Chapter 2 - THE PERSON IN THE HALL
“Don't turn around, Daniel.”
The man's voice came from behind me.
I recognized it immediately.
My younger brother, Nathan.
Sophie tightened against my chest.
Vanessa's smile disappeared as quickly as it had appeared.
Nathan walked into the kitchen wearing jeans and a gray sweatshirt. He held no weapon. His hands were raised.
“What are you doing here?” I demanded.
“Getting Sophie out.”
I stared at him.
“From whom?”
His eyes shifted to Vanessa.
“Her.”
Vanessa laughed once.
“You're unbelievable.”
Nathan ignored her.
“I came through the garage because Vanessa changed the front-door code. I've been trying to reach you for two hours.”
My phone was still in my car.
I had left it charging after the drive home.
Nathan pointed toward the small security camera above the pantry.
“Check today's footage.”
Vanessa's eyes flicked upward.
That was my first real clue.
The camera had been installed months earlier after packages disappeared from our side entrance. Vanessa hated it because part of the kitchen fell within its angle.
I carried Sophie toward the hallway.
Vanessa moved after us.
Nathan blocked her.
“Don't.”
“This is my house.”
“It belongs to Daniel.”
“And I'm his wife.”
Nathan's jaw tightened.
“Not for much longer.”
I stopped.
“What do you know?”
He looked at Sophie before answering.
“Enough that she shouldn't spend another minute alone with Vanessa.”
Vanessa grabbed her phone from the counter.
Nathan immediately said, “Daniel, don't let her erase anything.”
Vanessa went still.
I looked at her phone.
Then at the camera.
The security system stored footage locally for seventy-two hours before overwriting it.
I handed Sophie to Nathan only after she reached willingly for him. Then I took Vanessa's phone from the counter before she could unlock it.
“You can't take my property.”
“Then call the police.”
She didn't.
That frightened me more than if she had.
I opened the security application on my tablet.
Today's kitchen recordings loaded.
There were seventeen motion clips.
At 10:14 a.m., Vanessa appeared carrying Sophie.
At 10:19, another person entered.
The image showed only his back at first.
Tall.
Dark jacket.
Gray hair.
Then he turned.
I knew him.
Dr. Martin Hale.
The pediatrician Vanessa had insisted Sophie start seeing three months earlier.
My stomach dropped.
On the recording, Martin crouched beside Sophie while Vanessa stood over them.
There was no audio.
But Martin handed Vanessa something.
A small amber prescription bottle.
Sophie began crying.
Then Vanessa looked directly at the security camera.
The next eleven minutes were missing.
Not corrupted.
Deleted.
I turned toward Vanessa.
“Why was Martin Hale here?”
“He's Sophie's doctor.”
“Doctors don't make secret house calls and delete security footage.”
“I didn't delete anything.”
Nathan spoke quietly.
“Maybe not.”
He held up a printed access log.
“The deletion was made using Daniel's administrator account.”
I stared at my brother.
Only two people knew that password.
Me.
May you like
And Nathan.
📖 Nathan had arrived claiming he wanted to protect Sophie, but the deleted footage suddenly gave me a reason to wonder whether my own brother had helped erase it. 👇
