Chapter 3 - THE CAMERA IN THE BEDROOM
Daniel told Sophie to stay downstairs with Sarah.
Then he climbed the stairs alone.
He had lived in the house for eleven years.
Suddenly, every wall felt unfamiliar.
Sophie had said the camera was in his bedroom.
He searched the obvious places first.
Smoke detector.
Alarm clock.
Television.
Nothing.
Then he remembered Claire's habit of straightening a framed wedding photograph every morning.
Daniel removed it from the wall.
Behind the frame was a tiny black lens.
His stomach turned.
He photographed it before touching anything.
Then he called the officer who had arrested Claire.
"Don't remove it."
The officer's voice became serious.
"Treat the entire house like evidence until our team arrives."
Daniel stared at the lens.
"How long could this have been recording?"
"We won't know until we examine it."
Daniel heard Sophie laugh faintly downstairs.
It was the first happy sound he had heard from her all evening.
Then Daniel noticed a thin wire running behind the wall.
He followed it toward the closet.
Behind several of Claire's dresses was a small electronic box.
Four cables entered it.
Four.
Not one.
Daniel stepped backward.
There were three more cameras.
He called the officer again.
"I think the whole house is wired."
Twenty minutes later, detectives arrived.
They found one camera in the bedroom.
One in the living room.
One facing Sophie's bed.
And one in Daniel's home office.
The detective examining the recorder looked disturbed.
"This isn't consumer equipment."
"What does that mean?"
"It means somebody paid for a professional installation."
Daniel stared at Claire's closet.
"Why?"
The detective did not answer.
Sarah appeared behind Daniel.
"Because she was collecting something."
Daniel turned.
Sarah looked ashamed.
"Claire used recordings against me before."
"When?"
"During the custody case."
Daniel remembered the video showing Sarah yelling beside Sophie's crib.
That video had influenced the judge.
Sarah had insisted it was edited.
Daniel had not believed her.
Now he felt sick.
"She edited it."
Sarah nodded.
"She cut out the part where Claire had spent forty minutes provoking me."
Daniel looked toward Sophie's room.
"Why didn't you prove it?"
"I tried."
Sarah's voice cracked.
"Then the original disappeared from evidence."
The detective stopped working.
"What court?"
Sarah told him.
His expression changed.
"That case involved Judge Harmon?"
"Yes."
The detective slowly stood.
Daniel noticed.
"You know something."
The detective hesitated.
"Judge Harmon resigned eighteen months ago."
"For what?"
"Evidence tampering allegations."
Nobody spoke.
The detective's phone rang.
He stepped into the hallway.
When he returned, his face was different.
"Mr. Vance, Claire made a call from processing."
"To whom?"
"She called an attorney."
"That's normal."
"Normally, yes."
The detective looked toward Sophie.
"But the attorney she called represented Judge Harmon during the investigation."
Sarah whispered one name.
"Victor Crane."
Daniel turned toward her.
"You know him?"
May you like
Sarah nodded.
"He's the man Claire was meeting the week I lost custody."
