Chapter 3 - The Yellow Cutter
The yellow-handled glass cutter belonged to maintenance department.
It had been reported missing three days earlier.
Claire claimed she found it that morning behind a planter on patio.
Why not immediately tell Victor?
Because the handle carried initials.
A.R.
Anna Reyes.
Victor turned toward housekeeper.
Anna’s face went pale.
“It’s mine.”
Claire stared at her.
“You told me it wasn’t.”
Anna explained.
Two months earlier maintenance supervisor asked her to inventory small tools after staff reduction.
The cutter temporarily remained in housekeeping cabinet.
Anna marked handle with initials.
Then returned it.
Or thought she did.
Claire found it near window.
That made Anna look guilty.
But forensic examination complicated everything.
No usable fingerprints.
Handle had been wiped.
And straight line on window was made from exterior garden side.
Could Anna access patio?
Yes.
Could Claire?
Yes.
Almost anyone in mansion could.
Then engineer examined pane.
The scoring alone would not cause immediate collapse.
Tempered glass could remain intact for hours or days after edge damage.
Something else triggered it.
The “violent jolt.”
What caused jolt?
At 2:12, motorized patio awning retracted suddenly and struck outer frame.
Normally impossible.
Safety limiter should stop motor before impact.
Limiter had been disabled.
Someone had created two conditions:
weakened glass.
Then mechanical impact.
That looked deliberate.
Who controlled awning?
Wall switch.
Smart-home app.
Maintenance panel.
Logs showed remote command.
Account:
CLAIRE.BENNETT.
Again.
Claire stared.
“My account was compromised.”
Victor did not answer.
Then Anna spoke.
“She’s telling truth about one thing.”
“What?”
“She did find cutter.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I watched her find it.”
“When?”
“This morning.”
“During deleted eleven minutes?”
Anna nodded.
Victor stared.
“So you were there.”
“Yes.”
“What happened?”
Anna looked toward Claire.
“She made me promise not to tell you.”
Victor turned.
Claire whispered:
“Because what we found outside window was worse than cutter.”
“What?”
Claire walked toward broken frame.
Behind lower molding, investigators found small adhesive strip.
A torn corner of photograph remained attached.
Only part visible:
a little girl in pale pink.
Victor stared.
It looked like Lily.
But photograph was old.
Printed date on back:
Lily was born decades later.
Claire whispered:
“That’s why I panicked.”
Victor looked at her.
“Who is the girl?”
“I don’t know.”
Anna answered:
“I do.”
Everyone turned.
May you like
Anna stared at photograph.
“That’s Victor’s daughter.”
