A sudden silence fell over the spacious living room.
Marcus turned his head quickly to look where Mary was pointing.
Marcus: What camera? There are no cameras in this living room.
Mary: Your late wife installed it two years ago before she entered hospice.
Mary: She wanted to make sure Lily was always watched over carefully.
Mary: The memory card records every single second into a secure cloud storage account.
Evelyn's face suddenly lost all of its natural color.
She stepped back slightly and grabbed the edge of the dining table.
Evelyn: That is impossible! I had all the old security systems cleared out last month!
Mary: You cleared the main wall panel, but you missed the battery backup unit on top.
Marcus felt a cold chill run down his spine as he looked at Evelyn.
Her wide eyes were filled with sudden anxiety and terror.
Marcus: Evelyn, why are you looking so scared if you told the truth?
Evelyn: I am not scared! I just don't want this woman tricking you!
Marcus: Step aside right now.
Evelyn: Marcus, please listen to me for one second!
Marcus: Move. Now.
Marcus reached out and grabbed Evelyn firmly by her wrist.
He pulled her back gently but firmly so he could reach the high shelf.
Evelyn: Don't touch me! You are choosing a servant over your own wife!
Marcus ignored her shouts and reached up behind the wooden trim.
His fingers touched a smooth plastic square resting hidden behind a framed picture.
He pulled down a small white desktop security camera with a red recording light blinking.
Marcus: It is still running and connected to the home network server.
Mary: The application is on your late wife's tablet inside the study desk.
Evelyn: Marcus, you don't need to look at stupid video files!
Evelyn: I was just stressed because the baby wouldn't stop crying all morning!
Marcus looked deeply into Evelyn's eyes as his heart pounded in his ears.
Marcus: Is it over, Evelyn? Did you lie to me about what happened?
Evelyn: What? No! I was trying to protect our family!
Marcus did not answer her as he turned and walked toward his private study.
Mary remained on the floor cradling little Lily who had finally stopped crying.
Evelyn followed Marcus closely, her heels clicking rapidly on the polished floor.
Evelyn: Marcus, if you open that laptop, you are disrespecting our marriage!
Marcus: If my wife lied to get a devoted nanny fired, our marriage was already broken.