Chapter 3 - THE PHONE
Adrian held out his hand.
"Give me the phone."
Vanessa laughed once.
"You're serious?"
"Very."
"Adrian, your employee almost killed your son and now you're searching me?"
Maria flinched at the word employee.
Not nanny.
Not the woman who had rocked Oliver through colic for six months.
Employee.
Vanessa took out the phone and placed it in Adrian's palm.
"Knock yourself out."
The security app was open.
Vanessa's face went still.
Ramon checked the recent activity.
"Pool camera selected at 12:14. Delete archive at 12:15."
Vanessa's father, who had come downstairs in a robe, stepped into the room.
"Anybody could have used her phone."
Ramon said, "It requires Face ID."
Silence.
Vanessa recovered fast.
"Fine. I deleted it."
Adrian stared at her.
"Why?"
"Because I thought Maria was going to claim I did something. I panicked."
Maria laughed in disbelief.
"You panicked before I accused you?"
Vanessa's mouth tightened.
The paramedics arrived and took Oliver to the hospital for observation.
Adrian went with him.
Police arrived at the villa.
Vanessa gave her statement first.
She said Maria had seemed "obsessed" with the baby.
She said Maria had complained that Vanessa would replace her after the wedding.
She said Maria had once whispered, "He loves me more than he loves you."
All lies.
Maria listened from the next room, furious and terrified.
Then an officer asked her whether any other camera might cover the pool.
Maria remembered something.
The official camera faced the water.
But the landscaper had installed a wildlife camera near the east hedge because something had been tearing open the irrigation lines.
It was not connected to the house network.
Maria looked at Ramon.
"The animal camera."
His eyes widened.
They ran outside.
The small camouflage unit was still strapped to an oak tree.
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Ramon opened the casing.
The memory card slot was empty.
