Chapter 10: The Man in the Mirror
Marcus turned slowly.
Nothing.
The space behind him was empty.
No man.
No movement.
Only the polished marble floor, the reception desk, and the rows of silent luxury cars.
Jordan stood near the rear of the vehicle, staring at Marcus as if he had stopped breathing.
Vanessa was pressed against the reception counter.
Her eyes remained fixed on the mirror.
Marcus looked back.
The reflection was still there.
The other Marcus stood exactly where the mirror had shown him.
Same shirt.
Same jeans.
Same boots.
Same face.
But there was one difference.
The reflection held something in its hand.
A phone.
Marcus slowly raised his own phone.
The reflection did the same.
Marcus lowered his phone.
The reflection didn't.
It stared at him.
Then the mirror flickered.
The image disappeared.
Marcus stood completely still.
Jordan finally whispered, “What did we just see?””
Marcus looked at Vanessa.
“You saw it too.””
She nodded.
“You know what that was.””
“I don't.””
“Don't lie to me.””
Vanessa's eyes filled with tears.
“I swear.””
Marcus stepped out of the car.
The dashboard immediately went dark.
The recording stopped.
Silence returned.
Then Marcus noticed something beneath the driver's seat.
A small black memory card.
He crouched and picked it up.
Jordan moved closer.
“What is that?””
Marcus held it between two fingers.
“Maybe the answer.””
Vanessa shook her head.
“No.””
Marcus looked at her.
“You're afraid of a memory card?””
“I know what's on it.””
“Then tell me.””
She wiped her eyes.
“You came here three months ago because you already knew.””
“Knew what?””
“That the owner wasn't dead.””
Marcus froze.
Jordan stared at her.
“What?””
Vanessa looked at Marcus.
“He wasn't dead when you came here.””
Marcus's expression hardened.
“Then when did he die?””
“He didn't.””
Jordan stepped forward.
“Vanessa, stop.””
She shook her head.
“I can't keep doing this.””
Marcus's voice was quiet.
“Where is he?””
Vanessa pointed toward the rear of the showroom.
“There.””
Jordan looked confused.
“There?””
“The office.””
Marcus glanced toward the glass-walled office overlooking the showroom.
The blinds were closed.
He started walking.
Vanessa grabbed his arm.
“Wait.””
Marcus looked down at her hand.
She released him.
“You need to understand what happened that night.””
“Tell me.””
Vanessa took a shaky breath.
“The owner discovered someone had been using the showroom's cars without authorization.””
“Who?””
“We never found out.””
Marcus looked toward the office.
“Keep going.””
“He installed hidden cameras. Everywhere. He wanted proof.””
Marcus looked at the old key fob.
“The key.””
Vanessa nodded.
“The key was his emergency camera controller.””
Jordan stared at it.
“So the blinking light…”
“Wasn't recording Marcus,” Vanessa said.
She looked at him.
“It was showing him what the cameras had already captured.””
Marcus frowned.
“What did they capture?””
Vanessa's voice dropped.
“You.””
Marcus didn't move.
“Doing what?””
“Walking into this showroom three months ago.””
Jordan interrupted.
“That's impossible. He said he had never been here.””
Vanessa shook her head.
“He didn't remember.””
Marcus stared at her.
“Why?””
“Because you were injured.””
A long silence followed.
Vanessa continued.
“You came here that night after an accident. The owner found you sitting in the driver's seat of that car.””
Marcus looked at the vehicle.
“The same car.””
“Yes.””
“What happened?””
“You kept asking where the owner was.””
“And?””
“He came out of his office.””
Marcus waited.
Vanessa swallowed.
“You accused him of something.””
“What?””
“I don't know.””
“You do.””
“I heard shouting. Then the cameras went offline.””
Jordan asked, “And the owner?””
Vanessa looked at Marcus.
“He disappeared.””
Marcus's eyes narrowed.
“Disappeared?””
“We searched everywhere.””
“Did you find him?””
“No.””
“Then why tell everyone he died?””
Vanessa's face crumpled.
“Because he told me to.””
Marcus stared at her.
“When?””
“Three months ago.””
Jordan shook his head.
“This makes no sense.””
Vanessa pointed at the office.
“Go look.””
Marcus walked toward it.
The door was unlocked.
He pushed it open.
The room was dark.
A desk.
Two monitors.
A leather chair.
A wall of security screens.
Marcus turned on the light.
The monitors immediately came alive.
Every camera in the showroom appeared at once.
The reception desk.
The entrance.
The black car.
The marble floor.
And the mirror.
Marcus stared at the central screen.
It showed the showroom from three months earlier.
The image was grainy but clear.
Marcus was there.
He was sitting in the driver's seat.
Vanessa stood beside the car.
And another man stood behind them.
The owner.
Alive.
Jordan stared at the monitor.
“That's him.””
Marcus stepped closer.
The recording continued.
The owner leaned toward Marcus.
His lips moved.
Marcus watched.
The audio slowly came through the speakers.
“You don't remember me, do you?””
Marcus's face tightened.
On the screen, the younger Marcus shook his head.
The owner placed something on the dashboard.
The old key fob.
Then he said something that made Marcus stop breathing.
“You built this system.””
Vanessa covered her mouth.
Marcus looked at her.
“What?””
The recording continued.
The owner spoke directly to the camera.
“Marcus designed the security system for this showroom. He installed every camera. Every sensor. Every hidden recorder.””
Jordan stared at Marcus.
“You?””
Marcus didn't answer.
On the screen, Marcus stood beside the car.
The owner continued speaking.
“And three months ago, Marcus discovered someone was stealing customer information through the showroom.””
The video changed.
Another camera angle.
A person entered the office.
The face was visible.
Jordan's face went pale.
Vanessa closed her eyes.
Marcus stared at the screen.
It was Jordan.
Jordan stepped backward.
“No.””
Marcus looked at him.
Jordan shook his head.
“That isn't me.””
The recording showed him entering the office, opening a locked drawer, and removing a small drive.
Vanessa whispered, “You were the one.””
Jordan's eyes darted toward the exit.
Marcus blocked his path.
Jordan stopped.
“I didn't kill anyone.””
Marcus said nothing.
“I swear.””
Vanessa stepped forward.
“You stole the data.””
Jordan's voice broke.
“I was going to sell it.””
“And the owner?””
Jordan looked at the floor.
“I didn't know he was watching.””
Marcus looked at the monitor.
The recording continued.
Jordan entered the owner's office.
The owner confronted him.
There was an argument.
Then Jordan shoved him.
The owner fell.
Vanessa gasped.
Jordan covered his face.
“He hit his head.””
Marcus watched the screen.
The owner lay motionless.
Jordan panicked.
He dragged him out of frame.
Then the recording stopped.
Marcus looked at Jordan.
“You told everyone he died.””
Jordan shook his head.
“No.””
“You sent the messages.””
“No.””
Marcus's phone vibrated.
Everyone froze.
He looked down.
A new message appeared.
*SHOWROOM OWNER: NOW YOU KNOW.*
Marcus looked toward the security monitors.
One screen changed.
The owner's face appeared.
Alive.
Sitting somewhere Marcus couldn't identify.
A final message appeared beneath the image.
*THANK YOU FOR COMING BACK.*
Vanessa started crying.
Jordan backed away.
Marcus looked at the old key fob.
The red light blinked once.
Then went dark.
The office door suddenly locked behind them.
Jordan grabbed the handle.
“Open it!””
Marcus didn't move.
Vanessa looked at him.
“What do we do?””
Marcus stared at the screen.
For the first time, he smiled without hesitation.
“We wait.””
On the monitor, the owner's image disappeared.
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A final line appeared.
*NOW WE FIND OUT WHO ELSE WAS HELPING HIM.*
