Chapter 2 - The Eye in the Wall
The blue sitting room had always been Margaret’s favorite space. Located on the southern wing of the estate, it featured floor-to-ceiling French doors that opened directly onto a private rose garden. It was where she read, where she kept her late husband's leather-bound journals, and where she spent her quiet afternoons.
Daniel pushed the double oak doors open.
The room was bathed in the pale, cool light of the late afternoon sea. Everything looked immaculate—the velvet blue sofas, the mahogany writing desk, the silver-framed family photographs.
But as Daniel stepped inside, his eyes scanned the crown molding. It didn't take him long to spot it. Nestled inside the carved wooden details of a decorative corner corbel was a tiny, reflective glass lens, no larger than a shirt button.
"A pinhole camera," Daniel murmured, walking over to stand directly beneath it. "It’s pointed directly at her desk. And the sofa."
"It’s a standard smart-home security feature, Daniel," Elise said, leaning against the doorframe, her posture relaxed but her knuckles white where she gripped her own elbows. "I had them installed throughout the common areas to monitor the house while you were in London. It’s for her protection. If she falls, we have a record."
"If she falls, she has a medical alert necklace," Daniel said, turning around to face her. "And this isn't a standard security camera. Our home system is integrated through the security panel in the pantry. This camera is completely independent. Where is the feed going, Elise?"
"It goes to my phone," she said, her voice cool and level. "So I can keep an eye on her when I’m out running errands."
"Let me see your phone."
Elise smiled—a thin, mocking curve of her lips. "No, Daniel. You don't get to come home after three months of neglecting this family, walk into my house, and demand to search my personal property. If you want to talk about privacy, let’s talk about your mother breaking into my locked office. What was she looking for?"
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"She said she was looking for an envelope," Daniel said.
"And you believe her?" Elise laughed softly. "She’s confused. She’s paranoid. She thinks everyone is stealing from her. The moment you left for England, she began hiding her silver, her jewelry, even her old letters. She’s losing her mind, Daniel. And instead of helping me manage her, you're blaming me for trying to keep order."
