CHAPTER 2 — THE CAMERA THEY THOUGHT WAS GONE
CHAPTER 2 — THE CAMERA THEY THOUGHT WAS GONE
The stretcher rolled toward the ambulance.
Every bump sent fire through my back.
Sarah Chen walked beside me, one hand resting lightly on the rail.
"Stay with me, Bridget."
"I'm here," I whispered.
Behind us, Tyler's voice grew louder.
"She's lying!"
"It was an accident!"
Officer Daniel Reeves stepped through the gate just as another patrol car arrived.
"Nobody leaves the property," he announced.
Marcus froze halfway across the patio.
The officer noticed immediately.
"You."
"Stop where you are."
Marcus swallowed.
"I... I was just getting my phone."
Sarah looked toward the broken deck.
"No," she said quietly.
"He was heading for the security room."
Every head turned.
Officer Reeves followed Marcus into the house.
Less than two minutes later, he returned carrying a black DVR recorder.
Its front panel hung open.
Several hard drives had already been removed.
Marcus's hands began to shake.
"I don't know who did that."
The officer held up a screwdriver found beside the cabinet.
Fresh fingerprints covered the handle.
Marcus said nothing.
Then another voice came from the front driveway.
"Looking for these?"
A young woman in business attire stepped through the gate carrying two hard drives sealed inside evidence bags.
Lauren.
Tyler's wife.
Tyler stared at her.
"What are you doing?"
Her voice trembled.
"Finishing this."
She looked at the officers.
"I saw Marcus removing them."
"I took the backup drives before he could destroy them."
Tyler's face drained of color.
Lauren lowered her eyes.
"I can't let my son grow up believing this is what family means."
Officer Reeves accepted the evidence.
"If these recordings contain what you've described..."
Tyler interrupted.
"They won't prove anything."
May you like
Lauren looked directly at him.
"They prove everything."
