Chapter 3 - The Video on the AlleywayThe video was recorded from an elevated second-story window across the narrow alley. It showed our home's garage lit by a harsh overhead bulb.
On the screen, Derek could be clearly seen dragging me across the concrete floor while I sobbed, clutching my stomach. Beatrice stood beside him, calmly lighting a cigarette and handing it to him.
The audio captured on Mrs. Gable’s professional zoom lens was horrifyingly clear.
“Make it look like a tragic accident, Derek,” Beatrice’s calm voice echoed through the hospital speaker. “The insurance policy covers accidental fire deaths. Once she’s gone, you and Chloe can move into the estate in Palm Springs.”
My stomach turned. Chloe. Chloe Montgomery was Derek’s corporate secretary—a woman he had claimed was merely an assistant handling his travel schedules.
Detective Sterling paused the video and skipped forward to the final night.
On the screen, Derek stood beside the workbench holding a heavy iron rod. He had used a blowtorch to heat the tip until the metal glowed bright orange-red. I lay motionless on the concrete, barely conscious, my arm still instinctively curved over my pregnant belly.
“Finish it now,” Beatrice instructed on the video, checking her watch. “Before the morning shift starts.”
On the screen, Mrs. Gable’s hands trembled as she dialed 911 while keeping the camera focused on the garage.
Seconds later, bright red and blue strobe lights flashed across the driveway on the video. Two police cruisers pulled up at high speed. Officers surged down the side path, kicking open the reinforced side door of the garage just as Derek raised the glowing iron rod above my body.
The video captured four officers barging in with weapons drawn, screaming for Derek to drop the weapon. Derek dropped the iron rod onto the concrete with a loud, ringing clatter before officers tackled him and Beatrice to the floor.
I covered my face with my trembling hands, sobbing uncontrollably. The horror I had lived through was recorded in undeniable, horrifying detail.
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“Mrs. Gable’s footage gave us a slam-dunk warrant,” Detective Sterling said, his voice hard as iron. “Derek and Beatrice are currently held without bail at the county detention facility, charged with attempted premeditated murder, aggravated torture, and felony child endangerment.”
Sterling leaned closer, his expression shifting to absolute seriousness. “But Hannah, there’s something else you need to know. This wasn't just about an insurance payout. We searched Derek’s office at his firm yesterday morning.”
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