Chapter 2 - The Camera Shows Something Worse
Michael did not touch the security console until paramedics had examined Ethan. The five-year-old was bruised, frightened, and had a fractured wrist, but no head or spinal injury.
Sophie stayed beside him. Rebecca stood across the foyer with security chief Daniel Cross between her and the children.
The footage began twelve minutes before the fall. Ethan stood at the top of the staircase with Caroline’s old red toy airplane. Rebecca approached and demanded something in his other hand.
“No! That was Mommy’s!”
It was a brass key. Rebecca grabbed Ethan’s arm. He pulled away. Sophie appeared below and shouted. Rebecca shoved Ethan’s shoulder.
He fell.
Michael stopped breathing.
But the recording continued. For three seconds Rebecca did not run toward Ethan. She picked up the key first.
Stamped into it were two characters: B-17.
Sophie whispered that Rebecca had searched Caroline’s old bedroom for three nights and kept asking Ethan about “Mommy’s little key.” That was why Sophie had watched the staircase.
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Michael recognized B-17. It was the number of a private records box Caroline had rented six weeks before her death.
He had been told the box was empty.
