Chapter 1 - THE RED LIGHT
The first egg struck Lily’s hair just above her left ear.
She gasped.
Before she could understand what had happened, a second egg burst across her upper shoulder.
Caleb Rivas laughed.
“Look at her!”
Nicholas threw another.
Victoria laughed so loudly she nearly dropped her drink.
Lily backed into the birthday table.
Yellow cake frosting, blue balloons, paper flowers, and ten candles suddenly looked ridiculous around a crying child with raw egg sliding through her brown hair.
“Don’t be so sensitive!” Victoria called.
Lily covered her head.
That was when Joshua ran into the backyard.
He had been carrying extra ice from the garage.
He stopped so abruptly the bag slipped from his hand.
“Lily?”
His daughter looked at him.
Her face collapsed.
Joshua crossed the yard in seconds, scooped her into his arms, and wiped egg from her hair with his sleeve.
“Who did this to you?”
Lily pointed.
Caleb shrugged.
“Relax. It was just a joke.”
Nicholas waved dismissively.
Joshua slowly set Lily behind him.
His expression changed.
Not loud.
Cold.
He saw a full basket of raw eggs beside the birthday table.
Grabbed it with both hands.
Turned toward Caleb, Nicholas, and Victoria.
“You want a joke?!”
He pulled the basket back.
Everyone stepped away.
Caleb’s smile vanished.
Joshua was one second from throwing the entire basket.
Then he noticed something behind the hydrangeas.
A small black camera.
Red light blinking.
He turned.
Another camera sat above the patio door.
Another near the birthday banner.
Two phones were mounted on tripods disguised among the decorations.
Joshua lowered the basket.
“What is this?”
Caleb’s face changed.
“Nothing.”
Joshua walked to the nearest camera.
It was recording.
Lily whispered:
“Dad…”
Joshua looked at her.
She was not surprised by the cameras.
That frightened him more than the eggs.
“You knew?”
Lily nodded weakly.
“Uncle Caleb said I had to be funny today.”
Joshua stared at his brother.
Caleb said:
“Don’t make this bigger than it is.”
Joshua pulled the memory card from the camera.
Caleb lunged one step forward.
“Give me that.”
Joshua closed his fist around it.
“No.”
Caleb stopped.
Joshua looked at the tiny card in his palm.
“What’s on this besides today?”
Caleb did not answer.
Then Lily said something so quietly Joshua almost missed it.
“The pool video.”
Joshua turned toward her.
“What pool video?”
Lily’s eyes filled again.
May you like
“The one Uncle Caleb promised you’d never see.”
And suddenly the birthday prank was no longer the worst thing Joshua had discovered that afternoon.
