Nora: Look right up there at the corners, Mr. Mark! The high-definition cameras you installed last month!
Clara's breath caught in her throat[cite: 1]. Her face instantly drained of all color, turning pale as a sheet of paper as fear and pure panic filled her eyes[cite: 1].
Mark: The ceiling cameras... they have a direct view of the second-floor balcony[cite: 1].
Clara: Mark... wait... those cameras don't even work! You said the system was offline for maintenance!
Mark: The cloud system came back online yesterday morning, Clara. It records twenty-four hours a day directly to my phone app.
Clara: No... Mark, listen to me before you open that app!
Mark: Why are you suddenly shaking, Clara? If you did nothing wrong, why are you so terrified of the footage?
Clara: I'm not terrified! I just... I don't want you wasting time watching videos when this maid needs to be thrown off our property!
Nora: Open the app, Mr. Mark. Please. For your daughter's sake.
Mark pulled his cell phone out of his pocket with steady hands. He unlocked the screen and tapped on the home security application. Clara made a sudden move toward him, reaching out to grab the phone from his grip.
Clara: Give me that phone!
Mark: Back off, Clara!
Mark stepped away from her, holding the phone out of her reach as the video feed loaded on the high-definition screen. The second-floor balcony came up clearly on the display[cite: 1].
Mark: Let's see what happened five minutes ago.
The video played back in crisp detail. It showed Clara walking out onto the balcony holding the newborn[cite: 1]. It showed her stepping up to the dark wooden banister[cite: 1]. Then, it clearly showed her lifting the infant completely over the railing, dangling her over the drop while smiling down at the floor[cite: 1].
Mark: My God...
Clara: Mark... it's not what it looks like! I was just showing her the view!
Mark: You opened your hands, Clara! You let go of a newborn baby!
Clara: It was an accident! My hands cramped up! The baby was heavy!
Mark: She weighs seven pounds! How does your hand cramp up so badly that you push a baby over a wooden banister?
Nora: She said the baby took everything from her before she dropped her, Mr. Mark.
Mark: Is that true, Clara? Did you say that to Nora?
Clara: Nora is twisting my words! I was just stressed! I haven't been sleeping well since the birth!
Mark: Stressed? You tried to murder my daughter!
Clara: She's not even my biological daughter, Mark! You brought your ex-wife's baby into my house and expected me to raise her!
Mark: Her mother died during childbirth three weeks ago! This baby is my blood, and you tried to throw her down the stairs!
Mark stepped right up to Clara, pointing his finger sternly at her face with an intense, angry expression while Nora held the child close[cite: 1].
Mark: You're not getting away with this!