Julian stared at the shimmering necklace inside the purse. His jaw set into a hard, rigid line, but he didn't reach for his phone to dial the police. Instead, he pulled his high-end smartphone from his inner jacket pocket.
Margarethe: What are you doing? Dial 911!
Julian: I don't need to call the sheriff yet. I need to check the local feed.
Margarethe: What feed? The cameras in the east wing were shut off for maintenance today! You told me that yourself last night!
Julian: The hall cameras were offline, yes. But I installed a new concealed high-definition security camera inside the hallway mirror three days ago. It syncs directly to my cloud server 24/7.
Margarethe’s breath hitched. The flush of anger in her cheeks instantly turned into a sickly, pale grey.
Margarethe: You... you put a hidden camera in the hallway?
Julian: I did. Let's see what happened at 2:15 PM today, shall we?
Julian tapped the screen quickly. The low hum of the home's air conditioning was the only sound in the vast foyer as the video buffered. Sarah wiped a tear from her cheek, remaining on her knees, while Margarethe took an instinctual step backward toward the front door.
Julian: Well, well. Look at this, Margarethe. Come take a look.
Margarethe: I... I don't need to look at your silly gadget. The proof is in her bag!
Julian: Look at the screen!
Julian turned the smartphone around, holding it inches from Margarethe's face. The video was crystal clear. It showed Margarethe walking quietly down the east corridor while Sarah was inside the bathroom cleaning the vanity. Margarethe pulled the diamond necklace from her own dress pocket, slipped her hand into Sarah's unattended cleaning cart, and shoved the necklace deep into Sarah's personal bag.
Sarah: You... you planted it on me?
Margarethe: Julian, wait! That's not what it looks like! Let me explain!
Julian: What is there to explain? You framed her. You deliberately set up a hardworking girl to take the fall for a crime she didn't commit!
Margarethe: She was getting too close to you! You look at her differently! You give her bonuses from the corporate account! I wanted her gone from our life!
Julian: You wanted her gone? Do you even know who she is, Margarethe?
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