Part 2: The Security Intercept
The transition from a domestic ambush to a high-stakes investigation happened within exactly thirty minutes of our departure.
I kept Eva safe in the backseat of our car while Derrick drove back to our suburban home near the district line.
"They planned this, Joanna," Derrick said, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the steering wheel against the dark.
"They wanted to force an absolute asset foreclosure on your grandmother’s inheritance by proving you are an unfit guardian."
I didn't answer right away; I pulled out my secure corporate tablet and logged into the local data registry network.
My parents had a high-definition outdoor security camera system installed near their front driveway and garage bay.
An infrastructure system that I had personally purchased and funded through my private accounting firm’s corporate card.
I opened the live archive feed, but the screen displayed a dead, static loop from 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
"They turned the terminal off from their internal IP address, Derrick," I whispered, a cold ice settling in my chest.
"But they forgot that Susan across the street has a matching smart camera pointed directly at their front windows."
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I dialed Susan’s private line, and within five minutes, a clean, unredacted video file populated my master screen.
The footage didn't show Eva stealing; it showed my sister Monica sliding the bills into the child’s backpack while she was at dinner.
