Chapter 5 - THE CAMERA
I spent the next hour hating myself for slapping Margaret.
Then Officer Jensen saved me from that spiral.
“Your living room camera recorded the whole thing.”
I had forgotten the small security camera Ryan installed after a package theft.
Apparently, he had too.
The footage showed Margaret dragging Mom, Ryan watching, me ordering her to stop, and Ryan grabbing me first.
Context mattered.
Jensen copied everything.
But when he checked the cloud account, something was wrong.
The previous fourteen days were deleted. Last night survived only because the camera had stored it locally.
“Who controls the account?” he asked.
“Ryan.”
Mom and I looked at each other.
Those missing days covered Margaret’s school visit, Alan’s meeting, and the likely planting of the pills.
Jensen requested preservation records from the camera company.
I called the school.
The principal, Mrs. Franklin, agreed to meet me immediately.
She looked uncomfortable before I even sat down.
“Mrs. Mercer, I owe you an apology.”
“For what?”
“Your husband provided an updated family authorization form.”
She turned her monitor toward me.
Ryan had added Margaret as emergency guardian beneath another forged signature.
Mrs. Franklin continued, “Margaret tried to pick Emma up last Tuesday. Emma became upset, and our receptionist refused because something felt wrong.”
“Why didn’t anyone call me?”
“We called your husband. He said you had a medical issue and should not be disturbed.”
My hands went numb.
Mrs. Franklin handed me a schedule Margaret had dropped.
It listed my work hours, Emma’s school hours, Mom’s therapy, and one line circled twice:
FRIDAY — LAUREN DINNER WITH KATE — 7 P.M.
Friday was tomorrow.
I had dinner plans with my best friend Kate.
Plans Ryan had encouraged me to keep.
Mrs. Franklin whispered, “Why would your mother-in-law need to know when you weren’t home?”
I already knew the answer.
May you like
Because something had been scheduled for Friday night.
And according to Margaret’s notes, I wasn’t supposed to be there.
