CHAPTER 4 — THE VIDEO THEY THOUGHT HAD BEEN ERASED
The black SUVs stopped outside Mercy General one after another.
Not reporters.
Not lawyers.
Federal investigators.
Every conversation in the emergency department seemed to die at once.
Margaret Prescott glanced toward the entrance and smiled confidently.
"I assume our attorney is finally here."
Instead, a tall woman in a navy blazer walked directly past the Prescott family.
She stopped in front of Colonel Victoria Hart.
"Colonel Hart?"
Victoria nodded.
The woman held up a badge.
"Special Agent Rebecca Monroe. Federal Bureau of Investigation."
Margaret's smile disappeared.
Agent Monroe continued.
"We received an anonymous package thirty-two minutes ago."
She placed a sealed evidence envelope on the counter.
"It contains security footage from the Prescott estate."
Ethan's face instantly lost its color.
"No..."
Brandon whispered.
"That's impossible."
Victoria noticed it immediately.
Guilty people never asked what was in the evidence.
They already knew.
The hospital conference room was converted into a temporary interview room.
The footage played on a large monitor.
The timestamp read...
Three days earlier.
Emily appeared on screen dragging a small suitcase toward the front gate.
She looked terrified.
Before she reached it, Ethan grabbed her arm.
Hard.
She stumbled to the ground.
Brandon stepped in front of the gate.
Margaret calmly folded her arms.
Even through silent security footage, everyone understood what was happening.
Emily was trying to leave.
They weren't letting her.
The next clip began.
Margaret pointed toward the guest house.
Two private security guards escorted Emily inside.
The door locked behind her.
One detective slowly removed his glasses.
"My God..."
Emily buried her face in Victoria's shoulder.
"I knew they'd destroy the cameras..."
Agent Monroe quietly answered.
"They did."
She pointed toward the screen.
"But someone copied everything first."
Every eye turned toward Ethan.
He looked ready to collapse.
Then Margaret suddenly stood.
"This proves absolutely nothing."
Victoria looked at her.
"It proves your daughter-in-law was imprisoned."
"No."
Margaret smiled coldly.
"It proves she stayed in our guest house."
Then she added words that stunned the room.
"She stayed voluntarily."
Agent Monroe paused the video.
"Interesting."
She zoomed in.
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The frame clearly showed...
Emily pounding desperately on a locked window.
