Chapter 4 - The words hung in the apartment like smoke.David stared at his wife.

“What did you say?”

Melissa covered her mouth.

“I didn't mean…”

“You killed her?”

“No.”

“You just said you did.”

“I meant…”

David slammed his hand against the table.

“Enough!”

Clara flinched.

David immediately lowered his voice.

“Clara, go to the bedroom.”

“No.”

“Please.”

“I want to know.”

“You're seven.”

“And I'm already taking care of Mikey.”

That sentence hit him harder than a slap.

David closed his eyes.

Then he crouched in front of her.

“You shouldn't have had to.”

Clara looked at him.

“I know.”

David stood.

“Melissa, start from the beginning.”

She sat down.

“Three years ago, when Lily disappeared, I was still working for the same company.”

“What company?”

“Harper Security.”

David froze.

“The security company?”

“Yes.”

“Daniel Harper owned it.”

Melissa nodded.

“That company installed surveillance systems in private homes.”

David looked at the hidden camera.

“What does that have to do with Lily?”

Melissa swallowed.

“Everything.”

She explained that Daniel had discovered someone inside his company was secretly copying footage from wealthy clients.

Not just stealing video.

Selling it.

The person had access to thousands of private homes.

Bedrooms.

Nurseries.

Kitchen cameras.

Everything.

Daniel confronted the employee.

Two days later, his wife disappeared.

Then Lily.

Then Daniel.

David's voice dropped.

“Who was the employee?”

Melissa stared at him.

“I don't know.”

“You worked there.”

“I handled accounts.”

“You knew.”

“I suspected.”

David stepped closer.

“Did Daniel contact you?”

Melissa nodded.

“He called me the night before he disappeared.”

“What did he say?”

“He said he had proof.”

“Proof of what?”

“That the person stealing the footage wasn't working alone.”

David felt a chill.

“Who else?”

“He wouldn't tell me.”

“What did he ask you to do?”

Melissa began crying.

“He gave me a file.”

“Where is it?”

“I don't have it.”

“Then where?”

She shook her head.

“I thought it was destroyed.”

“Thought?”

“I gave it to someone.”

“Who?”

Melissa hesitated.

“Daniel.”

David stared.

“You said Daniel disappeared.”

“He came back.”

David felt his heartbeat rise.

“When?”

“Six months after the family vanished.”

“Where?”

“Here.”

David looked around the apartment.

Melissa nodded slowly.

“This building.”

“He was alive?”

“Yes.”

“Why didn't you call the police?”

“He told me I couldn't.”

“Why?”

“Because he said they were watching him.”

David turned toward the cameras.

“What happened next?”

Melissa's voice trembled.

“He asked me to hide something.”

“What?”

“A recording.”

“Where?”

She looked at the floor.

“Inside the apartment.”

David stared.

“You knew.”

“I knew something was wrong.”

“You knew someone was watching our family.”

“Yes.”

“And you still let Clara stay home alone?”

Melissa buried her face in her hands.

“I thought the danger was over.”

David's eyes hardened.

“You thought?”

A loud knock came from the apartment door.

Everyone froze.

Three knocks.

Slow.

Measured.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

David picked up a kitchen knife.

“Stay here.”

He approached the door.

Another knock.

Then a man's voice.

“David?”

David stopped breathing.

He knew that voice.

His coworker.

Ryan.

David opened the door a crack.

Ryan stood in the hallway.

“You need to come with me.”

“Why?”

Ryan looked past him into the apartment.

His eyes landed on Melissa.

Then Clara.

Then the hidden camera in David's hand.

Ryan's face changed.

“You found it.”

David tightened his grip.

“What do you know?”

Ryan lowered his voice.

“They know you found it too.”

“Who?”

Ryan stepped closer.

“Everybody.”

“What does that mean?”

Ryan glanced toward the elevator.

“The police. Your wife's employer. Your landlord.”

David stared.

Ryan continued.

“And one more person.”

“Who?”

Ryan whispered,

“Daniel Harper.”

David felt a cold wave run through him.

“Daniel is dead.”

Ryan shook his head.

“No.”

“Then where is he?”

Ryan looked directly at Clara.

“He's been living in this building.”

Clara grabbed David's hand.

“Dad…”

The elevator doors opened at the end of the hallway.

An elderly man stepped out.

Gray coat.

Walking cane.

Thin face.

He slowly looked toward David's apartment.

Melissa screamed.

“That's him.”

David turned.

Daniel Harper smiled.

Then he lifted his cane.

Pointed at Clara.

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