Chapter 3 The Finger Pointed Up
Mara pulled Sophie backward across the glossy floor. The child cried out and tried to hold Mara’s wrist, her yellow skirt dragging over the marble. Daniel had returned for the briefcase he had left beside the entry console. He entered in his bright blue suit and stopped at the sight of his sister towering over his daughter.
He crossed the room in seconds. Daniel delivered one forceful strike across Mara’s face, breaking her grip and sending her off balance to the floor. Then he lifted Sophie against his chest and moved between her and Mara. Sophie clung to his jacket, crying so hard she could barely form words. Daniel asked what Mara had wanted and whether she had hurt her anywhere else.
Sophie did not answer. She raised one trembling finger and pointed above his shoulder. Daniel followed it to the black dome camera near the ceiling. The anger in his face changed into cold certainty. On the floor, Mara looked up at the same camera. Her fury vanished. Tears gathered in her eyes as she realized the room had preserved the minutes she had expected a child to carry alone.
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