Chapter 10 - The Unseen Witnesses
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Hearing her explicitly admit to the forged policy sent a shockwave through my dying system. Something deep inside me went completely, utterly cold.
It wasn't numbness. It was an intense, hyper-focused clarity. The old, battle-tested prosecutor in me woke up, fighting violently against the darkness creeping into my brain.
Stay awake, I commanded myself. Listen to them. Remember every word. Let them keep speaking.
Constance stood back up and looked disdainfully toward the hallway leading to the front door.
“The security cameras are useless,” she announced proudly to Graham, brushing a nonexistent piece of lint from her skirt. “I unplugged the main router in the study an hour ago. Your paranoid wife bought that cheap little system because she thinks everyone is out to get her. Well, she was right, but her toys won't save her.”
My lips twitched violently despite the excruciating pain radiating from my burns and my throat.
She had absolutely no idea.
At that exact moment, somewhere beyond the thick, soundproofed walls of the dining room, my emergency distress signal was already moving at lightning speed through the heavily encrypted, cellular-backed system. The AI software had recognized my collapse, the audio of my distress, and triggered the silent alarm.
Across town, Detective Damon Rourke’s encrypted phone was vibrating violently on his desk.
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And hidden inside the ornate brass lamp sitting innocuously beside the marble fireplace, a tiny, microscopic red light blinked once, recording every single second of their confession in stunning high definition.
I focused all my remaining strength on staring at that lamp. I couldn't breathe, my chest was on fire, and my vision was fading to black, but I knew the cavalry was coming. I just had to hold on to my consciousness for a few more minutes. I could not let them win. I could not let Constance be the last face I ever saw.
