Chapter 5 - Missing
A dish towel had been pushed against a burner.
“Could Leo have reached it?” one firefighter asked.
“No,” Anna and Richard said at the same time.
Vanessa stood wrapped in a blanket. “Maybe Anna left it on.”
Anna laughed in disbelief. “I wasn’t cooking.”
“You were in the kitchen before the fall.”
“I was carrying breakfast.”
Richard looked between them. “Stop.”
When the firefighters left, Anna went straight upstairs.
The memory card was gone.
She searched under the crib, behind the dresser, inside the toy basket.
Vanessa leaned against the doorway.
“Lose something?”
“You set that fire.”
“That’s a serious accusation.”
“So is pushing a toddler down stairs.”
Vanessa’s smile disappeared.
“You need to be careful.”
“Is that a threat?”
“It’s advice.”
Anna stepped closer. “Who sent me the photo?”
Vanessa blinked.
A real blink. Confused.
Anna caught it.
“You didn’t send it.”
“What photo?”
Anna pulled out her phone.
The message thread had vanished.
Not deleted.
Vanished.
She checked recent notifications.
Nothing.
Vanessa watched her. “You’re not looking well.”
Anna’s chest tightened.
Had someone accessed her phone?
Richard came into the hallway.
“I called the security company. They’re sending a technician tomorrow.”
Vanessa looked annoyed. “For what?”
“To recover the camera data.”
A beat of silence.
Then the front doorbell rang.
Richard went downstairs.
Anna followed.
A police officer stood outside.
“Mr. Carter?”
“Yes.”
“We received a report of suspected child abuse involving your son.”
Richard’s face turned pale.
Anna felt Vanessa behind her.
The officer looked at a small notebook.
“The report says the nanny, Anna Monroe, has been physically rough with the child and may have caused today’s fall.”
Anna turned.
Vanessa wore an expression of perfect horror.
But Anna was no longer fooled.
Someone had called the police before the fire.
May you like
Someone had planned every step.
And Anna suddenly wondered if Leo’s fall had been only the beginning.
