Chapter 2 - The Camera Daniel Knew About
Daniel came home forty minutes later.
I wouldn't let him near Sophie.
“Rachel, you're being ridiculous.”
“Tell me about the camera.”
He loosened his tie.
“I installed it.”
“When?”
“A few weeks ago.”
“Why isn't it connected to our security account?”
He hesitated.
“Separate storage.”
“Why?”
“To watch Mom.”
I stared at him.
“You secretly installed a camera to watch your mother?”
“Yes.”
“Because you suspected she was hurting Sophie?”
Silence.
That was my answer.
I stepped closer.
“How long have you known?”
“I didn't know.”
“Don't play with words.”
“I noticed Sophie acting differently around Mom.”
“So did you ask her?”
“She’s five.”
“She's your daughter.”
“I wanted proof.”
My anger sharpened.
“You suspected your mother was abusing our child, and instead of telling me, you kept sending Sophie outside with her?”
Daniel’s face crumpled.
“I thought Mom was yelling at her. Maybe grabbing her arm. I never imagined this.”
“The dog chain was clipped to her belt, Daniel.”
“I know.”
“No. You know now.”
He looked away.
That was when I remembered Margaret’s exact words.
Your husband knows. He’s never stopped me.
Maybe she wasn't saying Daniel approved.
Maybe she was saying he knew enough to act.
And didn't.
“Where is the footage?”
Daniel pulled out his phone.
The camera used a private cloud account.
He opened the app.
Entered a password.
Then stopped.
“What?”
His face drained.
“The recordings are gone.”
“All of them?”
“Everything before today.”
My stomach dropped.
“Can Margaret access this account?”
“No.”
“Who can?”
“Me.”
“Who else?”
He didn't answer.
“Daniel.”
“My brother.”
I stared at him.
“Uncle Ethan?”
“He helped install it.”
Sophie loved Ethan.
He brought her birthday presents.
Taught her to ride a scooter.
Called her Princess Soph.
My daughter’s whisper returned.
She didn't do it alone.
“Call him.”
Daniel did.
No answer.
Again.
Nothing.
Then Claire walked into the room.
“Rachel?”
She was holding Sophie’s purple dress.
“What?”
“I found this inside the belt.”
She opened her palm.
A tiny black plastic device.
Smaller than my thumbnail.
Daniel recognized it immediately.
“A tracker.”
My knees nearly gave out.
“Why was someone tracking my five-year-old?”
Daniel looked just as shocked as I felt.
Then his phone buzzed.
Not Ethan.
A notification from the private camera account.
May you like
A new device had just logged in.
And begun permanently deleting the remaining files.
