Chapter 4: The Camera
The photograph slipped from my fingers.
For a moment, I couldn't hear anything.
Not the refrigerator.
Not Noah breathing behind me.
Not Lily shifting her feet against the kitchen floor.
Only one sentence kept repeating inside my head.
*HE DOESN'T KNOW ABOUT THE NIGHT CAMERA.*
I picked up the photograph again.
It was definitely me.
My bedroom.
Our bed.
The lamp on Vanessa's side.
The old wooden dresser near the window.
And me asleep.
The image had been taken from the doorway.
I turned it over.
No date.
No signature.
Just those words.
I looked at Vanessa.
“What night camera?””
She didn't answer.
“Vanessa.””
Her face had gone pale.
“David, please.””
“Where is it?””
“I can explain.””
“Where is it?””
Noah grabbed Lily's hand.
She whispered something to him.
He nodded.
I looked at them.
“What did she say?””
Noah hesitated.
“She said we shouldn't talk about the bedroom.””
My stomach dropped.
I walked toward the stairs.
Vanessa stepped in front of me.
“Don't.””
I stopped.
“Move.””
“You're angry.””
“You're right.””
“You're going to do something you'll regret.””
I stared at her.
“You put a camera in our bedroom.””
“I didn't put it there.””
“Then who did?””
She looked away.
That was enough.
I pushed past her.
I took the stairs two at a time.
Behind me, Vanessa shouted my name.
I didn't stop.
Our bedroom looked exactly as it always had.
The bed was made.
The curtains were half open.
My suitcase was still sitting beside the closet from my last trip.
Nothing looked disturbed.
That was what made it terrifying.
I walked to the doorway.
I stared at the room from the angle shown in the photograph.
Then I saw it.
A tiny black circle beneath the smoke detector.
I pulled a chair from the desk.
“David!””
Vanessa appeared behind me.
I climbed up.
My fingers touched the plastic casing.
It wasn't a smoke detector.
It was a camera.
A tiny lens stared directly at the bed.
I pulled it loose.
A wire disappeared into the ceiling.
I climbed down.
“What is this?””
Vanessa said nothing.
I held the camera up.
“Why is this in our bedroom?””
“I told you I didn't install it.””
“Then who did?””
“I don't know.””
“You expect me to believe that?””
She started crying.
“I swear.””
I turned the camera over.
There was a small memory card.
I removed it.
“What's on this?””
“I don't know.””
“You've seen it.””
“No.””
“Then why are you afraid?””
She wiped her face.
“Because I knew someone was watching.””
The words stopped me.
“Someone?””
Vanessa nodded.
“After my mother died, strange things started happening.””
I stared at her.
“What kind of things?””
“Things moved.””
“That's your explanation?””
“Letters disappeared. Doors were unlocked. I heard footsteps downstairs.””
“When?””
“Last year.””
“And you never told me?””
“You were traveling.””
“You should have called me.””
“I thought I could handle it.””
I looked at the camera.
“And this?””
She shook her head.
“I found it three months ago.””
Three months.
The same period when Lily's behavior had changed.
“Why didn't you remove it?””
“I was scared.””
“Of who?””
“I didn't know.””
I looked at the memory card.
“Then we're finding out.””
I went downstairs.
Noah was sitting at the kitchen table.
Lily was beside him.
I crouched in front of them.
“I'm going to ask you both something.””
They nodded.
“Have you ever seen this camera?””
Noah looked at it.
His face changed.
“Yes.””
“When?””
“Mom showed me.””
Vanessa closed her eyes.
I stood.
“You showed Noah the camera?””
“He found it.””
“What did you tell him?””
“That Daddy couldn't know.””
I looked at Noah.
“Why?””
He swallowed.
“Mom said the person watching us would hurt Lily if Dad found out.””
The room went silent.
I turned toward Vanessa.
“Who?””
“I don't know.””
“Who would hurt our daughter?””
“I don't know!””
Her voice cracked.
I stared at her.
“Then we're calling the police.””
Vanessa shook her head violently.
“No.””
“Why?””
“Because they'll take the children.””
“No, they won't.””
“You don't understand.””
“I understand that someone installed a camera in my bedroom.””
She grabbed my arm.
“David, listen to me.””
I pulled away.
“You've been hiding things from me for months.””
“I was protecting you.””
“You were controlling our children.””
“I was scared.””
“You locked food away from Lily.””
“I thought I was helping.””
“You kept records of her crying.””
“I was trying to change her behavior.””
“You put cameras in our home.””
“I didn't!””
“Then tell me who did.””
She couldn't.
I pulled out my phone.
“I'm calling the police.””
Vanessa suddenly looked at Noah.
“Your father doesn't know what he's doing.””
Noah stood.
“Stop.””
She froze.
Noah's voice shook.
“You always say that.””
“What?””
“That Dad doesn't know.””
He wiped his eyes.
“You say it whenever we tell him something.””
Vanessa looked at him.
“You're confused.””
“No.””
Noah looked at me.
“I saw you put something in the wall.””
Vanessa's face went white.
“When?””
“Last month.””
“Where?””
Noah pointed upstairs.
“The guest room.””
I turned.
“Vanessa?””
She didn't answer.
I walked toward the guest room.
She followed.
“David, don't.””
I opened the door.
Nothing.
Bed.
Desk.
Closet.
Bookshelf.
I checked the smoke detector.
Nothing.
Then I noticed a section of wallpaper that didn't match.
I pressed it.
A hollow sound.
I pulled at the edge.
The wallpaper peeled away.
Behind it was a small metal panel.
I opened it.
Inside was a digital recorder.
Several memory cards.
And a second camera.
I stared at Vanessa.
“What is this?””
She began to cry.
“I told you.””
“No.””
“I didn't put those there.””
“Then who did?””
She whispered:
“My mother.””
I looked at her.
“Your mother has been dead for two years.””
Vanessa's lips trembled.
“I know.””
I picked up the recorder.
A red light blinked.
It was still recording.
I pressed stop.
The device displayed a file name.
*LILY_0917*
Then another.
*NOAH_1022*
Then:
*DAVID_1104*
I stared at the screen.
The dates weren't random.
They were recordings.
People.
My family.
I inserted the first memory card into my laptop.
A video appeared.
Lily was sitting at the kitchen table.
Vanessa stood behind her.
“Ask again,” Vanessa said.
Lily whispered, “Can I have some?””
“Some what?””
“Dinner.””
“What do you say?””
“Please.””
“Who are you supposed to ask?””
Lily looked toward the camera.
“Mommy.””
“And Daddy?””
Lily lowered her head.
“No.””
“Why?””
“Because Daddy makes Mommy angry.””
My hands went cold.
I stopped the video.
Vanessa covered her mouth.
“That isn't what it looks like.””
I looked at her.
“It is exactly what it looks like.””
“No.””
“What else is on there?””
She didn't answer.
I clicked the next file.
It was Noah.
He was standing outside the pantry.
Vanessa's voice came from behind the camera.
“Tell me what you did.””
“I gave Lily toast.””
“And?””
“I wasn't supposed to.””
“Who told you not to?””
“You did.””
“Then why did you disobey?””
“Because she was hungry.””
The video ended.
The next file loaded automatically.
It showed our bedroom.
Nighttime.
I was asleep.
The camera angle was identical to the photograph.
Vanessa entered the room.
She stood beside the bed.
She looked at me.
Then she walked to the dresser.
She opened the top drawer.
Removed something.
Then looked directly toward the camera.
And smiled.
I paused the video.
My heart pounded.
“She knew.””
Vanessa didn't respond.
“She knew where the camera was.””
Silence.
I rewound the footage.
Played it again.
She smiled.
Not at me.
At the camera.
Then she mouthed four words.
I increased the volume.
There was no audio.
I read her lips.
*He still doesn't know.*
I turned slowly toward her.
“What did you do?””
Vanessa backed away.
“I can explain.””
“No.””
“David—”
“Who were you talking to?””
She shook her head.
I stood.
“Who?””
Her phone rang.
She looked at the screen.
Her expression changed instantly.
She didn't answer.
The phone rang again.
Then a text appeared.
I saw the preview.
*YOU SHOULD HAVE DESTROYED THE CAMERA.*
Vanessa dropped the phone.
I picked it up.
Another message arrived.
*NOW HE KNOWS.*
Then a third.
*BRING THE CHILDREN TO THE HOUSE TONIGHT. ALONE.*
I looked at Vanessa.
“What house?””
She stared at the message.
Then at me.
“My mother's.””
I felt the room tilt.
“You said your mother was dead.””
“She is.””
“Then who is sending these messages?””
Vanessa looked toward the hallway.
“I don't know.””
Her phone buzzed again.
This time, the message contained a photograph.
I opened it.
My breath caught.
It was Lily.
Standing outside her school.
Taken that morning.
A stranger had photographed her from across the street.
May you like
And underneath the picture were six words:
*I KNOW YOU FOUND THE BOX.*
