Chapter 3 - David didn't sleep that night.Neither did Clara.

Mikey eventually fell asleep in his arms, exhausted from crying.

Melissa sat on the couch across from him.

She looked smaller than usual.

Pale.

Fragile.

But David couldn't bring himself to feel sorry for her.

Not yet.

He placed the photograph on the coffee table.

“Start talking.”

Melissa stared at it.

“I told you. I don't know who took it.”

“That's not what I asked.”

He leaned forward.

“You said another family disappeared.”

Melissa was silent.

“When?”

“Three years ago.”

“Who?”

“A man named Daniel Harper. His wife Emily. Their little girl.”

David looked toward Clara.

“How old was the girl?”

Melissa hesitated.

“Seven.”

David felt the room become colder.

“What was her name?”

“Lily.”

Clara looked up.

“Dad?”

David ignored the interruption.

“What happened to them?”

“No one knows.”

“Then why do you?”

Melissa rubbed her hands together.

“Because the landlord told me.”

“What did he say?”

“That Daniel was unstable.”

“That doesn't answer anything.”

“He said Daniel became paranoid. He thought someone was watching his family. He accused the neighbors. He installed cameras everywhere.”

David looked at the black box in his memory.

“Cameras?”

Melissa nodded.

“He stopped sleeping. He said someone was entering the apartment while they were gone.”

“Did the police investigate?”

“They found nothing.”

“And the family?”

“They vanished.”

David looked at her.

“Why did you move into this apartment?”

Melissa's eyes dropped.

“Because it was cheap.”

“No.”

She looked up.

“No?”

“You were terrified when I touched that cabinet.”

Melissa said nothing.

“You knew there was a device hidden inside.”

Silence.

“Did you know about the cameras?”

Melissa finally whispered,

“I found one.”

David stared.

“When?”

“Before we moved in.”

His jaw tightened.

“And you said nothing?”

“I was scared.”

“You were scared, so you decided it was okay for our children to live here?”

“I didn't know what it was.”

“You knew enough to hide it.”

Melissa stood.

“You don't understand.”

“Then explain.”

Her voice cracked.

“It was already here.”

“Where?”

“In Mikey's room.”

David looked at the baby.

“What?”

Melissa nodded.

“Before he was born.”

David slowly stood.

“Why would someone put a camera in our child's room?”

“I don't know.”

Clara suddenly spoke.

“Yes, you do.”

Both adults turned.

Clara's face was pale.

“You told me.”

Melissa stared at her.

“When?”

Clara swallowed.

“Last month.”

“What did I tell you?”

Clara looked at her mother.

“You said someone was angry because Daddy kept working late.”

David's expression changed.

Melissa whispered,

“Clara…”

The little girl stepped back.

“You said if Daddy ever found the cameras, we'd have to leave.”

David stared at Melissa.

“Leave?”

She didn't answer.

He walked toward the kitchen.

“Where is the other camera?”

“I don't know.”

“There was another?”

Melissa's eyes filled with tears.

“I found two.”

David searched the apartment.

Behind the smoke detector.

Inside the baby monitor.

Under the living room shelf.

Nothing.

Then he saw it.

A tiny black dot inside the air vent.

He grabbed a screwdriver.

Melissa shouted,

“David, don't!”

He ignored her.

The vent came loose.

Behind it was a miniature camera.

David pulled it free.

Its red indicator was still blinking.

Someone was watching.

Right now.

He ripped the battery out.

A tiny memory card fell into his hand.

He stared at it.

Clara stepped closer.

“Is that them?”

David looked at her.

“Who?”

“The people watching us.”

Before he could answer, his phone vibrated.

A video had arrived.

No number.

No name.

He opened it.

The screen showed his apartment.

Live.

David was watching himself.

He zoomed in.

The camera angle was above the kitchen.

Clara was visible.

Mikey was visible.

Melissa was visible.

And David was visible.

Then he noticed something else.

Someone was standing in the hallway behind them.

A man.

Motionless.

David spun around.

The hallway was empty.

He looked back at the screen.

The man was still there.

Then the video zoomed in.

The stranger slowly raised one hand.

Pointed directly at Clara.

And smiled.

The message below the video appeared.

ASK YOUR WIFE WHAT HAPPENED TO LILY.

David looked at Melissa.

She was crying.

“What happened to Lily?”

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Melissa whispered,

“I killed her.”