The Tipped Wheelchair

Elena: Hold on, Mr. Marcus! I’ve got you!

The cold water rushed into Elena’s ears as she kicked furiously toward the bottom of the pool. Marcus was struggling against the heavy leather straps of the wheelchair, his lungs burning as bubbles escaped his lips. Elena grasped his torso, pulling with all her strength against the dead weight of the iron frame.

Marcus: Mmmph...!

Elena kicked off the concrete floor, her arms wrapped tightly under Marcus's shoulders as she dragged him toward the surface light. They broke through the water together, coughing and gasping for air as Elena dragged his upper body onto the pool deck tiles.

Elena: Breathe, Mr. Marcus! Breathe!

Marcus: *coughing* Air... I need... air...

Victoria: Get your filthy hands off my husband this instant!

Victoria kicked her designer heels against the wet tile as she stood over them, her face twisted in fake panic and unbridled rage. She pointed a trembling finger down at the soaking wet maid, her voice rising to a sharp screech that echoed across the courtyard.

Victoria: You pushed him! You deliberately pushed his wheelchair into the deep end to kill him!

Elena: What?! No! I ran out here to save him because you were just watching him fall!

Victoria: Lie all you want, you thieving brat! I saw you push the back of his chair with my own eyes!

Marcus: Victoria... stop it... she pulled me out...

Victoria: Shut up, Marcus! You’re in shock, you don't know what you're saying! She tried to murder my husband in our own backyard!

The heavy oak back door opened, and Arthur, Marcus's elder brother and senior partner in the family law firm, stepped onto the patio. He froze, taking in the sight of his dripping wet brother on the ground and Victoria screaming hysterically.

Arthur: What on earth is going on out here?! Why is Marcus out of his chair?

Victoria: Arthur! Thank God you're here! The maid just tried to drown Marcus! She pushed him right into the pool!

Elena: That is a complete lie! She stood there and watched him slip! I jumped in to get him!

Victoria: Look at her, Arthur! She’s trying to cover her tracks because she knows she’s going to prison for attempted murder!

Elena: I didn't push anyone! Look at the house wall right above the door! Look at the security camera!

Elena pointed urgently toward the high brick wall near the roofline, where a sleek black dome camera sat mounted above the rose bushes, its small red LED light blinking silently in the dark night.

Victoria: That camera has been broken for months, you idiot! It doesn't record anything!

Elena: No, it isn't! Mr. Arthur, check the live feed on your phone right now! Check the cloud storage!

Arthur pulled his smartphone from his suit jacket, his expression growing dark and serious as his fingers tapped rapidly on the glass screen. Victoria’s face instantly paled, her confident posture wavering for the very first time as she stared at the glowing phone in Arthur's hand.

Arthur: Let’s see what the cloud server saved from eight o'clock...

Victoria: Arthur, don't waste time with that! Call the police and have this girl arrested immediately!

Arthur: Be quiet, Victoria. The video is loading right now.

The silence over the patio grew thick enough to choke on as Arthur scrolled through the high-definition footage, his eyes widening in absolute shock as the night's events replayed in clear color on his screen.