Inside, six small screens displayed live images from different parts of the house.
The kitchen.
The living room.
The upstairs hallway.
Mother’s bedroom.
The guest bedroom.
And the bathroom.
My stomach turned.
The bathroom camera was positioned high above the mirror.
Chloe looked at the monitors and began speaking rapidly.
“They were for safety. She falls. She wanders.”
“You recorded her bathing,” I said.
“We never watched that feed.”
One monitor showed a list of archived files.
Hundreds of them.
Julian stepped forward.
“I want an attorney.”
Sheriff Mercer nodded.
“That would be wise.”
A technician arrived and began disconnecting the system. Another deputy searched the desk under the authority of the emergency order and probable cause created by the surveillance equipment.
He opened a locked drawer.
Inside were several folders containing bank statements, property documents, blank checks, and copies of Mother’s signature.
