Chapter 2: The Ones You Knew About
Detective Ruiz walked through the front doors before Vanessa could say another word.
Two officers followed close behind.
Vanessa's smile disappeared.
"What is this?" she said.
"Why are the police here?"
Nobody answered her.
Ruiz crossed the room and crouched beside Elena.
"Can you stand?" he asked quietly.
Elena opened her eyes.
"I've been waiting for you."
She took his hand and slowly rose to her feet.
The room went completely still.
Mrs.
Howard stared.
"You...
you were conscious this whole time?"
"Every second," Elena said.
Vanessa stepped forward.
"She's lying.
She fell.
Everyone saw it—"
"We saw it too," Ruiz said.
He held up a small evidence bag.
Inside was a USB drive.
"Every camera in this house.
Every room.
Every conversation from the last three weeks."
Vanessa's face went pale.
"That's not possible," she whispered.
"I checked.
There were no cameras in the east wing."
Elena looked at her calmly.
"You checked the ones you knew about."
The room shifted.
Family members exchanged glances.
Someone near the back of the hallway made a sound — not quite a gasp, not quite a word.
Elena turned slowly toward that sound.
May you like
And when she saw who was standing there...
Her expression changed completely.
