Chapter 1 - The Scream Upstairs
Caleb Whitcomb heard his daughter scream before he reached the second floor.
It was not Elara’s ordinary hungry cry.
It was sharp.
Terrified.
Pain.
He dropped the leather folder he had been carrying and ran toward the nursery.
Inside, the room looked as though a fight had exploded in the middle of it.
The wooden clothing rack had shifted away from the wall.
A white towel burned near the baseboard.
An electric iron lay beside it.
His ten-month-old daughter was sobbing against June Keller’s shoulder.
And Meredith Shaw stood several feet away, holding one arm against her body.
“What happened?” Caleb shouted.
Nobody answered quickly enough.
That was all Meredith needed.
“She snapped.”
Her voice trembled perfectly.
“She hurt Elara.”
June turned toward him.
“No.”
Caleb barely heard her.
His eyes were already on Elara.
The baby’s face was bright red from screaming.
One tiny hand was curled against June’s blouse.
Caleb crossed the room and took his daughter.
“What did you do?”
“Caleb, look at her hand.”
But Meredith moved closer.
“She attacked me when I tried to stop her.”
June stared at Meredith as though she could not believe what she was hearing.
“You burned her.”
Meredith’s expression changed.
Only for a fraction of a second.
Caleb missed it.
He saw only June stepping forward.
He reacted.
One hard kick sent June backward into the clothing rack.
Wood cracked beneath her.
She hit the floor.
Silence followed.
Except for Elara’s weak crying.
Caleb stood breathing heavily.
Meredith came beside him.
“You did the right thing.”
June coughed.
Then she reached inside her blouse.
Caleb tightened his grip on Elara.
“Don’t move.”
June pulled out a small black USB drive.
Her fingers shook as she lifted it.
“Watch this first.”
Caleb stared.
Meredith stopped breathing.
For the first time since he had entered the nursery, Caleb noticed something he had not expected.
Fear.
Not in June.
In Meredith.
Her face had gone white.
“What is that?” Caleb asked.
June looked directly at him.
“Insurance.”
Meredith stepped forward.
“Caleb, don’t listen to her.”
June gave a painful laugh.
“That’s exactly what she’s afraid of.”
A strange clicking sound came from above them.
Caleb looked toward the nursery doorway.
The small security camera mounted high near the ceiling was still recording.
Its red light blinked steadily.
Meredith followed his gaze.
May you like
Then looked back at June.
And Caleb saw fear flash across her face a second time.
