Chapter 2: What the Camera Saw
I didn't drive straight home.
I drove to the emergency department at St. Mary's Hospital.
My mother protested the entire way.
"Adrian, I'm not sick.""
"You might have taken something that wasn't prescribed to you.""
"But I feel fine now.""
"That's exactly why we're getting you checked.""
She looked down at her blue dress.
"I don't even have a sweater.""
I glanced at the jacket covering her shoulders.
"You have mine.""
She smiled faintly.
"Your father used to say the same thing.""
That sentence nearly broke me.
At the hospital, a nurse named Patricia brought us into a private examination room. She checked my mother's blood pressure, asked about her symptoms, and carefully placed the three bottles inside separate evidence bags.
"Do you know what medication these are?"" Patricia asked.
My mother shook her head.
"No. The labels were scratched off.""
"Have you taken any today?""
"Not today.""
Patricia nodded.
"That's good. We'll have the doctor review these. I also recommend blood and urine tests.""
I stood beside my mother while the nurse prepared the paperwork.
Then my phone rang.
Camille.
I watched it vibrate twice before answering.
"Where are you?"" she demanded.
"At the hospital.""
A pause.
"Why?""
"Mom needs to be checked.""
"Adrian, you're being ridiculous.""
"She has been taking medication you gave her without knowing what it is.""
Camille laughed softly.
"Those are supplements.""
"Then you won't mind explaining why the labels were scratched off.""
Silence.
I could hear television playing in the background.
Finally, she said, "You need to stop letting your mother manipulate you.""
I looked through the glass panel at Evelyn.
She was sitting on the examination bed, her hands folded neatly in her lap.
"Don't talk about her like that.""
"Adrian, listen to yourself. She's old. She gets confused. She's been doing strange things for months.""
"Who told you that?""
"I've been living with her!""
"No, Camille. You've been living in the same house as her. That's not the same thing.""
Her voice sharpened.
"Are you accusing me of poisoning your mother?""
I didn't answer immediately.
Then I said, "I'm asking you what was in those bottles.""
She hung up.
I stared at the phone.
Patricia returned a few minutes later.
"Everything all right?""
"No.""
She looked at my face and lowered her voice.
"Would you like us to arrange for someone to speak with your mother privately?""
I nodded.
"Yes. Please.""
While the doctor examined Evelyn, I stepped into the corridor and called Daniel Reeves, my company's head of security.
Daniel had worked for me for seven years. Before joining my company, he had spent nearly two decades in corporate investigations and security operations.
He answered on the first ring.
"Adrian?""
"I need you to do something for me.""
"What's happened?""
"I need every available recording from my house. Especially the guest bedroom.""
He was quiet for a moment.
"Is this about Camille?""
I stopped walking.
"Why would you ask that?""
"Because I received an unusual administrator request from your home system yesterday. Someone tried to delete archived recordings.""
My stomach dropped.
"Who?""
"The request came through Camille's account.""
"Did she succeed?""
"Not completely. Some recordings were moved into a temporary storage folder. I preserved what remained.""
I closed my eyes.
"Send me the files.""
"Adrian, before I do, I need to tell you something.""
"What?""
"The system recorded activity in the guest bedroom almost every night for the last six weeks.""
I leaned against the wall.
"How many recordings?""
"Thirty-two.""
I looked toward the examination room.
Thirty-two nights.
Thirty-two opportunities for someone to hurt my mother while I slept in the next room.
"Send them to me," I repeated.
Daniel hesitated.
"Are you sure you want to watch these alone?""
"No.""
"Good. Don't. I'll come to the hospital.""
Twenty-five minutes later, Daniel arrived carrying his laptop.
We found an empty consultation room and closed the door.
He placed the laptop on the table.
"I've copied the original files," he said.
"Nothing has been edited.""
"Show me the first one.""
The video began at 11:48 p.m.
My mother's bedroom was dark except for a small lamp beside the bed.
Evelyn was sleeping.
At 11:53, the door opened.
Camille walked in.
She was wearing the white silk robe I had bought her for our anniversary.
She moved quietly toward the bedside table.
Then she took something from her pocket.
A small bottle.
She poured its contents into my mother's water glass and stirred it with a spoon.
I leaned forward.
"Pause.""
Daniel stopped the recording.
"Zoom in.""
He enlarged the image.
The bottle had a white cap and a narrow printed label.
I could make out part of a word.
Something ending in "pine.""
I felt sick.
"Continue.""
Camille placed the glass back on the table.
Then she stood beside my mother's bed.
For several seconds, she watched her sleep.
Finally, she leaned down.
"Sleep well, Evelyn," she whispered.
She turned toward the camera.
And smiled.
I pushed my chair backward.
Daniel paused the video.
"Adrian?""
"Keep going.""
The next recording showed Camille entering the bedroom three nights later.
This time, she carried a folder.
She opened the top drawer of my mother's bedside cabinet and removed several documents.
She photographed them with her phone.
Then she returned everything except one envelope.
That envelope went into her handbag.
"What's that?"" I asked.
Daniel zoomed in.
It was a bank statement.
My mother's name was printed across the top.
I remembered that statement.
Evelyn had received an inheritance from a distant aunt several years earlier. It wasn't a fortune, but it was enough to make her financially comfortable.
She had never wanted to spend it.
Instead, she had put most of it into a savings account.
"Why would Camille be taking her bank documents?""
Daniel shook his head.
"Let's watch the next recording.""
At 12:16 a.m., Camille returned to the bedroom.
She opened the curtains, switched on the overhead light, and shook my mother's shoulder.
Evelyn woke up confused.
"What is it?"" she whispered.
Camille sat on the edge of the bed.
"You need to sign something.""
"Tomorrow?""
"No. Now.""
"I'm tired.""
"It's important.""
Camille placed a document in front of her.
My mother rubbed her eyes.
"I can't read this without my glasses.""
Camille sighed.
"Do you have to make everything difficult?""
She reached for the glasses on the bedside table and placed them in my mother's hands.
Evelyn read the first page slowly.
Then she shook her head.
"I don't understand.""
"It's just permission for me to handle some of your paperwork.""
"Adrian usually helps me.""
Camille's face changed.
"Adrian has a company to run. He doesn't have time to manage every little thing for you.""
"But—"
"Do you want him to lose everything because you're becoming a burden?""
My mother's shoulders dropped.
She looked at the document again.
Then she signed.
I felt my hands begin to shake.
"Stop it.""
Daniel paused the recording.
"Adrian?""
"Tell me that's not what I think it is.""
He opened the document folder stored alongside the video.
The scanned image appeared on the screen.
It was a financial power of attorney.
The signature line carried my mother's name.
The date was six weeks earlier.
I read the document twice.
It granted Camille authority over certain financial decisions if Evelyn became unable to manage them independently.
But my mother had never told me about it.
And the document had been signed in my house.
Under circumstances that might have involved drugging, intimidation, and deception.
"Can we verify whether it's been used?"" I asked.
Daniel nodded.
"I can help identify the financial institutions, but your mother's bank will need to confirm any transactions.""
I stared at the screen.
Then another recording began automatically.
This one was from the previous evening.
Camille entered the bedroom carrying a phone.
She stood near my mother's bed and spoke quietly.
"Your son thinks you're getting worse, Evelyn.""
My mother's voice came from beneath the blankets.
"Adrian doesn't think that.""
"He does. He just doesn't want to hurt your feelings.""
"That's not true.""
Camille leaned closer.
"Do you know what happens when someone your age starts forgetting things?""
Evelyn didn't answer.
"They lose control of their money. Their property. Their decisions. Someone else has to take over.""
"Please don't.""
"I'm trying to help you.""
My mother began to cry.
Then Camille said something that made Daniel stop breathing.
"If you tell Adrian what happens in this house, he'll have no choice but to believe me when I say you're mentally unstable.""
The recording ended.
For a long moment, neither of us spoke.
Then Daniel closed the laptop halfway.
"Adrian, there's something else.""
I looked at him.
"What?""
He opened a different folder.
"This is an audio recording from the hallway. It was captured two days ago.""
He pressed play.
At first, there was only the sound of footsteps.
Then Camille's voice.
She was speaking to someone on the phone.
"Yes, the signature is already there.""
A man's voice responded.
"Then we can proceed?""
"Not yet. I need the medical report first.""
"And Adrian?""
"He'll sign whatever I put in front of him once he understands that his mother is declining.""
I felt the room tilt.
Daniel increased the volume.
The man's voice became clearer.
"How long do you think she'll cooperate?""
Camille laughed.
"She'll cooperate as long as she's afraid of losing her son.""
Then came the sentence that changed everything.
"Once the house is transferred, we won't need to keep pretending she's confused.""
I stared at Daniel.
"What house?""
He didn't answer.
Instead, he opened another file.
A property document.
My mother's address was printed at the top.
May you like
And beside it was a name I recognized.
Camille's father.
