Elena sat on the park bench two blocks away from the estate.
Her hands were still shaking from the intense encounter inside.
She could not believe Mark had thrown her out so quickly.
She knew Sarah had been planning something fishy for weeks now.
Three weeks ago, Elena had overheard Sarah talking on the phone.
Sarah had mentioned something about an insurance trust fund payout.
The money was set aside for Little Leo's future college fund.
If the child suffered an accident, Sarah controlled the legal trust.
Elena realized that Sarah was after the family inheritance money.
She pulled out her cheap cell phone with tapping fingers.
She called her nephew, Thomas, who worked in home security sales.
Thomas had visited the house two months ago to install hardware.
Elena: Thomas, I need to ask you something very important right now.
Thomas: What is wrong, Aunt Elena? You sound totally terrified.
Elena: Did Mr. Vance ever activate that hidden foyer camera setup?
Thomas was silent on the line for a few quick seconds.
Thomas: Yes, we finished setting up the cloud recording last week.
Thomas: It is hidden right inside the eye of the eagle statue.
Elena felt a wave of relief wash over her entire body.
The eagle statue sat directly beneath the large American flag.
It pointed straight down at the top landing and marble staircase.
Elena: Can you access the saved footage from your work phone?
Thomas: I can only view it if there is a security claim.
Thomas: But I can send the link directly to Mr. Vance's email.
Elena stood up from the wooden bench with new hope inside.
Elena: Send it to him right now, Thomas! Please hurry up!
Meanwhile, inside the mansion, Sarah was pacing around the study.
She was pouring herself a tall glass of cold orange juice.
Mark was up in the nursery rocking Little Leo to sleep.
He felt a deep sense of worry in his heavy chest.
Elena had worked for his late parents for over three years.
She had never lied to him about anything big or small.
He walked down to his private desk in the main library.
His computer screen lit up with a new urgent security notification.
The subject line read: Automatic Cloud Recording Backup - Foyer Unit.
Mark clicked on the video link with a furrowed brow.
The video clip showed the top landing from ten minutes ago.
Mark zoomed in on the high-definition color footage screen.
He saw Sarah standing right behind the baby's wheeled carrier.
He watched as her right hand deliberately pushed the handle forward.
She stepped back and pretended to scream after the shove.
Mark felt all the blood drain completely from his face.