Chapter 4 - THE CAMERA THAT WENT DARK
Emergency lights clicked on seconds later.
Mateo had his gun in his hand.
Beatrice had Lily behind her.
“Stay here.”
Mateo moved toward the hall.
Beatrice grabbed his sleeve.
“I’m not leaving Lily alone.”
“You’re not.”
He pointed toward the pantry.
“Security room has a reinforced door.”
They moved quickly.
Lily clung to Beatrice’s hand.
The mansion was never truly dark.
Motion lights.
Outdoor floodlights.
Backup generators.
Cameras.
Sensors.
Leo had built the estate for a man who expected enemies.
Yet every main security system was suddenly dead.
Mateo entered the security room.
One technician was unconscious beside the desk.
Alive.
A bruise darkened his temple.
Mateo checked the monitors.
“Someone killed the internal cameras.”
Beatrice stared.
“From here?”
“No.”
He typed quickly.
“Remote access.”
“Who has that?”
Mateo did not answer immediately.
“That’s the problem.”
Footsteps approached.
Mateo raised his weapon.
Leo appeared in the doorway wearing dark pants and an unbuttoned dress shirt.
His eyes went first to Lily.
“What happened?”
Lily ran to him.
Leo lifted her.
Mateo closed the security-room door.
“We have a breach.”
Leo’s expression became unreadable.
“Where?”
“Internal system.”
“Who?”
“Don’t know.”
Leo looked at Beatrice.
“Why is my daughter downstairs at two in the morning?”
Beatrice hesitated.
Mateo answered.
“She remembered the bombing.”
Leo went completely still.
Lily buried her face against his neck.
He held her tighter.
“What did she remember?”
Beatrice stepped forward.
“Not now.”
Leo looked at her sharply.
“Beatrice.”
“She’s terrified.”
“She is my daughter.”
“Yes.”
Beatrice did not lower her eyes.
“And right now she needs you to be her father before anything else.”
Mateo watched Leo carefully.
Few people spoke to him that way.
Leo inhaled slowly.
Then he nodded.
“All right.”
He carried Lily back to her bedroom.
Beatrice followed.
Mateo remained downstairs to repair security.
Leo sat beside Lily until almost four.
He did not ask questions.
He simply held her hand.
When she finally slept, he stepped into the hall with Beatrice.
“Tell me.”
She told him everything.
The red car.
The envelope.
Victoria being present before she supposedly met Leo.
The warning about memories.
Leo listened without interrupting.
That frightened Beatrice more than anger would have.
When she finished, he looked toward Lily’s closed door.
“Sofia knew Victoria?”
“Apparently.”
“I never heard her name.”
“Maybe there was a reason.”
Leo turned.
“What are you suggesting?”
“I’m not suggesting anything.”
“Good.”
His tone became cold.
“Because accusing Victoria of involvement in Sofia’s death is not something we do without proof.”
Beatrice felt anger rise.
“She frightened Lily.”
“You have Lily’s memory from when she was four years old.”
“She remembers enough to be afraid.”
Leo’s face hardened.
“And I’m supposed to believe every fragment?”
Beatrice stared at him.
“No.”
Her voice dropped.
“You’re supposed to believe your daughter when she says an adult threatened her.”
That landed.
Leo looked away.
“I do.”
“Then act like it.”
Leo’s eyes returned to hers.
“You think I’m protecting Victoria?”
“I think you’re afraid of what believing Lily would mean.”
Silence stretched between them.
Finally, Leo said, “You should go home.”
Beatrice almost laughed.
“No.”
“That wasn’t a request.”
“Then fire me.”
Leo’s eyebrows lifted.
“I’m not leaving Lily tonight.”
“You’ve worked since six yesterday morning.”
“And?”
“You’re exhausted.”
“So are you.”
“That is different.”
“It really isn’t.”
For half a second, Leo looked like he wanted to argue.
Then Lily called from the bedroom.
“Bee?”
Beatrice opened the door immediately.
Leo stepped aside.
“Fine.”
She looked back.
“Fine what?”
“You stay.”
“Thank you.”
“I wasn’t doing you a favor.”
She smiled faintly.
“Of course not.”
By breakfast, Victoria appeared as if nothing had happened.
Cream blouse.
Pearl earrings.
Perfect hair.
She kissed Leo’s cheek.
He did not react.
“I heard the power failed.”
Mateo looked at her.
“Security system.”
Victoria poured coffee.
“How frightening.”
Beatrice watched her.
Too smooth.
Too prepared.
Lily entered holding Leo’s hand.
The moment she saw Victoria, she stopped.
Victoria smiled.
“Good morning, sweetheart.”
Lily moved behind Leo.
He noticed.
Victoria noticed him noticing.
Her smile faltered.
“Everything okay?”
Leo pulled out Lily’s chair.
“Everything is excellent.”
His voice was gentle.
Too gentle.
Mateo looked at him.
Leo poured Lily orange juice.
Then asked casually, “Victoria, when did you first meet Sofia?”
Victoria dropped the sugar spoon.
It struck the saucer with a tiny silver click.
She looked at Leo.
“I’m sorry?”
“My wife.”
Leo smiled without warmth.
“When did you first meet her?”
Victoria’s face stayed composed.
But Beatrice saw her thumb trembling against the coffee cup.
“I never did.”
Lily spoke from across the table.
“Yes, you did.”
Victoria turned toward the child.
Lily’s voice grew stronger.
May you like
“You were there when Mommy died.”
And for the first time since Beatrice had known her, Victoria Kensington had no answer.
