Maya: You will not get away with this, Victoria! God is watching you!
Victoria: Take her to the car, Officer. She is clearly unstable and delusional.
Officer Miller: Let us move, miss. Save it for the judge.
Maya: Mr. Sterling, look at her face! She is smiling! Look at your wife!
Richard kept his back turned, his body shaking as he held the crying baby wrapped in the wet towel. He walked over toward the stone fireplace where Officer Davis was setting down a dry blanket on the outdoor lounge table. Maya's chest felt tight as the police officer pushed her toward the iron side gate of the estate. Every step away from the baby felt like a defeat, the cold handcuffs biting deeper into her wrists with every movement.
Officer Davis: Let us examine the infant right here on the lounge table. Is she breathing clearly, sir?
Richard: Yes, she is crying... that means her lungs are working, right?
Officer Davis: She swallowed some water, but her airway seems clear. We have an ambulance on the way to check her vitals just to be safe.
Victoria: Thank goodness you got here in time, Officers. If I had not screamed, that crazy woman would have let her sink to the bottom.
Richard: I cannot believe I trusted her in my home. She has been working for us for three months.
Victoria: I told you we should have hired a professional agency, darling. You always try to give these lower-class people a chance, and this is how they repay you.
Maya struggled against the officer's grip near the iron gate, her wet shoes slipping on the gravel pathway. She reached into her wet apron pocket, her fingers brushing against the small black walkie-talkie device she used to communicate with the mansion's interior maintenance staff. She squeezed it with both hands behind her back, her fingers frantically pressing the call button.
Maya: Leo! Leo, are you listening to me? Press record on the master feed! Stop her!
Officer Miller: Stop fidgeting back there! What do you have in your hand?
Maya: It is my radio! Please, just listen to me for one minute!
Victoria: See? She is talking to herself now! She is completely unhinged!
Suddenly, the glass sliding doors of the main patio slammed open with a loud bang. Ten-year-old Leo, Richard's son from his first marriage, came sprinting out onto the bright patio. His face was flushed red, his navy blue shirt soaked in sweat as he ran across the marble tiles toward his father. In his hands, he held a dark blue digital tablet, holding it high above his head like a shield.
Leo: Dad! Stop! Do not let her take Maya away!
Richard: Leo? Stay inside! It is not safe out here right now!
Leo: Dad, don't let her frame her! Maya saved Emma! She did not push her!
Victoria: Leo, sweetheart, go back to your room. You did not see what happened out here.
Leo: Yes I did! I saw everything from the upstairs balcony! And I have it right here!
Richard: What are you talking about, son?
Leo: The main patio cameras were offline, but my room camera was pointing right at the pool! Look at the screen, Dad! Look at what she did!
Victoria's face turned completely pale, her smirk vanishing instantly as Leo thrust the digital tablet directly into his father's hands. The video play button flashed on the bright screen under the afternoon sun.