Chapter 10 - Andrew’s Lie
Andrew Carter had lied about more than his location.
He was at hotel that afternoon.
But only until 1:18 p.m.
Carter house incident began shortly after 2:00.
Drive took thirty minutes.
Andrew could have arrived.
His phone remained with assistant, making location appear elsewhere.
Police obtained traffic camera image.
Andrew’s black SUV entered Carter neighborhood at 1:53.
He had been near house.
Confronted, Andrew stopped denying.
He had gone there.
Why?
Hattie called him.
She believed Lily moved blue packet somewhere around kennel.
Andrew had known about packet since Henry’s death.
He wanted it too.
Not for inheritance.
For corporate records.
Andrew’s father had been Thomas Carter.
The second silver watch originally belonged to Thomas.
Andrew believed evidence chip could clear father’s name from older accusations.
Hattie told him Michael’s watch might contain it.
Weeks earlier, she secretly swapped watches during family gathering.
That explained serial number.
Michael unknowingly began wearing Thomas’s watch.
But where was Henry’s?
Andrew had it.
So video watch could be Henry’s—the visually identical second watch.
Penelope stared.
“You were man beside kennel.”
Andrew’s lawyer stopped interview.
No admission.
Then forensic comparison found vertical nick on Henry watch clasp matched footage.
The watch in security recording was almost certainly Henry’s second watch.
Not the one Michael was wearing during confrontation.
The visual mystery seemed solved.
Michael had been framed by identical watch.
Except Lily had screamed when she saw Michael’s wrist.
Why?
If Lily knew man wore different identical watch, a six-year-old would not distinguish serial numbers.
She saw silver watch.
Associated it with terror.
Michael’s reflexive covering of wrist might have been fear that Penelope would assume guilt.
Not proof.
But Andrew’s motive remained unclear.
Why help Hattie terrorize Lily?
Andrew finally spoke.
“I unlocked kennel. I did not put Lily in it.”
“Why unlock it?”
“Hattie said blue packet might be beneath removable tray.”
“And Lily?”
“She was supposed to tell us where she moved it.”
“You watched your aunt put leash on child?”
“No.”
He claimed he stepped away to basement after unlocking kennel.
Hattie escalated after.
Recovered audio partially supported him.
Andrew’s voice:
“Search the tray. Leave Lily alone.”
Then footsteps away.
Minutes later Hattie began coercing Lily.
Andrew had participated in search but evidence did not show him ordering abuse.
Still morally culpable for leaving child with enraged Hattie.
Then Penelope asked question.
“Why did Hattie say, ‘You said she wouldn’t remember’?”
Andrew looked confused.
“I never said that.”
Voice before line might not have been Andrew.
Meaning another man could have been present after him.
The seven deleted minutes contained multiple gaps.
One watch wearer explained.
Not necessarily all.
Then cloud recovery produced another frame.
Andrew had already left camera view.
Hattie stood with Lily.
A man entered blind spot.
Dark navy sleeve.
On his left wrist—
May you like
a silver watch.
Two different silver watches appeared in same deleted recording.
