Chapter 2 - The Missing Minutes
Elara was taken to St. Matthew’s Pediatric Center twenty minutes later.
Caleb sat beside the examination bed while a doctor treated the burn across his daughter’s palm.
June had been brought separately.
Two bruised ribs.
A fractured wrist.
Meredith had insisted on coming with Caleb.
She never mentioned June’s injuries.
Instead, she repeatedly whispered the same thing.
“You saved Elara.”
Caleb wanted to believe her.
He needed to.
Because the alternative meant he had attacked an innocent woman while the real attacker stood behind him.
The doctor entered after reviewing Elara’s injuries.
“Mr. Whitcomb?”
“Yes.”
“The burn pattern is unusual.”
Caleb looked up.
“What does that mean?”
“It appears to be a contact burn.”
Meredith answered immediately.
“June was ironing clothes.”
The doctor looked at her.
Caleb did too.
Meredith continued smoothly.
“She lost her temper when Elara wouldn’t stop crying.”
Caleb remembered the iron on the floor.
The burning towel.
It made sense.
Except June had said Meredith burned her.
“Could June have caused this accidentally?” Caleb asked.
The doctor hesitated.
“Accidentally?”
“Yes.”
“The contact appears deliberate enough that I’m required to report it.”
Meredith squeezed Caleb’s shoulder.
“Good.”
Later that evening, Caleb returned home.
The nursery remained sealed.
One of his security employees, Thomas Vale, waited outside.
“You asked me to pull the camera footage.”
Caleb nodded.
Thomas handed him a tablet.
“There’s a problem.”
The recording began at 5:07 p.m.
Elara was crying in her crib.
June entered at 5:09.
Meredith appeared at 5:10.
Then the image froze.
The recording resumed at 5:14.
By then Caleb was already entering the nursery.
Four minutes were missing.
Caleb replayed it.
“System failure?”
Thomas shook his head.
“No.”
“How do you know?”
“The camera didn’t fail.”
Thomas zoomed into the device log.
“Someone deleted that section manually.”
Caleb stared at the timestamp.
“Who has access?”
“You.”
Caleb waited.
“And?”
Thomas looked uncomfortable.
“Meredith.”
Caleb turned toward him.
“Why?”
“You gave her household administrator access six months ago.”
Caleb had forgotten.
Meredith managed contractors.
Deliveries.
Staff schedules.
Security permissions.
“She said June attacked her.”
Thomas said nothing.
Caleb looked toward the nursery.
“What about backups?”
“There shouldn’t be any.”
“Shouldn’t?”
Thomas hesitated.
“Unless June made one herself.”
Caleb remembered the USB.
He had not taken it from her.
Police had arrived at the hospital before he could.
June had been questioned.
Then released.
Now she was gone.
Caleb took out his phone.
He called her.
No answer.
He tried again.
Nothing.
Then a message appeared.
Unknown number.
ONE CHANCE, CALEB.
COME ALONE TOMORROW.
BRING NO POLICE.
May you like
Attached was a photograph.
The small black USB.
