Chapter 7 - The Man in the Hall
The recovered footage was damaged but readable.
Daniel watched it at the police station at 3:17 a.m.
The camera showed his foyer four months earlier.
Isabel crossed the frame at 10:42 p.m. carrying the red folder.
She looked over her shoulder twice.
At 10:51, she entered Daniel’s office.
At 11:03, Victoria arrived through the side door.
Daniel gripped the edge of the desk.
His mother had told him she was in Connecticut that night.
Then another figure appeared.
A man wearing a dark cap.
Detective Park froze the image.
“Recognize him?”
Daniel leaned in.
“No.”
The man entered the office with Victoria.
Twenty minutes later, he came out holding a small equipment case.
Victoria followed with the red folder.
Park advanced the recording.
At 12:08 a.m., Isabel appeared at the top of the stairs.
She looked terrified.
She held a phone in front of her.
The audio was gone, but the video showed her arguing with Victoria.
Then the unknown man walked up behind Isabel.
Daniel’s heart pounded.
He did not touch her.
He held up a document.
Isabel read it.
Her shoulders dropped.
Victoria reached for her phone.
Isabel backed away.
The man pointed toward the front door.
Two minutes later, Isabel left with him.
“She didn’t look dragged,” Park said.
“She looked trapped.”
Ruiz nodded. “Could have been told she had to come voluntarily or police would be called.”
Daniel stared at the unknown man.
Park ran facial recognition through a lawful database search tied to an open case.
A result came back.
Raymond Pike.
Former county deputy.
Current private security contractor.
Owner of Briar Ridge Security.
Daniel sat back.
The same company on Isabel’s list.
The same company maintaining his home cameras.
Park opened Pike’s business registration.
His emergency contact was Nathan Cole.
Daniel laughed once.
It came out ugly.
“They built a whole machine.”
Park said, “Maybe.”
“Maybe?”
“We still prove each part.”
Daniel nodded.
Proof.
Always proof.
At 4:02 a.m., Nora called.
“The emergency review is scheduled for noon.”
“Can Isabel come home?”
“If the judge agrees the admission was defective.”
Daniel looked at the frozen image of Victoria and Pike.
“What can stop it?”
“New evidence that she’s dangerous.”
Daniel’s phone buzzed again.
Unknown number.
A photo loaded.
It showed Isabel’s bedroom at Rosewood.
Taken from inside the room.
The caption read:
SHE’S SAFER WHERE SHE IS.
May you like
Then another message appeared.
DROP THE CAMERA FOOTAGE OR THE NEXT FALL WON’T HAVE YOU THERE TO CATCH ANYONE.
