Chương 10
Claire said, "Because someone took it offline."
"Or because it's broken."
"Both gates?"
"Apparently."
Imani looked toward the door.
"And James said he came in because the gate was malfunctioning."
Evan's eyes met hers.
"Yes."
Claire moved toward the door.
Evan caught her arm.
"Where are you going?"
"To find him."
"No."
"We need to know how he got in."
"We need to stay together."
Claire pulled her arm free.
"You don't get to order me around because you're scared."
"I'm not ordering you around."
"You sound exactly like my father."
That hit him.
He stepped back.
For a second, no one spoke.
Claire's anger seemed to surprise even her.
She looked away.
Evan's voice dropped.
"That's not fair."
"I know."
"But you said it anyway."
"I know."
Sophie began tapping the wooden ring against the floor.
The repetitive knock sounded absurdly like someone at the door.
Imani crouched and took the ring gently from her.
"Not right now, baby."
Sophie frowned.
Then she reached for Imani's necklace.
Imani let her hold it.
The small hand steadied her.
Claire watched them.
Her expression changed in a way Imani couldn't read.
Then she said quietly, "I didn't think you were involved at first."
Imani looked up.
"At first."
"When I got the email, no."
"What changed?"
Claire hesitated.
"Someone sent me a photo."
Evan turned.
"What photo?"
"Imani with Sophie."
Imani's hand tightened around the necklace chain.
"Where?"
"At the park."
"When?"
"Last Thursday."
She remembered it immediately.
Sophie had spent twenty minutes trying to feed mulch to a pigeon.
Imani had taken a picture for Evan because the child's sunhat kept sliding over one eye.
There had been mothers, two nannies, a man jogging, an elderly couple sharing coffee.
Nothing threatening.
"Who sent it?"
"The same anonymous account."
"What did it say?"
Claire's face tightened.
"Ask who she really works for."
Imani stood.
For a second, she couldn't speak.
Evan said, "And you believed that."
"I checked her."
Imani stared at Claire.
"You what?"
"Background, references, employment history."
"You already did that before hiring me."
"I did it again."
"Without telling me."
"Yes."
"What were you looking for?"
"Anything inconsistent."
"Did you find anything?"
Claire's silence answered.
Imani stepped closer.
"Did you?"
"No."
"Then why did you keep suspecting me?"
"Because there were gaps."
"Everybody has gaps."
"You didn't work for eight months in 2021."
"My mother was sick."
Claire looked at her.
The accusation died immediately.
Imani felt the old anger rise anyway.
"I went home to take care of her."
"I didn't know."
"You didn't ask."
Claire swallowed.
"No."
"You investigated me twice but never asked."
"I didn't know how."
Imani laughed once.
"You know how to ask people things."
"Not that."
The honesty of it disarmed her more than an apology would have.
Before she could answer, a faint electronic chirp sounded from inside the nursery wall.
Everyone turned.
The sound came again.
Two short tones.
Then a soft mechanical click.
Claire went pale.
"That's not the baby monitor."
Evan stepped toward the crib.
Imani caught his sleeve.
"You said not to touch anything."
He stopped.
The carved molding behind the crib shifted outward by less than an inch.
A narrow black rectangle appeared in the gap.
No one moved.
Then a tiny green light blinked on.
Once.
Twice.
Claire whispered, "That's it."
Evan's eyes stayed fixed on the device.
"The hidden camera?"
"No."
Claire took one slow step backward.
"The camera was smaller."
Imani felt Sophie's fingers tighten around her necklace.
"What is that?"
Claire looked at the blinking green light.
"I don't know."
A voice came through the wall.
Male.
Calm.
Distorted slightly by the speaker.
"Claire."
No one breathed.
The voice continued.
"You should have left the card where you found it."
Evan moved toward the crib before anyone could stop him, then caught himself and froze with one hand half-raised.
The green light blinked steadily from the narrow opening in the molding.
Claire's face had gone rigid.
"Who is this?"
The distorted voice answered after a pause.
"You know who it isn't."
Claire's eyes narrowed.
"Daniel."
A soft electronic hiss came through the speaker.
"No."
Imani shifted Sophie higher against her chest.
The child had stopped tugging at the necklace and was staring at the black rectangle in the wall.
Imani turned her slightly so she could no longer see it.
Evan said, "Whoever you are, you've entered a private residence and installed surveillance equipment in a child's room."
"That's a useful version of events."
"You want to try another?"
The voice did not answer.
Claire stepped closer to the crib.
"You sent the email."
Another pause.
"Yes."
Evan looked at her.
"You know this person."
"I don't."
"Then how did you know what to ask?"
Claire ignored him.
"You had my mother's recording."
"Yes."
"How?"
"You should ask your father."
Claire's jaw tightened.
"My father didn't send me anything."
"No."
"Did he know you had it?"
The speaker gave a faint click.
Then the voice said, "He knew it existed."
Evan leaned closer without touching the device.
"What do you want?"
"Right now?"
"Yes."
"Nothing from you."
"Then why are you talking to us?"
"Because Claire took something that was not meant for her."
Claire looked at the red memory card on the cabinet.
"The card."
"That card belongs to the archive."
Imani felt the phrase settle badly.
Not a company.
Not a system.
An archive.
Claire said, "What archive?"
"You've seen enough to know."
"No, I've seen enough to know someone has been collecting private recordings."
"Your mother saw more."
Claire went still.
Evan looked between her and the wall.
"What did Marianne find?"
The voice replied, "Evidence."
"Of what?"
"People protecting themselves."
Evan's patience broke first.
"That's not an answer."
"It is the only one you're getting."
Claire's breathing had become shallow.
"Was my mother killed because of this?"
The room changed.
May you like
Even the electronic hiss seemed louder.
Imani wished Claire had not asked it while Sophie was present, though the child could not understand.
