Back at the Dallas mansion, Detective Miller's secondary unit stepped briskly onto the front stone steps through the open double doors.
Officer Jenkins: Mrs. Sterling, we need access to the staff quarters and your security control panel immediately.
Elena stood in the grand foyer beneath the framed American flag artwork, her expression shifting instantly from grief to icy authority.
Elena: On whose authority? I am the victim here! That criminal maid belongs behind bars!
Officer Jenkins: On the authority of a judicial search warrant signed ten minutes ago by Judge Holloway.
Elena's face paled beneath her makeup as she stepped backward, her designer beige dress rustling against the marble floor.
Elena: This is harassment! My husband's divorce lawyer will hear about this invasion of privacy!
Officer Jenkins: Feel free to call him. In the meantime, Officer Thorne, check the staff locker room for Miss Santos's personal belongings.
Officer Thorne pushed open the staff quarters door, walking straight to Maria's locker and pulling out a pink smartphone resting on the shelf.
Officer Thorne: Got it! The screen is locked, but the notification banner is flashing with cloud backup sync alerts.
Elena: (Screaming) Give me that phone! You have no right to steal personal property!
Officer Jenkins: Step back, ma'am, or you'll be arrested for obstruction of justice and filing a false police report.
Officer Thorne plugged a portable diagnostic reader into the device, bypassing the security prompt using Maria's authorized cloud credentials.
Officer Thorne: Sergeant, look at this. The 4K ultra-wide camera angle from the pool pergola recorded the entire afternoon in crystal-clear detail.
Officer Jenkins: Play it on the living room smart TV right now.
The large wall-mounted screen flickered to life, displaying the pristine Dallas backyard with its sparkling blue pool and scattered red rose petals.
Elena: (Voice trembling) No... you cannot view private property footage without my explicit written consent!
Officer Jenkins: Watch the screen, Mrs. Sterling. Let's see what really happened before the maid jumped in.
On the high-definition display, Elena was clearly visible standing mere feet from little Chloe, ignoring the toddler while typing furiously on her phone.
Officer Jenkins: Look at that. The baby wanders right up to the coping while the mother stares at her screen, completely oblivious.
Elena: (Panicking) The angle is distorted! It's a deepfake! Arthur is paying you to frame me!
Officer Jenkins: Keep watching. The baby loses her balance and slips into the water all by herself, while Mrs. Sterling watches it happen.
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