Why would he do that? His favorite trail is nowhere near here.
“Theodore!” My voice echoes into the endless moonlight, going on forever with no return.
I peer into the darkness, looking for my husband, but I can’t stand this too much longer. After another five minutes, I head inside, a stirring beginning in my gut.
Something isn’t right, my instincts say. A twinging gut feeling ripples along my skin. It twists my organs into knots while I wait in the dead quiet of my home.
Slap.
Slap.
Slap.
My feet resonate in my spacious kitchen. Its rhythm slows the beat of my heart. It gives me something to focus on while I try to put together the mystery of why things feel wrong.
Switching on the overhead lights, I drop onto a stool, tapping my nails on the counter while following the same beat on my chin.
My mind is working a mile a minute. When I find myself in moments like these, sitting is the worst thing I could do.
I need to move and work off the rapidly increasing energy before I combust. When I stand, I accidentally knock over the chair. The loud crash has me jumping out of my skin, my shriek piercing my ears as it bounces across the walls.
“Ha…” I chuckle, slapping my hand over my heart while it races furiously in my chest.
“Fuck. Relax, Bethy,” I mumble, using the name my father calls me to settle my wild nerves. Perhaps everything feels off because this is my first time being home alone in a while.
Normally, Theodore is here with me, and if I’m not here, then I’m either at work with my dad or at the office with Joshua.
Or at Joshua’s home.
Point is, I’m never alone. I’m very good at that.
Shaking off the jitters, I bend over to grab the fallen chair by the top rail. As I pull it up, something under the island captures my attention. It’s hidden in the gap under the island. Whether it’s on purpose or an accident, there’s something suspicious about the discarded box.
Velvet, that’s the fabric that surrounds it. There’s only one container that is lined with velvet. But why is there a jewelry box on the floor of the kitchen?
And why is it empty?
Tongue in cheek, my eyes travel the empty home. Suddenly, the nerves in my system don’t feel so daunting. Instead, it bubbles with excitement, vindictive, venomous excitement.
Whistling a cheery tune, I slide the empty necklace box into the pocket of my pants and skip up the stairs to the master bedroom.
Theodore was acting weird earlier, standing beside the bed with a wary, cutely-stupid look on his face. I didn’t think much of it because he’s always been kind of odd. But taking in his absence, in the middle of the night, and the disregarded jewelry box on the kitchen floor, I’m starting to think there’s more to it.
He doesn’t know I did this. I didn’t feel like it was something I had to share. After all, Theodore would never hide something from me, right?Nothing but his trust fund.So, why would I tell him about the camera I hid in the bedside clock? It’s just a precaution.
For security.
Popping the card out of the bottom, I set the clock back down and run to the computer I have stashed in the back of the closet.
No one knows it’s here. I have it stored in a box labeled Beth’s Winter Wear. My winter jackets really are in there, but underneath those is the computer I’ve had since college. It’s old and kind of slow, but there’s a protective software on it that makes my history untraceable. Nothing will ever stick; perks of having a paranoid father.
Once it starts up, I insert the card and wait anxiously. The little wheel in the center of the screen spins and spins and spins, driving me crazy while I pick at the loose skin around my lip.
“Come on. Come on. Come on,” I chant, looking over my shoulder to ensure Theodore isn’t there. I don’t know when he’ll be home, so this computer better load faster because I have to be done before he gets back.
Finally, after what feels like a century, the circle disappears, and a black and white video downloads and takes its place.
At first, I don’t know what I’m seeing. The image is a bit hazy and grainy with all the motion. But as things settle, the picture becomes clear.
