Chapter 2 - THE ISOLATED KENNEL AND THE HIDDEN CAMERAIn the reinforced isolation kennel at the far edge of the estate, Briar sat in the center of the concrete floor. He hadn't touched his water bowl. He hadn't touched his food. His massive black head was resting between his paws, his dark, intelligent eyes fixed squarely on the heavy steel-mesh door, waiting for the small, shaking hand of a ten-year-old boy to reach through and stroke his ears.
Naomi unlocked the outer security door and stepped inside, closing it silently behind her. She didn't approach the dog immediately. Instead, she reached into her utility belt, pulled out a high-resolution digital forensic microscope lens, and attached it to her smartphone.
"Alright, big guy," Naomi murmured, kneeling down on the cold concrete. "Let's see what secrets you're keeping."
She gently lifted Briar’s massive jaw, shining a penlight directly into his mouth. She checked his upper and lower canines, the molars, the gums, and the tongue.
Clean.
Not a single trace of human epithelial tissue. No microscopic fibers of navy wool trapped between his teeth. No iron-rich residue of human blood. If Briar had bitten Edmund, microscopic DNA traces and wool fragments would be wedged deep in the enamel crevices of his back molars. There was nothing. Absolutely nothing.
"You didn't do it," Naomi whispered, exhaling a breath she didn't realize she’d been holding. "You were framed."
May you like
Suddenly, a sharp, metallic click echoed from the ceiling corner of the kennel. Naomi’s head snapped up. Hidden behind a fake smoke detector was a miniature, high-definition pinhole camera, blinking with a faint, rhythmic amber light—transmitting live footage straight to an external server.
Who installed a surveillance camera in the isolation ward within ten minutes of Briar being locked inside? Only one person had the administrative clearance and the motive: Head of Estate Security, Marcus Vance—Uncle Edmund’s right-hand man.
