Chapter 8 - The Cropped Truth
The video was fourteen seconds long.
It began after Daniel lifted Lily from the floor. It showed him seize the skillet and throw it. Then it showed Margaret crashing into the table.
No torn dress.
No crying child.
No Vanessa standing over Lily.
Rachel watched it twice. "This is designed for a judge who has thirty seconds and a crowded docket."
Daniel's stomach twisted.
"Can we prove it's edited?"
"If we get the original."
Marcus inspected the file remotely. "Metadata's been stripped, but compression changes at frame forty-three. Somebody cropped and re-exported it."
"Where's the original?"
"If the house system captured it, there may be a cloud buffer even if the local copy was deleted. I need the master account token."
"My mother has it."
"Then change the password."
Daniel tried.
The account rejected him.
Administrator ownership had been transferred three weeks earlier.
To Vanessa Kendrick.
Daniel's phone rang again. This time it was Renee.
She was crying.
"I can't do this anymore."
"Then tell the truth."
"Margaret said she'd destroy us. Paul owes her money. Trent works for Richard. She told us Lily would be better off with a real mother after you married Vanessa."
Daniel gripped the phone.
"Did you see Vanessa hurt Lily?"
"Yes."
"How many times?"
Renee sobbed harder.
"More than once."
"Will you tell CPS?"
"I will. But Daniel, there's something else."
"What?"
"Vanessa didn't start it. Margaret did. Before Vanessa moved in."
Daniel felt the room tilt.
May you like
"How long?"
Renee whispered, "Since Emma was still alive."
