Emma Opened Her Hand and Revealed a Missing Ring — Then Michael Saw the Muddy Footprints Leading Through the House
Chapter 6 — The Garage Camera
The camera had been installed after tools disappeared from the neighborhood the previous summer.
Michael opened the application.
At 2:18 PM, Claire’s car left the driveway.
Less than four minutes later, a dark blue sedan appeared.
It didn’t use the driveway.
It stopped beside the alley.
Two people got out.
The first was Robert Hale.
Claire covered her mouth.
The second person wore a baseball cap and work boots.
Michael enlarged the image.
Claire gasped.
“David.”
Her brother.
The same brother the family had suspected of stealing Margaret’s possessions years earlier.
Robert and David walked toward the rear entrance.
Robert removed something from his pocket.
A key.
They entered the house.
Twenty-three minutes later, they came back out.
David carried a leather document case.
Robert carried nothing.
Michael paused the recording.
“What was in the case?”
Claire shook her head.
“I don’t know.”
Ortiz asked:
“Did your mother keep anything else valuable in the study?”
Claire thought.
“Documents.”
“What kind?”
“Property records. Estate papers.”
Then her expression changed.
“And the lake property deed.”
Michael looked at her.
Margaret had owned twenty acres near Lake Briar.
The land had remained unused for decades.
Recently, a developer offered the family nearly $900,000 for it.
The sale was scheduled to close the following month.
Ortiz looked at the empty desk drawer.
“Could someone change ownership using those documents?”
Claire went pale.
“Not legally.”
Michael stared at the camera footage.
“That wasn’t what she asked.”
