Mark carried Lily into her bright bedroom down the far quiet hallway.
He set her down gently on her soft bed and pulled up a chair.
The little girl wiped her swollen eyes with the back of her sleeve.
Mark: Tell me everything from the beginning, Lily. Take your time.
Lily: She took Mom's old silver locket out of your locked office desk.
Mark: Victoria went inside my private office while I was away at work?
Lily: Yes, and when I asked her for it back, she pushed me.
Mark felt his blood run cold at his daughter's simple words.
The silver locket was the only thing left from his first wife's estate.
It held deep emotional value and belonged solely to Lily on her eighteenth birthday.
Mark patted Lily's head gently and offered her a small reassuring smile.
Mark: Stay in your room with the door locked until I return for you.
Lily: Please do not let her come back up here again, Dad.
Mark: I promise you that nobody will ever scare you in this house again.
Mark walked out of the bedroom and pulled the heavy door shut tight.
He walked directly down the dark hallway toward his private corner office.
The brass doorknob was slightly unlocked, just as Lily had described earlier.
Mark pushed the door open and saw his wooden desk drawers standing wide open.
Paper files regarding his estate and life insurance policies were scattered across the top.
The small velvet box that held the precious silver locket was completely empty.
Victoria was searching for key financial papers while he was out of town.
Mark walked over to the bookshelf where a hidden camera sat behind a frame.
He had installed the small lens months ago for simple home security.
He pulled out his smartphone and opened the live video playback app instantly.
The high-definition screen lit up with crisp footage from earlier that afternoon.
Mark watched the video clip with growing fury in his pounding heart.