Chapter 7 - THE DELETED HOUR
Daniel’s home-security system stored everything locally and in encrypted cloud backup because he had installed the upgraded package himself after a string of break-ins in the neighborhood.
Claire should not have known that.
Vanessa definitely should not have.
But someone had tried to delete a full hour from the internal timeline anyway.
Not from the cloud.
From the local tablet.
By the next morning, the company’s forensic support team recovered the missing segment.
Daniel watched beside Officer Ortiz and Sophie.
At 2:11 p.m., Claire packed an overnight bag.
At 2:26 p.m., she called Vanessa on speaker.
“You have the filing ready?”
Vanessa answered, “Noah’s printing the final version now.”
Claire paced.
“What if Daniel gets home early?”
“He won’t. I checked his site schedule from the file you sent.”
Daniel felt physically ill.
Vanessa continued, “You just need to stay calm. Once the paperwork’s filed, his records do the rest.”
“What about Valerie?”
A pause.
Then Vanessa, casual and cold:
“Use the girl if you have to. You only need one convincing scene.”
The room went silent.
On-screen, Claire said nothing.
She just looked toward the kitchen where Valerie could be heard singing quietly to Mateo.
Then Claire answered:
“I know.”
The footage moved ahead.
At 2:53 p.m., Claire handed Valerie Mateo while texting someone.
At 3:05 p.m., Vanessa arrived.
At 3:09 p.m., the milk spilled.
At 3:11 p.m., Claire grabbed Valerie.
At 3:14 p.m., the folder changed hands.
At 3:16 p.m., Claire walked out.
At 3:19 p.m., the black SUV pulled away—with Claire getting into the back seat.
Noah West stepped out for only one second, just enough for his face to turn toward the camera before he closed the door behind her.
Sophie exhaled slowly.
“Attorney-client privilege is going to have a terrible afternoon.”
Officer Ortiz said, “This is conspiracy. At minimum.”
Daniel didn’t answer.
He was staring at Valerie on the screen.
Seven years old.
Holding a screaming infant and a towel.
Trying not to cry because crying would make whoever was left in the room angrier.
Then something happened at 3:24 p.m.
Valerie placed Mateo in the bouncer for just a second, picked up the house phone, and dialed Daniel.
That was the call.
The one that had probably destroyed Claire’s entire plan.
Daniel sat down hard.
If Valerie had waited another fifteen minutes, Claire might have returned with whatever story she intended.
If Daniel had let the call go to voicemail—
He couldn’t finish the thought.
Neither could Sophie.
Instead she said, “Three days from now, we bury them with this.”
May you like
But Vanessa Carter had never been the kind of woman to wait politely for burial.
By lunch, she had started her own war.
