Chapter 4 - The Man in the Security Footage)
Daniel did not confront Claire again.
Marcus had told him not to.
So Daniel smiled.
He told the florist there had been a misunderstanding.
He ordered artificial flowers for Sophie and asked for written confirmation.
Claire remained quiet during the drive home.
That evening, she behaved normally.
Too normally.
She prepared Sophie's favorite pasta.
She laughed at cartoons.
She sat beside Daniel on the sofa with her head on his shoulder.
Every gesture felt rehearsed.
At nine thirty, Daniel carried Sophie upstairs.
As he tucked her beneath the blankets, Sophie touched his cheek.
"Daddy sad?"
"I'm okay."
"Mommy Claire mad."
"Why?"
Sophie looked toward the doorway.
"Because I saw."
Daniel's pulse quickened.
"Saw what?"
"The man."
"The gray haired man?"
She nodded.
"What was he doing?"
Sophie pulled the blanket to her chin.
"Talking."
"To Claire?"
Another nod.
"What did they say?"
Sophie frowned, trying to remember.
"Wedding."
"What about the wedding?"
"After wedding."
Daniel waited.
Sophie whispered, "Daddy gone."
A cold sensation moved through his chest.
"What does that mean?"
She shrugged.
"Mommy Claire said Daddy gone."
Daniel kissed her forehead.
"Nobody is taking me anywhere."
Sophie reached beneath her pillow.
She removed another drawing.
This one showed three figures.
A small orange figure.
A dark figure.
A yellow figure.
The dark figure stood outside what looked like a house.
The yellow figure stood inside.
Daniel pointed.
"Who is this?"
Sophie touched the dark figure.
"Daddy."
"And this?"
"Mommy Claire."
"Where are you?"
Sophie pointed toward the tiny orange figure.
Beside Claire.
Daniel felt sick.
After Sophie fell asleep, he went to his home office.
The security system stored only thirty days of footage.
Most indoor cameras had been removed after Emily died because Daniel disliked feeling watched.
But two remained.
One faced the front entrance.
The other covered the basement hallway.
Daniel opened the recordings.
The night before.
9:39 p.m.
Claire appeared in the basement corridor wearing her robe.
She looked directly at the camera.
Then walked toward the cellar.
At 9:44, another person entered the frame.
A man.
Tall.
Gray hair.
Dark overcoat.
Daniel leaned closer to the screen.
Victor Whitmore.
Claire's father.
Victor entered the wine cellar.
He emerged twelve minutes later.
Claire followed.
Daniel replayed the recording.
Then again.
His phone rang.
Marcus.
Daniel answered immediately.
"I found him."
"Who?"
"Victor."
Daniel explained.
Marcus was silent for several seconds.
"Save the footage."
"I'm doing it now."
"Save it somewhere Claire can't access."
Daniel copied the file to an encrypted drive.
Marcus continued.
"I found something too."
"What?"
"Emily's crash report."
Daniel's hand stopped.
"I've already read it."
"Not the version I found."
"What do you mean?"
"The original responding officer noted a witness."
Daniel stood.
"There was no witness."
"That's what the final report says."
"The driver who crossed the center line died."
"Yes. But someone else saw the collision."
Daniel's mouth went dry.
"Who?"
"A woman named Teresa Grant."
"Why wasn't she in the final report?"
"That's what I'm trying to figure out."
"Where is she?"
"Unknown."
"What do you mean unknown?"
"She disappeared from public records four months after Emily died."
Daniel looked toward the hallway.
"Marcus, find her."
"I will."
A floorboard creaked outside the office.
Daniel immediately closed the laptop.
Claire appeared.
"Still working?"
"Emails."
She leaned against the doorframe.
"You've been distant."
"Busy."
"Daniel."
She entered.
"Are we okay?"
He looked at her.
For the first time, he understood how difficult deception could be.
He wanted to ask why her father had secretly entered his house.
He wanted to demand the truth.
Instead, he smiled.
"We're getting married in three weeks. I'm stressed."
Claire relaxed.
She walked behind him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.
"I know."
Daniel stared at the dark computer screen.
Her face reflected faintly behind his.
Then she whispered.
"Everything will be easier after the wedding."
Sophie had heard almost the same words.
Daniel turned.
"What happens after the wedding?"
Claire smiled.
"We become a family."
She kissed him.
Then left.
Daniel remained motionless for several minutes.
When he finally reopened the security footage, he noticed something he had missed.
Victor was carrying something when he entered the basement.
A black leather folder.
When he left, the folder was gone.
Daniel returned to the hidden room.
He searched for almost an hour.
Finally, behind a loose panel beneath the lowest shelf, he found it.
The black leather folder.
Inside was a copy of Daniel's will.
And attached to it was a new document.
A document he had never seen.
Spousal Asset Authorization.
Effective upon marriage.
May you like
At the bottom was Daniel's signature.
Except Daniel had never signed it.
