Chapter 4 - The Silent Witness
"Wait," David said.
He didn't look at Meredith or Chloe. Instead, his eyes scanned the ceiling, tracing the crown molding of the pristine living room.
"What are you doing, David?" I asked, wiping a tear from my cheek.
"Meredith," David said, his voice dripping with icy satisfaction. "When we walked in, you made a big show of telling us how you had to upgrade your home security to get a discount on your neighborhood association insurance. You pointed out the smart-home integration."
Meredith’s sobbing stopped instantly. Her body went rigid.
"I don't see what my home security has to do with a tragic kitchen accident," she said, her voice tightening.
"You have a Ring indoor cam disguised as a smart speaker on the mantelpiece," David pointed out, raising his finger toward a sleek, black cylindrical device nestled between two decorative nutcrackers. "And there’s another panoramic camera mounted on the corner valance overlooking the dining area and kitchen entryway."
Chloe’s face drained of all color. She looked up at the corner of the room, her mouth falling open. "That... those aren't active. We haven't set them up yet."
"Actually, they are," David replied. "I noticed the blue status indicator light blinking when we first arrived. It’s a hardwired system. It uploads automatically to a cloud server."
Officer Miller immediately perked up. "Ma'am, is this true? Do you have active security cameras in this room?"
"No! I mean, yes, but I don't have the login details. My security company set it up, and I don't know how to access the app," Meredith stammered, her polished demeanor rapidly fracturing. "And really, is this necessary? My granddaughter is in the hospital! We should be focusing on her, not violating my privacy!"
"If there is footage of the incident, it is vital evidence, ma'am," Officer Miller said, his tone shifting from polite deference to firm authority. "If you refuse to cooperate, we can secure a warrant to seize the recording devices and request the cloud data directly from the provider. But it would be much faster if you log in."
"I told you, I don't know the password!" Meredith snapped, her voice shrill.
"I do," I said suddenly.
Everyone turned to look at me.
"What?" Chloe hissed.
"Three years ago, before we stopped talking, I was the one who managed all of your utility accounts, your phone bills, and your home security," I said, looking directly at my mother. "I set up your master security account. I used your standard password, the one you've used for thirty years. And because I paid the initial deposit, my email is still listed as the recovery contact."
I pulled out my phone. My hands were shaking, but not from fear anymore. From determination.
May you like
I opened the proprietary security app I hadn't used in years. I typed in Meredith’s recovery email, hit 'forgot password,' and within ten seconds, a verification code popped up on my screen. I reset the password, logged in, and tapped on the live feed for the living room and kitchen zone.
"Officers," I said, holding the screen out. "The footage from the last hour is fully buffered and saved to the cloud. Would you like to see what really happened?"
