Chapter 2 - Seven Missing Minutes)
Sarah discovered the missing footage because Ethan woke screaming.
Not hungry.
Not restless.
Terrified.
She knew the difference.
Babies did not explain fear with words, but their bodies did.
Ethan's arms locked around Sarah's neck when she lifted him.
His breathing came in tiny broken gasps.
The nursery was dark except for the night-light near the rocking chair.
Sarah checked the window.
Locked.
The bathroom.
Empty.
The hallway.
Silent.
Victoria's bedroom was two doors away.
Sarah carried Ethan downstairs and stayed with him in the family room until sunrise.
At seven, she reviewed the monitor.
The camera recorded continuously.
Except from 4:17 to 4:24.
Seven minutes were simply gone.
Sarah called the mansion's security supervisor, Marcus Reed.
Marcus had spent fifteen years in private executive protection before Richard hired him. He was broad shouldered, serious, and allergic to drama.
"Could the system erase seven minutes by itself?" Sarah asked.
"No."
"Power interruption?"
"Backup battery."
"Software update?"
"Not at four in the morning."
Marcus looked at the monitor log.
His expression changed.
"Someone accessed the administrative panel."
"Who can do that?"
"Mr. Bennett. Me. Two technicians."
"Victoria?"
"No."
Sarah looked toward the hallway.
Marcus understood.
"I'll check."
That afternoon, he returned.
"There was no outside login."
"What does that mean?"
"Someone used the terminal inside the security office."
Sarah felt cold.
"Was the office locked?"
"It should have been."
"Should have been?"
Marcus did not answer immediately.
One key was kept in a coded cabinet.
The other belonged to Richard.
The cabinet showed no forced entry.
Richard's key was attached to the key ring he carried every day.
Marcus suggested changing the access codes.
Sarah agreed.
Neither of them told Richard immediately.
That was their mistake.
Richard was in Chicago negotiating the acquisition of a hotel group, and Marcus believed he could investigate without alarming him.
Sarah wanted proof.
Proof felt safer than suspicion.
Victoria behaved perfectly for the next week.
Almost too perfectly.
She brought Ethan a stuffed elephant.
She asked permission before entering the nursery.
She complimented Sarah's work.
Then the small changes began.
Ethan's bath time was changed without Sarah's knowledge.
His formula was moved to a different cabinet.
A housekeeper was told Sarah had approved new cleaning products in the nursery when she had not.
Sarah started writing everything down.
Dates.
Times.
Instructions.
At first, she felt ridiculous.
Then one afternoon, Victoria walked into the nursery while Sarah was changing Ethan.
"Richard thinks you're becoming overprotective."
Sarah looked up.
"He said that?"
"Last night."
Richard had called Sarah about Ethan at nine thirty.
He had sounded grateful.
Nothing in the conversation suggested concern.
"What exactly did he say?"
Victoria leaned against the door.
"He said you behave as though Ethan belongs to you."
Sarah finished fastening the baby's outfit.
"I'll ask him."
Victoria's eyes sharpened.
"You don't trust me?"
"I prefer hearing people's opinions from them."
Victoria stepped inside.
"You know, women in your position sometimes develop attachments that are not entirely healthy."
"My position?"
"Young. Single. Living in another family's home. Caring for a child who isn't yours."
Sarah lifted Ethan.
"You should leave."
Victoria smiled.
"You don't have authority to order me out."
"This is Ethan's nursery."
"And soon this entire house will be mine."
Sarah stared at her.
Victoria corrected herself.
"Ours."
She left.
That evening, Richard returned unexpectedly.
Sarah decided she would finally tell him.
She waited until Ethan was asleep.
Richard was in his study removing his cuff links when Victoria entered carrying two glasses of wine.
Sarah stopped outside the half-open door.
She heard Victoria laugh.
Then Richard said something Sarah could not hear.
Victoria answered.
"Sarah worries too much. I think losing Caroline affected everyone here."
Sarah froze.
Victoria lowered her voice.
"Sometimes I wonder whether Sarah likes keeping the house frozen in grief."
Richard said nothing for several seconds.
Then he answered.
"Sarah took care of my son when I could barely function. Don't turn this into a competition."
Sarah quietly stepped away before they knew she was there.
Relief nearly made her dizzy.
Richard was not completely blind.
But Victoria had begun building a story.
And Sarah was the villain inside it.
Two days later, Marcus called Sarah into the security office.
He closed the door.
"I found the access log."
Sarah sat down.
"Who entered?"
Marcus placed a printed page on the desk.
The security office door used electronic access after midnight.
At 4:15 a.m. on the morning of the missing footage, someone had entered using Richard Bennett's personal code.
Sarah stared at the numbers.
"Richard was in Chicago."
"I know."
"Can codes be copied?"
"If someone sees you enter one."
Sarah thought of everyone who had been inside the mansion.
Staff.
Guests.
Contractors.
Victoria.
Marcus turned toward the monitors.
"I changed the code."
"Does Richard know?"
"I told him there was a security issue. Not the details yet."
"Why?"
"Because I wanted to know if whoever did this would try again."
Sarah did not like the answer.
"What happens if they do?"
Marcus reached under the desk and removed a small black recording unit.
"I created an independent backup."
The device was not connected to the mansion's main network.
Sarah looked at it.
"Where does it record from?"
"Older cameras."
"Which cameras?"
Marcus hesitated.
"Most people don't know this house had a security system before the current one."
He pulled up an old blueprint.
Several tiny circles were marked across the first floor.
One in the library.
One near the rear entrance.
One inside the marble hallway.
Sarah leaned closer.
"The statue?"
Marcus nodded.
"Installed after a burglary attempt three years ago. Richard wanted the visible cameras removed when Caroline was pregnant because she hated feeling watched. But the statue camera remained. It feeds into an old local system."
"Does Victoria know?"
"I doubt Richard remembers it."
Sarah stared at the blueprint.
"Can it record sound?"
"Yes."
For the first time in days, Sarah felt hope.
Then Marcus opened the archive.
May you like
The screen was empty.
Someone had removed the recording drive.
