Chapter 6: The Technician's Warning
Marcus didn't immediately respond.
He stood beside the table, phone pressed against his ear.
Across the foyer, Vanessa looked as though the floor had shifted beneath her.
"What recording?"" Marcus asked.
Daniel took a breath.
"The foyer recording, sir.""
Marcus looked at the camera above the entrance.
"Why would she ask you to hide it?""
"I don't know the whole story.""
"Then tell me what you do know.""
Daniel lowered his voice further.
"She contacted me yesterday afternoon. She said there was a privacy issue with one of the cameras and asked me to adjust the recording schedule.""
Marcus glanced toward Vanessa.
"Did you make the adjustment?""
"Yes, sir. I changed the schedule, but I didn't delete anything.""
"Did she ask you to?""
Daniel paused.
"She asked whether a recording could be permanently removed.""
Marcus's expression hardened.
"What did you tell her?""
"I told her the system keeps a backup unless the archive is manually overwritten. I also told her that deleting a recording could leave an audit entry.""
"Did you delete anything?""
"No, sir.""
"Did you overwrite anything?""
"No.""
Marcus closed his eyes briefly.
"Then why did the security company show an overwrite request today?""
Daniel hesitated.
"I received a message about that.""
"From whom?""
"Your wife's administrator account.""
Marcus looked toward Vanessa.
She was shaking her head.
"Daniel," Marcus continued, "I need you to tell me exactly what happened.""
"I can come to the property and explain the technical side.""
"How soon?""
"Twenty minutes.""
Marcus looked at the boy.
His son was watching him from the sofa.
"Come now.""
Daniel agreed.
Marcus ended the call.
Vanessa immediately approached him.
"You can't bring him here.""
Marcus slowly lowered his phone.
"Why?""
"Because he's not part of this family.""
"He installed the system.""
"He's a technician, Marcus. He doesn't need to be involved in personal matters.""
"Apparently, he already is.""
Vanessa shook her head.
"He's unreliable.""
"How?""
"He makes mistakes.""
"What mistakes?""
"He's always changing things without understanding the consequences.""
Marcus studied her.
"Yesterday, you said he was responsible for maintaining the system. Now you're saying he's unreliable.""
"People can make mistakes.""
"Then we'll let him explain.""
Vanessa grabbed the back of a chair.
"Please don't.""
It was the first time she had asked him that way.
Not angrily.
Not accusingly.
Almost desperately.
Marcus noticed.
"Vanessa, what are you afraid he'll say?""
She released the chair.
"Nothing.""
"Then let him come.""
She walked toward the staircase.
"I'm going upstairs.""
Marcus didn't stop her.
But he called after her.
"Don't change anything on the security system.""
She turned.
"I wouldn't know how.""
"That's not what the system history says.""
Her face tightened.
Then she disappeared upstairs.
Marcus sat beside his son.
The boy had been unusually quiet.
"How are you feeling?""
"My cheek hurts.""
Marcus nodded.
"We'll get it checked.""
The boy looked toward the staircase.
"Is she going to get mad at me?""
Marcus placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Listen to me. You did the right thing by telling me what happened.""
"But she said I was stealing.""
"I heard her.""
"She said you would believe her.""
Marcus felt his throat tighten.
He looked at the boy's swollen cheek.
"I'm sorry I wasn't here sooner.""
The boy lowered his eyes.
"I thought you might be angry with me.""
Marcus turned toward him.
"Why would I be angry?""
"Because there was money.""
Marcus shook his head.
"Money doesn't give anyone the right to hit you. And nobody gets to decide you're guilty without listening to you.""
The boy nodded slowly.
A car pulled into the driveway.
Marcus stood.
"That should be Daniel.""
He walked to the front door and opened it.
A man in his early forties stood outside carrying a laptop bag.
"Mr. Reed?""
"Daniel?""
"Yes, sir.""
"Come in.""
Daniel entered and looked toward the staircase.
"Is Vanessa here?""
Marcus noticed the question.
"She's upstairs.""
Daniel shifted his bag.
"Sir, I want to be careful about what I say. I don't want to create problems for anyone.""
Marcus gestured toward the dining area.
"Then stick to what you know.""
They sat down.
Daniel opened his laptop.
He connected to the security system through a separate service interface.
Marcus watched the screen.
"Can you recover the foyer recording?""
Daniel nodded.
"If the local archive hasn't been overwritten, yes. There may also be a backup.""
"Have you checked?""
"Not yet. I wanted your permission before accessing it.""
Marcus nodded.
"You have it.""
Daniel began typing.
Several folders appeared.
He opened the recording history.
"Here, sir. This is the relevant period.""
Marcus leaned forward.
The screen showed timestamps, recording status, and access logs.
Daniel pointed to one entry.
"This is where the restricted schedule began.""
"Who changed it?""
"Your wife's administrator account.""
"And this?""
"That is the attempted overwrite request.""
Marcus leaned closer.
"Was it successful?""
"No. The security company suspended it.""
Daniel opened another panel.
A separate list of backup files appeared.
He scrolled.
Then stopped.
"What's wrong?"" Marcus asked.
Daniel frowned.
"There's something unusual.""
"What?""
"The system created a secondary backup of the foyer camera.""
Marcus looked at him.
"Why is that unusual?""
"Because the administrator account requested the recording be deleted, but the system automatically copied part of the archive to a protected storage folder before the request was processed.""
"Can we access it?""
Daniel nodded.
"Yes, but I need to verify the file integrity first.""
Marcus leaned back.
"Do it.""
Daniel began the verification.
A progress indicator appeared.
Vanessa suddenly entered the room.
"What are you doing?""
Marcus turned.
"Daniel is checking the backup.""
She walked toward the laptop.
"Don't open that.""
Daniel immediately stopped typing.
Marcus stood.
"Why?""
Vanessa looked at the technician.
"That file contains private household information.""
Daniel lowered his eyes.
"Ma'am, I'm only verifying the archive.""
"Then stop.""
Marcus moved between her and the laptop.
"Daniel, continue.""
Vanessa stared at him.
"Marcus, please. There are things you don't understand.""
"Then explain them.""
She looked toward the laptop.
The verification indicator reached ninety percent.
Daniel spoke quietly.
"Mr. Reed, the backup appears to be intact.""
Marcus looked at the screen.
"Can you confirm what time it covers?""
Daniel nodded.
He opened the file details.
"Yes, sir. It begins before the money appeared on the table.""
Vanessa gripped the back of the chair.
Marcus glanced at her.
"Before?""
Daniel nodded.
"Approximately twenty minutes before the incident.""
For the first time, Vanessa's expression completely collapsed.
Marcus turned back toward the laptop.
"Can you play it?""
Daniel hesitated.
"I can, sir. But there's something else.""
"What?""
"The backup includes an additional camera angle.""
Marcus frowned.
"What additional angle?""
Daniel pointed toward the screen.
"The hallway camera. It captured part of the foyer through the open doorway.""
Marcus looked at Vanessa.
She shook her head.
"No. You don't need that.""
Marcus's eyes narrowed.
"Why not?""
"Because it won't show what happened.""
Daniel looked uncomfortable.
"Ma'am, I haven't opened it yet.""
Vanessa turned toward him.
"Then don't.""
Marcus looked at the technician.
"Has anyone accessed this backup?""
Daniel checked the history.
"One person tried.""
"Who?""
Daniel rotated the laptop.
The access log displayed an account name and timestamp.
Marcus read it.
Then he looked at Vanessa.
The account belonged to someone she had insisted wasn't involved.
*DANIEL COLLINS.*
Marcus turned toward the technician.
"Why does your account appear here?""
Daniel went pale.
"I didn't access that backup, sir.""
"Then who did?""
Daniel looked at the screen again.
His fingers trembled slightly as he opened the account details.
After several seconds, he whispered:
"Someone used my credentials.""
Marcus stared at him.
"Who had access to them?""
Daniel swallowed.
"There was only one person I gave the temporary login to.""
"Who?""
Daniel looked toward Vanessa.
"Your wife.""
The room fell silent.
Vanessa took one step backward.
Marcus slowly turned toward her.
"Why did you have Daniel's credentials?""
She opened her mouth.
No words came out.
May you like
On the laptop, the protected backup remained unopened.
And Marcus still hadn't pressed PLAY.
