Chapter 6 - Claire’s Missing Tablet
Claire reported tablet missing six days before accident.
To whom?
Daniel.
Not police.
Daniel told her it was probably misplaced.
He remotely locked device.
Except logs showed lock was removed using recovery code.
Who had code?
Daniel, as family technology trustee.
Claire.
IT manager, Owen Price.
Daniel was overseas during incident but remote access possible.
Victor called him.
Daniel denied involvement.
Flight records placed him in London.
Could still schedule command.
Motive?
None obvious.
Elena had been Daniel’s older sister.
He was six when she died.
Did he remember first window incident?
“Yes.”
Victor stared at screen.
“You never told me.”
“I thought you knew.”
“What happened?”
“Elena said somebody was watching from garden.”
“Who?”
“She called him ‘the man with silver hands.’”
Childhood imagination?
Maybe.
Daniel remembered Margaret becoming terrified.
Then Thomas replaced window.
Two weeks later Elena fell from balcony.
Did Daniel witness fall?
No.
But he remembered hearing parents argue night before.
Margaret:
“We should tell Victor what Thomas found.”
Who was she arguing with?
Unknown male.
Daniel assumed family lawyer.
Then Victor asked:
“Why did Margaret’s account remain active?”
Daniel hesitated.
“I kept it.”
“Why?”
“Mom stored old home-security archives there.”
“So someone knew that.”
“Yes.”
Who?
Owen Price.
IT manager.
Owen’s father had worked security at mansion in 1998.
Name:
Henry Price.
Victor remembered.
Henry left employment day after Elena died.
Interesting.
Police interviewed Owen.
He admitted accessing Margaret account.
But claimed at Daniel’s request months earlier to retrieve photographs for memorial archive.
Did he take Claire’s tablet?
“No.”
Search found no evidence.
Then smart-home logs revealed scheduled command created locally, not remotely.
Whoever programmed awning was physically in mansion with Claire’s tablet.
Time:
10:23 a.m.
Inside deleted eleven-minute window.
Security video missing.
But secondary doorbell camera captured reflection in patio glass.
A figure.
Champagne-colored clothing.
Claire’s dress.
Victor stared.
Claire shook head.
“I was there. I already told you.”
“What were you doing with tablet?”
“I didn’t have it.”
Reflection showed her bending near frame.
Then Anna joined.
Claire picked up yellow cutter.
So deleted footage likely exactly what Claire admitted.
But another reflection appeared behind them.
A man in dark jacket crossing hallway.
Neither noticed.
Face invisible.
Could be Victor?
He wore dark suit.
He checked schedule.
At 10:23 he was meeting accountant in home office.
Accountant confirmed.
Daniel abroad.
Owen Price?
He visited mansion that morning.
Work order:
Security camera calibration.
Arrival 9:50.
Departure recorded 10:15.
But if departure time false, he could be man.
Owen denied.
Then Lily said something.
“The camera man gave me candy.”
Victor knelt.
“What camera man?”
“The one who fixed camera.”
“When?”
“Today.”
Before glass broke.
Lily described blue eyes and a silver ring.
Owen had brown eyes.
No ring.
Then Anna looked at Victor.
“My mother’s letter mentioned silver.”
The man with silver hands.
Victor’s face hardened.
May you like
Maybe Elena had not meant literal silver hands.
Maybe a distinctive ring.
