"I don't know."
Charlotte knew she was lying.
"Grandmother."
Margaret turned away.
"Please."
"Who?"
Silence.
Then Margaret whispered:
"Elena."
Charlotte froze.
"Elena betrayed my mother?"
"No."
"Then why did you say her name?"
"Because Elena knows who did."
That evening, Charlotte found Elena.
Not in a mansion.
Not in a private office.
Not in some secret corporate tower.
She found her in a small bookstore downtown.
An elderly woman stood behind the counter.
Gray hair.
Simple clothes.
A silver necklace.
Charlotte walked in.
The woman looked up.
Their eyes met.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then the woman whispered:
"Charlotte."
Charlotte stopped.
"You know me."
Elena's eyes filled with tears.
"I've known you since before you could walk."
Charlotte's heart broke.
"You're my mother."
Elena nodded.
"Yes."
"Why did you leave?"
Elena looked toward the empty street.
"Because I thought Victoria had betrayed me."
"She didn't."
"I know."
"Now."
Elena's face crumpled.
"Too late."
Charlotte stepped closer.
"Tell me about the night my mother died."
Elena looked terrified.
"You found the footage."
Charlotte froze.
"How do you know?"
"Because they always leave one mistake."
"What mistake?"
"The camera."
Charlotte stared.
"What happened?"
Elena closed the bookstore door.
Locked it.
Then pulled down the blinds.
"Your mother called me that night."
"When?"
"Ten minutes before she died."
"What did she say?"
"She said she'd found the person controlling Theodore."
Charlotte's pulse raced.
"Who?"
Elena looked directly into her eyes.
"Someone you would never suspect."
"Who?"
Elena reached beneath the counter.
She removed an old flash drive.
"This contains the original security footage."
Charlotte stared.
"Original?"
"Not the edited copy."
"What will I see?"
Elena's eyes filled with fear.
"You'll see who entered your mother's house that night."
Charlotte took the drive.
"Who?"
Elena whispered:
"Your mother."
Charlotte frowned.
"What?"
"Victoria wasn't alone when she died."
"Who was with her?"
Elena's voice broke.
"Your grandfather."
Charlotte froze.
"Thomas?"
"No."
Elena looked at her.
"Theodore."
Charlotte's blood ran cold.
"But if Theodore was there..."
"Yes."
"Then who killed my mother?"
Elena shook her head.
"That's what I don't know."
She looked toward the locked door.
"But I know who arrived five minutes later."
"Who?"
Elena hesitated.
Then whispered:
"Adrian Cross."
Charlotte's heart stopped.
"No."
Elena nodded.
"He was the last person to see your mother alive."
Charlotte stared at the flash drive.
"Then why did he tell me he wasn't there?"
Elena's expression became sorrowful.
"Because he wasn't there to save her."
Charlotte slowly looked up.
"Why was he there?"
Elena whispered:
"He was there to kill her."
Charlotte's phone suddenly vibrated.
A message.
Unknown number.
She opened it.
One sentence appeared:
STOP WATCHING THE FOOTAGE.
Another message followed.
YOU'RE WATCHING THE WRONG PERSON.
Then a third.
ASK ELENA WHAT SHE DID AFTER YOUR MOTHER DIED.
Charlotte looked at Elena.
Elena had gone completely pale.
Charlotte slowly asked:
"What did you do?"
Elena didn't answer.
"Elena."
"I ran."
"Where?"
"To the hospital."
"Why?"
Elena's eyes filled with tears.
"Because your mother wasn't the only person who was dying that night."
Charlotte froze.
"Who else?"
Elena whispered:
"Your grandfather."
"What happened to him?"
"He was shot."
"By whom?"
Elena looked toward the window.
"By the same person who killed Victoria."
Charlotte's heart raced.
"Who?"
Elena stepped closer.
"Theodore."
Charlotte shook her head.
"That's impossible."
"No."
Elena reached for her hand.
"I watched him do it."
Charlotte stared at her.
"Then how is he alive?"
Elena's expression changed.
"He's not."
Charlotte froze.
"What?"
"The man you saw on the security footage..."
Elena whispered:
"...isn't Theodore."
Charlotte's blood ran cold.
"Then who is he?"
Elena looked directly into her daughter's eyes.
And said:
"The man wearing your grandfather's face."
Charlotte couldn't breathe.
Then her phone rang.
Adrian.
She answered.
His voice was urgent.
"Charlotte, where are you?"
"With Elena."
Silence.
Then:
"Get away from her."
Charlotte frowned.
"Why?"
"Because the security footage was manipulated."
"What?"
"The person you saw wasn't Theodore."
"I know."
"No."
Adrian's voice became desperate.
"You don't understand."
"Then explain."
A pause.
Then he whispered:
"Charlotte..."
"What?"
"The man on the footage is your father."
Charlotte's blood turned cold.
"Gabriel?"
"Yes."
"But Gabriel was with me."
"Exactly."
Charlotte stared at Elena.
Elena was crying.
Adrian continued:
"Which means someone has been impersonating Gabriel too."
Charlotte slowly stepped backward.
"Then who was in my mother's house?"
Adrian's voice dropped.
"The person who has been impersonating every member of your family."
Charlotte's heart stopped.
"Who?"
Adrian whispered:
"We finally found him."
A pause.
"His name is Marcus Vale."
Charlotte froze.
"Who is Marcus?"
Adrian answered:
"The man your family buried twenty-nine years ago."
And suddenly the security footage on Elena's computer began playing by itself.
A figure appeared on the screen.
Charlotte stared.
The face slowly turned toward the camera.
And Charlotte recognized him.
Not from a photograph.
Not from a document.
But from her own childhood.
He had been standing behind her in every family photograph.
Watching.
Waiting.
Smiling.
Her mother's voice came from the recording:
"If Charlotte ever sees this man..."
The footage froze.
Victoria's voice continued:
"...run."
Charlotte whispered:
"He's been with me my whole life."
Elena nodded.
"He has."
Charlotte stared at the frozen image.
And for the first time, she understood the real horror.
May you like
The man who had erased her name hadn't been hiding from her.
He had been hiding in plain sight.
