Chapter 8: The Prototype That Remembered
Samuel ordered Peter to put down the briefcase.
Peter didn't move.
Instead, he stared at the old prototype as if it were something alive.
“You don't understand what you're looking at,” he said.
I stepped between him and Maya.
“Then explain it.””
Peter laughed nervously.
“Eleven years ago, Elena and I developed a system that could interpret visual information, recognize objects, and respond to environmental changes without direct human control.””
Maya looked at the machine.
“That's what Nova does.””
“Exactly.””
“Then why did you say Aunt Elena stole it?””
Peter's jaw tightened.
“Because she changed the original design.””
Maya shook her head.
“That doesn't make it yours.””
Peter turned toward me.
“Your daughter sounds exactly like her aunt.””
I ignored the remark.
“What happened to the project?””
Peter lowered his briefcase.
“Elena wanted to build machines that could help people with disabilities. She believed robotics should be affordable and accessible.””
“And you disagreed?””
“I believed technology needed investment. Manufacturing costs money. Research costs money. Without commercial backing, the project would have died.””
“So you tried to sell it.””
“We had an agreement.””
“Without her signature?””
Peter looked away.
I held up the transfer agreement.
“This says otherwise.””
He swallowed.
“Daniel handled the paperwork.””
There it was again.
Daniel.
Always Daniel.
Samuel moved closer.
“Mr. Collins, I need you to explain why you entered this property tonight.””
Peter looked at him.
“I own the equipment.””
“Do you have documentation?””
“Of course.””
“Then show it to me.””
Peter opened his briefcase and removed several sheets.
Samuel examined them.
After a moment, he frowned.
“These documents are dated six months ago.””
Peter nodded.
“I purchased the storage rights.””
“From whom?””
“Northbridge Holdings.””
I stared at him.
The same company Vanessa had signed documents for.
The same company Daniel had used in his fraudulent property arrangements.
“Who owns Northbridge Holdings?”” I asked.
Peter hesitated.
“Daniel.””
I stepped forward.
“So Daniel has been using a company he controls to claim ownership of my sister's equipment?””
Peter snapped his briefcase shut.
“That's not how it works.””
“Then explain how it works.””
Peter didn't answer.
Maya had been studying the prototype.
She crouched beside the machine and examined a small panel beneath its optical sensor.
“Dad?””
“What is it?””
“There's a port here.””
Peter immediately moved.
“Don't touch that!””
Samuel blocked him.
“Stay where you are.””
Maya looked at the panel.
“It's an old data interface. Maybe there's something stored inside.””
Peter shook his head.
“The system hasn't worked in years.””
Maya examined the wiring.
“That's not true. The power unit is disconnected, but the memory module is intact.””
I watched her carefully remove the protective cover.
A small green circuit board appeared.
She smiled.
“It's similar to the module I used in Nova.””
Peter looked genuinely alarmed.
“You can't access that.””
“Why?””
“Because the data is proprietary.””
Maya looked up.
“Then why is it inside my aunt's machine?””
Peter opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
Samuel photographed the circuit board.
Then he called the investigator assigned to the property dispute.
While he was speaking, Maya noticed a small switch beneath the panel.
“Dad, I think this is a manual recovery switch.””
Peter stepped forward again.
“Don't!””
Samuel raised his voice.
“That's enough.””
Maya stopped.
I knelt beside her.
“Let's wait until the investigator confirms it's safe.””
She nodded.
Peter looked increasingly uncomfortable.
“Marcus, listen to me. We can settle this.””
“Settle what?””
“The ownership dispute. I'll offer your daughter a percentage of the commercial rights.””
I stared at him.
“You're offering to pay my daughter for something she already created?””
“I'm offering a practical solution.””
“Your practical solution is to give her back what you stole?””
Peter's face hardened.
“You have no idea how much money is involved.””
I looked at the prototype.
“Apparently, neither did Elena.””
He flinched.
Samuel finished his call.
“The property manager has confirmed the storage agreement is disputed. Until ownership is established, nobody is removing anything.””
Peter looked furious.
“You can't do this.””
“I can preserve evidence,” Samuel replied.
“And that's exactly what I'm doing.””
Peter picked up his briefcase.
“I'll speak to my lawyer.””
He turned toward the exit.
Then he stopped.
“Marcus?””
I looked at him.
“You should ask your wife what Daniel promised her in exchange for Maya's invention.””
My jaw tightened.
“I already know enough.””
Peter shook his head.
“No. You don't.””
He walked out.
Samuel followed him to make sure he left the premises.
Maya remained beside the prototype.
“Dad, why does everyone keep saying Mom was involved?””
I looked at her.
“Because she was.””
“But did she know about Aunt Elena?””
“I don't think so.””
Maya lowered her eyes.
“I wish things were different.””
I put my arm around her.
“Me too.””
A few minutes later, Samuel returned.
He had spoken to the property manager and arranged for the equipment to remain secured pending a formal inventory.
We photographed every document and left the warehouse with copies of the records that had been released to us.
At home, Vanessa was waiting in the living room.
She stood when we entered.
“Did you find it?””
I stared at her.
“Find what?””
“The prototype.””
Maya looked at me.
Vanessa lowered her voice.
“Daniel told me the original machine was there. He said it contained the original commercial software.””
I placed the evidence folder on the table.
“Why didn't you tell me that earlier?””
“Because I was afraid.””
“Of Daniel?””
She nodded.
“After you left yesterday, he called me. He said if you found the prototype, you would never be able to prove Maya owned anything.””
I opened the folder.
“Why?””
“Because he claimed Elena had transferred everything to Peter.””
I showed her the old agreement.
“Then explain this.””
Vanessa examined the document.
Her face changed.
“I've seen this before.””
“Where?””
“In Daniel's office.””
I stared at her.
“What were you doing in Daniel's office?””
She hesitated.
“He asked me to help organize some documents.””
“When?””
“Last month.””
I waited.
Vanessa finally spoke.
“He showed me a file with Elena's name. He said she had been unstable near the end of her life. He said she had accused everyone of stealing from her because she couldn't accept that the project was failing.””
Maya's eyes filled.
“That's not true.””
Vanessa looked at her.
“I know that now.””
“No, Mom. You didn't know Aunt Elena. You never even tried to find out.””
Vanessa began crying.
Maya walked away.
I let her go.
Then I turned back to Vanessa.
“What else did Daniel show you?””
She reached into her handbag and removed a small envelope.
“I kept this.””
Inside was a photograph.
It showed Elena sitting at a hospital bed.
She looked exhausted but alert.
Peter stood beside her.
Daniel stood near the window.
On the back was a date.
Three days before Elena's accident.
I stared at the photograph.
“Where did you get this?””
“Daniel gave it to me. He said it proved Elena had been ill and confused.””
I turned the photograph over again.
There was something written beneath the date.
A short sentence in Elena's handwriting.
If anything happens to me, give this to Marcus.
My heart began pounding.
I looked at Vanessa.
“Why didn't you give it to me?””
She lowered her head.
“Daniel told me it was worthless.””
I studied the photograph.
The hospital room number was visible in the corner.
I remembered that hospital.
It was the same place where Elena had been treated after her accident.
But the date was wrong.
She had been admitted three days before the accident.
That meant she had been hospitalized for something else.
Something I had never been told about.
I called Robert.
He answered on the second ring.
“Marcus?””
“I found a photograph of Elena in hospital three days before her accident.””
There was a pause.
“Send it to me.””
I did.
A minute later, he called back.
“Marcus, I checked the old case file this morning. Your sister wasn't admitted because of an illness.””
“What happened?””
Robert's voice became quieter.
“She reported that someone had broken into her laboratory and assaulted her.””
My fingers went numb.
“Who?””
“The report names Peter Collins.””
I looked at the photograph again.
Elena had been trying to tell me something.
She had been trying to protect her invention.
And she had known she was in danger.
Then Robert added:
“There's another detail. The police report says Elena identified a second person who was present during the assault.””
I closed my eyes.
May you like
“Who?””
“Daniel Hayes.””
