Chapter 10: The Photograph Taken Inside My House
I ran upstairs so fast I nearly missed the final step.
"NIA!""
My daughter woke with a frightened scream.
"DADDY!""
I grabbed her and pulled her against my chest, checking her arms, her face, and the bedroom window.
"Baby, are you okay?""
She nodded, confused.
"Why are you crying, Daddy?""
I couldn't answer.
The photograph on my phone had been taken from inside my house. Someone had been close enough to stand beside my daughter's bed without waking her.
I called the officers downstairs.
Within minutes, the entire property was surrounded.
Robert arrived shortly afterward with two additional security personnel.
"Marcus, we need to get Nia somewhere safe.""
I nodded.
"Take her to your house.""
Robert frowned.
"My house?""
"Nobody knows your address. At least, not the people involved in this.""
He agreed.
Before leaving, I knelt beside Nia.
"Sweetheart, you're going to spend tonight somewhere special with Mr. Robert. Daddy has to take care of something.""
She grabbed my hand.
"Are you coming?""
"I'll follow you as soon as I can.""
Her eyes filled with tears.
"Promise?""
I kissed her forehead.
"I promise.""
After she left, the investigators began searching the house.
One officer discovered a tiny wireless camera hidden inside the smoke detector in the upstairs hallway.
Another found a second device behind a framed photograph in the living room.
I stared at the equipment.
Vanessa had installed cameras throughout my home.
But why?
The lead investigator, Detective Harris, examined the devices.
"These aren't ordinary household security cameras. Someone configured them to transmit footage remotely.""
"Can you trace where?""
"We're working on it.""
Robert entered the room holding a plastic evidence bag.
"Marcus, look at this.""
Inside was a small black device.
"What is it?""
"A wireless receiver. It was connected to the network in your house.""
I frowned.
"Who installed it?""
"That's what we're trying to determine.""
Then Detective Harris approached.
"We recovered deleted messages from Vanessa's second phone. There's a conversation with Dr. Harrison from yesterday.""
He handed me a printed transcript.
*Vanessa:* Marcus has the basement files.
*Harrison:* Then the situation has changed.
*Vanessa:* What about the child?
*Harrison:* She remains the priority.
*Vanessa:* Charles says we need to move tonight.
*Harrison:* No. We wait until the guardianship paperwork is processed.
My hands tightened around the paper.
"These people are discussing my daughter like she's a piece of property.""
Detective Harris nodded.
"We're treating this as a serious threat.""
He handed me another page.
It contained a conversation with an unidentified contact.
*Unknown:* Is the father aware of the original agreement?
*Vanessa:* Not yet.
*Unknown:* And Danielle's letter?
*Vanessa:* He found it.
I looked up.
"What original agreement?""
Detective Harris shrugged.
"We haven't identified it yet.""
I remembered Danielle's final recording.
She had said Harrison was trying to gain control of Nia's inheritance.
But now there was another possibility.
Perhaps Nia herself was the reason they had targeted our family.
Robert opened his briefcase.
"I've contacted the insurance company. They confirmed that Danielle's original policy included a provision establishing a protected trust for Nia.""
"How much?""
"Two million dollars.""
I sat down.
Two million dollars.
That explained why Vanessa had wanted the beneficiary documents.
But Robert wasn't finished.
"There's also a separate trust established by Danielle's grandmother.""
I stared at him.
"What trust?""
He placed another document on the table.
"Your daughter is the sole beneficiary of a property and investment trust currently valued at approximately four million dollars.""
I felt dizzy.
"Danielle never told me.""
"She may not have wanted the information circulating.""
I looked at the documents.
"Who controls it?""
"An independent trustee. But Danielle's will included a provision allowing a temporary guardian to request certain distributions under specific circumstances.""
I immediately understood.
"That's why they wanted guardianship.""
Robert nodded.
"They weren't simply trying to get the insurance money. They were trying to gain legal access to Nia's inheritance.""
I stood.
"Then they'll never get it.""
Detective Harris's phone rang.
He answered, listened, and suddenly looked at me.
"Mr. Johnson, we've located Dr. Harrison.""
"Where?""
"At a private medical office outside Atlanta.""
"Arrest him.""
"We're arranging that now.""
Then the detective's expression changed.
"There's a complication.""
"What?""
"He has already left.""
"Where is he going?""
The detective checked his screen.
"Charlotte.""
My stomach dropped.
Andre lived in Charlotte.
I immediately called him.
He answered after two rings.
"Marcus?""
"Where are you?""
"At home. Why?""
"Is Harrison there?""
Silence.
Then I heard a door slam.
Andre whispered:
"Marcus, he's here.""
My blood ran cold.
"Get out of the house!""
But before Andre could respond, another voice came through the phone.
Dr. Harrison.
"Hello, Marcus.""
I gripped the phone.
"Stay away from my family.""
He chuckled.
"You still don't understand, do you?""
"Understand what?""
"Danielle wasn't the only person who made an arrangement before she died.""
Then I heard Andre shouting.
The phone disconnected.
I immediately called Detective Harris.
"He's at my brother-in-law's house. Send someone!""
The detective began coordinating with officers.
I looked at Robert.
"We're going to Charlotte.""
He shook his head.
"Marcus, you cannot walk into a dangerous situation.""
I stared at him.
"Andre is the only person who knows what happened before Danielle died. If Harrison reaches him first, we may never learn the truth.""
Robert grabbed his keys.
"Then we're going together.""
As we headed for the door, Detective Harris received another message.
He read it twice.
Then he looked at me.
"Mr. Johnson, the hospital just located something in Danielle's original patient file.""
"What?""
"A document signed by your wife three days before she died.""
"What did it say?""
Detective Harris swallowed.
"She requested that a different physician take over her treatment.""
"Who?""
He turned the paper toward me.
The replacement physician's name was clearly printed.
*Dr. Samuel Whitmore.*
May you like
Arthur Whitmore's son.
The man everyone had told me died in a car accident twenty years earlier.
