Chapter 12 - The Man in Security
No one spoke for several seconds.
Owen stared at his own photograph.
“That’s impossible.”
Mara moved subtly between him and the door.
Richard’s expression closed.
“Owen.”
“I didn’t work for you when Claire died.”
The photo proved otherwise.
It showed Owen in the mansion’s service hallway, wearing a contractor badge, carrying a security panel.
Anna remembered something.
“You told me you joined Blackwood Security fourteen months ago.”
“I did.”
“Then why were you here two years ago?”
Owen looked trapped.
“Because I was subcontracted for one week. I installed cameras after a burglary scare.”
Mara said, “Did you know Vanessa?”
“No.”
“Graham?”
“No.”
“Claire?”
“I met her twice.”
Richard pointed to the image. “Why would Claire hide your photograph?”
Owen shook his head. “I don’t know.”
The next file answered part of it.
Claire had photographed an invoice from Owen’s old employer.
CAMERA SYSTEM MODIFICATION — CASH PAYMENT AUTHORIZED BY G. VOSS.
Owen sat down slowly.
“I never saw that invoice.”
Mara took his laptop.
“You’re off the case until we know why your name is here.”
His face tightened. “Richard, I have protected your family for over a year.”
“And if you’re telling the truth, we’ll prove it.”
Owen looked at Anna.
She wanted to believe him.
That was exactly why she said nothing.
Mara’s team examined the memory card.
Claire had saved photographs, scanned invoices, and one audio file.
Graham’s voice: “The camera installer doesn’t know what he changed. He thinks it’s a routine privacy bypass.”
Vanessa answered: “Good. Keep it that way.”
Owen closed his eyes.
Mara looked at him. “You may have been used.”
“Used for what?”
“To create blind spots.”
He looked sick.
The audio continued.
Vanessa said, “Once Claire is gone, Richard won’t question anything for months.”
Richard stood so fast his chair fell over.
Anna grabbed his arm.
“Listen.”
Graham said, “And the child?”
Vanessa answered, “Leo is the leverage.”
The recording ended.
Mara immediately issued warrants for Vanessa and Graham on fraud, conspiracy, evidence tampering, and child endangerment, while the homicide unit reopened Claire’s death.
But finding them was another problem.
Then Owen’s seized laptop chimed.
A scheduled diagnostic alert.
One of the mansion cameras had come back online by itself.
The feed was from Claire’s old dressing room.
The room was supposed to be empty.
Instead, Graham Voss stood in the center of it.
May you like
He held a gasoline can.
And a lighter.
