Chapter 2 - THE CAMERA THAT DISAPPEARED
Ethan stared at the blank screen.
His chief legal officer, Priya Shah, leaned over his shoulder.
“Lost connection?”
“No.”
Ethan clicked another camera.
Lobby two.
Black.
Teller line.
Black.
Vestibule.
Black.
Every feed from the Midtown branch was gone.
Priya straightened.
“That’s not a power failure.”
“No.”
The branch systems still showed online.
Only surveillance had vanished.
Ethan called the security network center.
The technician checked.
“Remote deletion request from branch admin.”
“Who has admin?”
“Branch manager.”
Ethan’s jaw tightened.
Priya said.
“Don’t call him.”
“I know.”
“You look like you’re about to.”
“I’m considering it.”
“Don’t.”
Ethan stood.
His office overlooked Manhattan.
Thirty-seven floors.
Stone floors.
Quiet assistants.
Everything his mother had deliberately avoided when she entered the branch.
Martha hated being treated like a billionaire’s mother.
She hated private rooms.
Special lines.
People saying “Mrs. Robinson” with their entire spine.
She wanted to stand in the same line as everyone else.
That was the point.
Ethan called Internal Audit instead.
“Pull every customer complaint against Midtown for two years.”
“Every fee reversal.”
“Every forced account closure.”
“Every suspicious activity report involving elderly clients.”
Priya watched him.
“And Daniel Thompson?”
“Nothing.”
“Yet.”
Martha arrived at Ethan’s apartment forty minutes later in a rideshare.
The driver recognized the building.
His eyes widened.
Martha sighed.
“Please don’t.”
“Sorry.”
Upstairs, Ethan saw her cheek.
His face changed.
She touched his arm.
“No.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“You have your father’s murder face.”
“My father never murdered anyone.”
“You know what I mean.”
Priya photographed the bruise.
Martha hated that.
Again.
Evidence.
Always evidence.
Then Ethan showed her the camera logs.
“They deleted the footage.”
Martha sat down.
“Can they recover it?”
“Maybe.”
“Maybe?”
Priya answered.
“There are branch-local backups.”
“Unless they delete those too.”
Martha looked at Ethan.
“Then send someone now.”
He had already done it.
A network engineer reached the branch.
Daniel refused entry.
Said the system was under maintenance.
Then he called regional vice president Claire Hollis.
Claire called Ethan.
Not knowing Martha was his mother.
“Mr. Robinson, I think this is being blown out of proportion.”
Ethan looked at Martha.
“What happened?”
Claire answered.
“A disruptive customer presented a questionable check and became combative.”
Martha’s eyebrows rose.
Ethan said.
“Combative?”
“According to the branch manager.”
“Was she struck?”
A pause.
“I haven’t verified that.”
“Was she removed by security?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Potential fraud.”
Ethan looked at the cashier’s check on the table.
Issued by his own bank.
Backed by one of his private holding accounts.
He almost smiled.
“Claire.”
“Yes?”
“Do not destroy anything.”
Her voice tightened.
“Of course not.”
“Nothing.”
“I understand.”
The call ended.
Priya checked her tablet.
Then looked up.
“Too late.”
“What?”
May you like
“The branch-local backup was just erased.”
