Chapter 10 - The Bear Was Watching
Tomas cut the stitching around the bear’s eye with a pocketknife.
Inside was a miniature camera, a memory card, and a transmitter.
Valeria stared at it.
“I bought that bear three years ago.”
Maya shook her head. “No. Carlo did. He gave it to Noah after the kidnapping scare.”
Of course he did.
Carlo never trusted anyone completely. Apparently not even his daughter’s husband.
Tomas connected the memory card to a secure laptop.
There were hundreds of short clips recorded automatically whenever the bear detected movement.
Most were ordinary clips of Noah.
Then Tomas opened a file from six months earlier.
Gregory entered Noah’s room after midnight.
He checked the hallway, sat on the edge of the bed, and made a phone call.
“Carlo changed the trust,” he whispered. “The housekeeper is trustee.”
A voice on speaker answered.
Victor Sanz.
“Then the old man has to go.”
Gregory said nothing for several seconds.
Then: “Serena can make it look natural.”
Valeria’s hand covered her mouth.
Tomas paused the video.
Nobody spoke.
Maya began crying silently.
Luca looked sick.
Valeria pressed play again.
Gregory continued.
“After Carlo, we deal with Valeria. But not until I know whether Noah’s inheritance can be redirected.”
Victor laughed.
“If it can’t, accidents happen to children too.”
The clip ended.
Valeria stood so quickly her chair fell backward.
“I’m going to kill him.”
Tomas caught her arm.
“No. You’re going to let the recording kill him in court.”
“This family doesn’t do court.” Luca muttered.
Valeria turned on him.
“Maybe that’s why we keep burying people.”
Tomas searched the rest of the card.
One file had been recorded that afternoon.
Gregory sat beside Noah’s bed, holding the bear directly in front of his face.
He stared into the camera.
Then he smiled.
“I know you’re watching, Carlo.”
Carlo had been dead fourteen months.
May you like
Gregory leaned closer.
“And I know where you hid the second copy.”
