Chapter 7 - the missing minute
Miles replayed the footage three times.
At 2:13:42, Vanessa entered the service cupboard.
At 2:13:59, the screen turned black.
At 2:15:01, the camera returned.
The cupboard door stood open.
Vanessa was no longer inside.
“No network interruption,” Miles said. “No power failure.”
“Then what happened?”
“Someone accessed the camera directly.”
“That system is isolated.”
“It was isolated.”
Miles enlarged a reflection in the kitchen window.
A figure stood near the hallway.
It was too dark to identify, but it was taller than Vanessa.
Ethan’s stomach tightened.
“The man Sophie drew.”
“Possibly.”
“Can you recover the missing minute?”
“Not from this file.”
Miles opened the system diagnostics.
“Whoever did this didn’t simply delete footage. They replaced the encryption key during the recording.”
“How?”
“Using administrative access from inside Mercer Systems.”
Ethan stared at him.
“Someone at the company helped her.”
“At least one person.”
Only six employees had access to the company’s master security infrastructure.
Miles was one of them.
Ethan was another.
The remaining four included the chief operating officer, two senior engineers and Ethan’s executive assistant, Daniel Price.
Daniel had worked for Ethan for eight years.
He had organized Ethan’s meetings after Claire’s death. He had introduced Ethan to the nonprofit where Vanessa worked.
He had also encouraged Ethan to attend the event where they first met.
“Where was Daniel last night?” Ethan asked.
Miles checked the company records.
“His building pass was used at 1:48 a.m.”
“At the office?”
“Yes.”
“Was he working?”
“His computer was active.”
Ethan called Daniel.
His assistant answered immediately.
“Is everything all right?”
“Were you at the office last night?”
A pause.
“Yes. I was preparing the foundation materials.”
“Until what time?”
“Almost three.”
“Did you access the residential security servers?”
“No.”
“Did anyone?”
“I wouldn’t know.”
Ethan looked at Miles.
“Come to my office in thirty minutes.”
Daniel became quiet.
“I’m currently at the hospital.”
“Why?”
“My mother had another episode.”
Ethan knew Daniel’s mother had heart problems.
Guilt moved through him, but suspicion remained.
“Stay with her. We’ll speak later.”
After the call ended, Miles said, “He sounded prepared.”
“He always sounds prepared.”
Ethan returned to Rachel’s house before breakfast.
Sophie was sitting at the table drawing.
This time, she drew the kitchen.
A woman in a black dress stood near the sink. A dark figure stood beside the cupboard.
Ethan sat beside her.
“Did you see this man?”
“Only his shoes.”
“What kind?”
“Shiny.”
“Like mine?”
She shook her head.
“They had silver lines.”
Ethan thought of the executives at his company. Daniel often wore custom shoes with silver buckles.
“Did he speak to you?”
“No. He spoke to Vanessa.”
“What did he say?”
Sophie colored the cupboard blue.
“He said she should have finished it before.”
“Finished what?”
“She told me to cover my ears.”
Ethan’s hand tightened around the edge of the table.
“But you heard him?”
“A little.”
“What else?”
Sophie put down the crayon.
“He said Mommy made a copy.”
“A copy of what?”
“I don’t know.”
Rachel entered carrying juice.
“You shouldn’t question her like this.”
“I need to know what she heard.”
“She needs to feel safe.”
“I’m trying to keep her safe.”
“You’re treating her like one of your employees.”
Ethan stood.
Rachel lowered her voice.
“You missed what was happening for months. You cannot repair that by demanding every answer in one morning.”
The truth hurt because it was deserved.
Ethan looked at Sophie.
“I’m sorry.”
She continued drawing.
Rachel placed a hand on his arm.
“What are you looking for?”
“A key marked B-19.”
Rachel’s expression changed.
“Claire had something with that number.”
“What?”
“A storage box.”
“Where?”
“I don’t know. She asked me once whether I would keep a key for her.”
“Did you?”
“No. I told her to speak to you.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because she made me promise not to.”
Ethan turned toward her.
“What was she afraid of?”
“She wouldn’t say. She only told me that someone inside your company was watching her.”
Ethan felt the room narrow around him.
“When was this?”
“Two weeks before the accident.”
Sophie looked up from her drawing.
“Mommy wasn’t afraid of the man.”
Ethan crouched beside her.
“How do you know?”
“She was afraid of Vanessa.”
Rachel stared at Sophie.
Ethan’s voice softened.
“You were too young to remember Vanessa.”
Sophie pointed toward the faceless figure.
“Mommy showed me a picture.”
“What picture?”
“The one under my bed.”
They hurried upstairs.
Beneath the mattress, taped to the wooden frame, Ethan found a small photograph.
Claire stood outside the Mercer Systems headquarters.
Beside her were Adrian Hale and Daniel Price.
On the back, Claire had written one sentence.
May you like
One of these men is trying to help me.
The other one is going to get me killed.
