Chapter 4 - THE CAMERA
The camera had been hidden above an old storage cabinet.
It was no bigger than a matchbox.
Taylor swore she had never seen it.
Evelyn claimed the same thing.
I believed neither of them until the officer explained where the footage had been stored.
The cloud account belonged to Taylor’s younger brother, Aaron.
I hadn’t spoken to Aaron in almost two years.
He and Evelyn had stopped talking after an argument nobody would explain.
Taylor called him unstable.
Evelyn called him ungrateful.
I had accepted both descriptions because they were convenient.
At three in the morning, Aaron walked into the hospital lobby wearing jeans, a canvas jacket, and the expression of a man who had expected this night for a long time.
He looked at Taylor first.
Then at me.
Finally, he asked one question.
“Is Lily alive?”
“Yes.”
His shoulders dropped.
“Thank God.”
I stepped toward him.
“Why did you put a camera in my garage?”
Aaron looked at Taylor.
“Because nobody believed me the last time.”
Taylor went pale.
“Aaron.”
He ignored her.
“Six months ago, Lily told me Grandma had a punishment place.”
My stomach tightened.
“She wouldn’t tell me where.”
“I asked Taylor.”
“She said I was trying to create trouble.”
Taylor started crying again.
“I thought you were talking about the closet.”
Aaron stared at her.
“That sentence isn’t helping you.”
Then he turned back to me.
“I installed two cameras during Lily’s birthday party.”
“One in the garage.”
“One near the basement stairs.”
I felt sick.
“The basement?”
Aaron nodded.
“I thought if Evelyn was doing what I suspected, eventually I’d catch it.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I tried.”
He pulled out his phone.
“I emailed you three times.”
I searched my memory.
Nothing.
Aaron opened his sent folder.
There were my name and my old company address.
Three emails.
All marked delivered.
Then Taylor whispered, “I deleted them.”
I slowly turned toward her.
She stared at the floor.
“I had access to your company inbox back then.”
“Mom told me Aaron was trying to break us apart.”
I couldn’t speak.
Aaron’s voice was cold.
“She didn’t need me to break you apart, Taylor.”
“She just needed you to keep choosing her.”
A nurse appeared.
“Mr. Mercer?”
“Lily is asking for you.”
May you like
I walked away without looking at Taylor.
Because if I had stayed another second, I might have said something I could never take back.
