Chapter 8: The Eyes Inside the House
I didn’t sleep.
Again.
The second night home felt worse than the first.
Because now I knew the problem wasn’t just inside the house.
It was outside too.
Someone had been watching Emma.
The question was why.
Victor sat at the dining table, connecting the flash drive to my laptop.
Claire stood across from him.
For once, she had no clever response.
No explanation.
No accusation.
Just silence.
Emma sat beside me, holding my hand.
I hated that she was seeing all of this.
But I hated more that she had already been living through it alone.
The laptop screen flashed.
A folder appeared.
“Camera Access Logs.””
Victor clicked it.
“These are the records from your security system.””
I leaned closer.
“How did you get this?””
“Your system was accessed remotely.””
“By who?””
Victor looked at the screen.
“An account registered under a different name.””
He typed.
A profile appeared.
I stared.
The name meant nothing.
But the email address did.
Because the ending belonged to a company.
The same company that managed my family’s legal accounts.
“My lawyer’s firm.””
Victor nodded.
“Exactly.””
Claire finally spoke.
“So someone at the firm was involved.””
I looked at her.
“You sound surprised.””
She looked away.
“I didn’t know.””
I almost laughed.
“You expect me to believe that?””
Before she could answer, Emma spoke.
“Dad?””
I turned.
“Yes?””
She pointed at the screen.
“That date.””
I looked.
“What about it?””
Her face became pale.
“That’s the day Claire took me to the office.””
I froze.
“What office?””
“My dad’s lawyer’s office.””
Claire immediately looked at Emma.
“Emma.””
But my daughter continued.
“She told me we were going to get paperwork.””
“What paperwork?””
Emma shook her head.
“I don’t know.””
I looked at Claire.
“What paperwork?””
She didn’t answer.
That was enough.
I stood.
“Where are the documents?””
Claire’s expression changed.
“I don’t have them.””
“Then who does?””
Silence.
Then Emma whispered:
“She gave them to the man who came with her.””
I turned.
“What man?””
Emma looked nervous.
“The man who told Claire I needed a new family.””
The room became completely still.
Victor leaned forward.
“Emma, did you see his face?””
She nodded slowly.
“Yes.””
“Do you know his name?””
Another pause.
Then she said:
“Uncle Daniel.””
I felt like the floor disappeared.
“No.””
Emma looked at me.
“He was there.””
I shook my head.
“Daniel wouldn’t.””
But even as I said it, memories returned.
Daniel’s messages.
His excuses.
His involvement.
The guardianship papers.
Victor watched me carefully.
“Michael, you need to understand something.””
I looked at him.
“What?””
“Sometimes the person who exposes a crime is also the person closest to it.””
I hated that he said it.
Because I knew he was right.
A phone rang.
Everyone looked around.
It was Claire’s.
She looked at the screen.
Her face changed.
“What?””
I stepped closer.
“Who is it?””
She didn’t answer.
The phone rang again.
Victor reached for it.
“Don’t.””
Claire pulled it away.
“Stop.””
I stared at her.
“Answer it.””
She hesitated.
Then she did.
“Hello?””
No one spoke.
Just breathing.
Then a voice came through.
A man.
Low.
Calm.
“You should have left the house when you had the chance.””
Claire’s face turned white.
“Who is this?””
The voice continued.
“You weren’t supposed to come home yet, Michael.””
My blood ran cold.
The man knew my name.
I reached for the phone.
“Who are you?””
A pause.
Then:
“You really don’t remember me, do you?””
The call ended.
I stared at the screen.
Claire looked terrified.
Victor immediately asked:
“Did you recognize the voice?””
She didn’t answer.
“Claire.””
Her hands shook.
Finally, she whispered:
“Yes.””
“Who was it?””
She looked at me.
May you like
And the fear in her eyes was real.
“It was someone who was supposed to be dead.””
