Chapter 5 - THE CLOUD
The warrant was signed before midnight.
By 12:40 a.m., police were back inside Sarah's house.
I wasn't there.
Bennett wouldn't allow it.
Good.
Because I wasn't sure what I would have done if I saw Sarah.
Noah stayed overnight for observation.
Emily slept in the chair beside him.
I didn't sleep at all.
At 2:13 a.m., Bennett called.
“We found the camera.”
“Where?”
“Trash bin behind the garage.”
“Memory card?”
“Missing.”
Of course.
“But,” she continued, “the camera model automatically uploads motion clips.”
I closed my eyes.
“Did you get them?”
“We're working on it.”
At 6:05 a.m., Noah opened his eyes.
“Dad?”
“I'm here.”
“Can we go home?”
“Soon.”
He looked toward Emily.
She was asleep.
Then he whispered.
“Is Aunt Sarah mad?”
I hated that he was worried about her feelings.
“Noah, listen to me.”
He looked at me.
“Adults are responsible for what adults do.”
He stayed quiet.
“You don't have to protect someone who scared you.”
His chin trembled.
“I didn't want Matthew to get in trouble.”
“He won't.”
That wasn't entirely true.
Matthew was going to lose something.
Maybe his mother for a while.
Maybe the family he'd always known.
But none of that was Noah's fault.
At 8:30, Detective Bennett arrived.
She carried a tablet.
“We recovered cloud footage.”
Emily woke immediately.
Bennett asked Noah if he wanted to leave the room.
He did.
A nurse took him to get breakfast.
Then Bennett pressed play.
The video began at 1:36 p.m.
Sarah stood in the kitchen.
Children ran behind her.
Noah entered holding his stomach.
Sarah pointed toward a tray.
No audio.
But the images were clear.
She picked up a cookie from a plate on top of the refrigerator.
A separate plate.
She handed it to Noah.
He hesitated.
She pushed it toward him again.
He ate half.
Twenty minutes later, Noah was sitting alone at the table.
Sarah approached.
He showed her his emergency phone.
She took it.
He reached for it.
She pulled it away.
Then she pointed toward the hallway.
The next clip came from 2:28.
Sarah returned alone.
She placed Noah's phone inside a kitchen drawer.
Then locked the drawer.
Emily whispered.
“She knew.”
Bennett nodded.
Another clip.
3:17 p.m.
Sarah opened the basement door.
She disappeared downstairs.
Forty seconds later, she returned.
Alone.
She closed the door.
Turned the lock.
Then walked back into the party.
My hands curled into fists.
Bennett paused the video.
“There is more.”
At 3:42, another adult entered the kitchen.
A man.
I recognized him immediately.
Sarah's husband.
David.
He had told us he was working that afternoon.
Apparently he wasn't.
David opened the drawer.
Saw Noah's phone.
Then looked toward the basement.
Sarah entered.
They argued.
No audio.
David pointed toward the basement door.
Sarah shook her head.
He pointed again.
She stepped between him and the hallway.
Then David did something I didn't expect.
He took out his own phone.
He typed something.
Sarah grabbed for it.
He pulled away.
The clip ended.
Bennett looked at me.
“We need to find David.”
“Why?”
“He hasn't been home since last night.”
My phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
I answered.
“Hello?”
Breathing.
Then a man's voice.
“Michael.”
David.
“Where are you?”
“Don't tell Sarah I called.”
I stood.
“Where are you?”
“You need to know what happened before the party.”
My entire body went cold.
“What happened?”
David hesitated.
May you like
Then he said:
“Sarah knew exactly what was in that cookie.”
