Chapter 10: The Camera Above My Bed
"Nobody leaves.""
My voice sounded calmer than I felt.
Nathaniel took my phone without touching the message itself.
"Recent photograph?""
I nodded.
"That comforter is the one in my bedroom now.""
Gideon stepped closer.
"Show me.""
"No.""
"Wren—"
"I said nobody leaves. That includes you.""
For once, Gideon obeyed.
Nathaniel enlarged the photograph.
My bedroom.
My bed.
My face turned toward the window.
The angle was high.
Near the ceiling.
"Someone installed a camera," he said.
My stomach turned.
Voss reached for his phone.
"I'm calling building security.""
"Call the police too.""
He nodded.
I looked at Gideon.
"Whoever sent this knew where I lived.""
"So did half the people in your husband's life.""
"My husband.""
The words tasted different now.
I called Desmond.
He answered on the fourth ring.
"Wren?""
"Is there a camera in our bedroom?""
Silence.
"Answer me.""
"What happened?""
"Someone sent me a photograph of myself sleeping.""
His breathing changed.
"Where are you?""
"Answer the question.""
"No.""
"No, there isn't one?""
"No, I didn't install one.""
"Did you know about one?""
Another silence.
That was enough.
"Desmond.""
"I found something three months ago.""
My knees almost weakened.
"What?""
"A tiny hole in the smoke detector.""
"And you didn't tell me?""
"I thought it was mine.""
"What does that even mean?""
"I'd hired someone to monitor the apartment.""
Every person in the room heard him.
I closed my eyes.
"You hired someone to spy on me.""
"I needed to know whether you were investigating Corvina.""
"Before or after you started sleeping with Isolde?""
"Wren—"
"Before or after?""
"Before.""
Of course.
"Who installed your equipment?""
"A private contractor.""
"Name.""
"Marcus Bell.""
Nathaniel was already typing.
"Desmond," I said, "was the bedroom camera yours?""
"No.""
That answer came quickly.
"How do you know?""
"Because I told Bell never to put anything in the bedroom.""
Something in his voice sounded genuine.
Which somehow made everything worse.
"You were comfortable violating my privacy everywhere except one room?""
"I know how it sounds.""
"You have no idea.""
Nathaniel held up his phone.
Marcus Bell.
Former Corvina security technician.
Deceased.
My skin went cold.
"When did he die?""
"Seven weeks ago.""
Desmond heard.
"What?""
Nathaniel repeated it.
Desmond swore.
"I spoke to him two months ago.""
"About what?""
"He said somebody had accessed his surveillance network.""
"Who?""
"He wouldn't tell me.""
I looked at the photograph again.
Someone had been inside my life.
Watching.
Waiting.
"Desmond, why did you really marry me?""
A long pause.
"I told you.""
"No. You told me why you approached me.""
Silence.
"Was your father involved?""
"Yes.""
"What did Martin want?""
"Access to your father's papers.""
"And you gave it to him?""
"At first.""
My throat tightened.
"What changed?""
"You.""
I almost laughed.
"Don't.""
"I'm not asking you to forgive me.""
"Good.""
"But after we married, I stopped giving my father information.""
"Then how did you end up working for Gideon?""
"Because Martin disappeared.""
The room froze.
"Disappeared?""
"Nine years ago.""
The same year Gideon had supposedly died.
"Where is your father now?""
"I don't know.""
Gideon suddenly said, "He's lying.""
Desmond heard him.
His voice sharpened.
"Is Gideon there?""
"Yes.""
"Get away from him.""
Gideon laughed softly.
"Still frightened of me, boy?""
"Tell Wren what you did to my father.""
Gideon's smile vanished.
I looked between the phone and him.
"What did you do?""
"Nothing.""
Desmond almost shouted.
"He made my father disappear!""
Gideon stepped toward the phone.
"Martin discovered something he wasn't supposed to.""
"What?""
Desmond asked the same question.
Gideon looked at Voss.
Then at me.
"That Elaine's accident wasn't meant to kill Elaine.""
Silence.
I couldn't process the sentence.
"What?""
"The brakes on her car were tampered with," Gideon said.
"But she wasn't supposed to be driving it.""
My mouth went dry.
"Who was?""
"Arthur.""
My father.
I gripped the table.
"Someone tried to kill my father?""
"Yes.""
"Who?""
Gideon looked toward Voss again.
Voss whispered, "Don't do this.""
I turned on him.
"Why do you keep saying that?""
His face had gone gray.
"Because some truths don't repair anything.""
"No.""
I stepped toward him.
"Truth isn't supposed to repair things. It's supposed to stop lies.""
Nathaniel's phone rang.
He answered.
After ten seconds, his expression changed.
"Police are inside Wren's apartment.""
"And?""
"They found the camera.""
My stomach twisted.
"Anything else?""
He listened.
Then looked directly at me.
"They found fingerprints on the housing.""
"Whose?""
"They're running them.""
My phone buzzed again.
Another message from the same unknown number.
This time, there was no photograph.
Only five words.
ASK VOSS ABOUT ROOM 417.
I slowly raised my eyes.
"Alistair.""
He saw my expression.
"What?""
"What happened in Room 417?""
The color vanished from his face.
Gideon whispered something under his breath.
Nathaniel looked between them.
"You know it.""
Voss sat down.
For several seconds, he couldn't speak.
Finally, he said, "Room 417 was where your mother confronted the person she believed was stealing from Corvina.""
"Who was in that room?""
He looked at me.
"Elaine.""
A pause.
"Arthur.""
Another.
"Clara.""
May you like
Then Voss swallowed.
"And me.""
