Chapter 2 - What Was On the PhoneMarcus didn't ask another question.
That frightened me more than anger would have.
He simply walked to the security console and replayed the footage.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Vanessa entered the corridor at 2:14.
She looked around.
She took my phone.
Then she disappeared.
Marcus leaned closer to the screen.
“Can you zoom in?”
The security officer beside him did.
Vanessa's face became clearer.
So did her hand.
She wasn't simply picking up the phone.
She was checking something on it before putting it inside her coat.
Marcus noticed.
I noticed.
Even Lily noticed.
“She looked,” Lily whispered.
Marcus glanced at her.
“What?”
“She looked inside.”
I swallowed.
My phone had no sensitive company information.
At least, I didn't think it did.
It was an ordinary phone.
Pictures of Lily.
Grocery lists.
School messages.
A dozen videos of her trying to feed Mr. Bun imaginary soup.
Nothing valuable.
Nothing that should interest Vanessa.
Unless—
I suddenly remembered something.
Two nights earlier, I had received an email from Cole Meridian's accounting department.
A strange payment had appeared under my employee account.
$18,750.
I had immediately contacted accounting.
They told me it was an error.
The amount disappeared the next morning.
I had forgotten about it.
Until now.
Marcus looked at me.
“What did Vanessa need your phone for?”
“I don't know.”
“Think.”
I did.
Then remembered another detail.
Three days ago, my phone had briefly connected to the estate's private Wi-Fi.
A notification appeared.
New device detected.
I had ignored it.
Marcus's expression changed.
“Give me your password.”
I hesitated.
“My phone?”
“Yes.”
I handed it over.
His security specialist connected it to a forensic system.
Five minutes later, the man's face tightened.
“Mr. Cole.”
“What?”
“There was remote-access software installed.”
My blood went cold.
Marcus looked at me.
“When?”
“Four days ago.”
“Can you identify who installed it?”
The specialist shook his head.
“Not yet.”
Marcus turned toward the screen.
Vanessa's image remained frozen.
Then Lily suddenly tugged his sleeve.
“Mister Marcus.”
He looked down.
She pointed at the monitor.
“That's not the bad part.”
Everyone stopped.
Marcus crouched.
“What is the bad part?”
Lily looked toward the hallway.
“Her friend.”
“Which friend?”
She pointed at another screen.
A man appeared briefly behind Vanessa.
Gray jacket.
Black baseball cap.
His face was hidden.
But Lily smiled as if she recognized him.
“He came before.”
Marcus stood.
“When?”
Lily thought carefully.
“Nighttime.”
“What night?”
She held up three fingers.
“Three sleeps ago.”
Marcus looked at me.
I looked at him.
Three nights ago.
The same night my phone had been compromised.
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And suddenly, Vanessa taking a housekeeper's phone no longer looked like a petty act.
It looked like preparation.
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