By afternoon, Mr. Carter had left the mansion for an important business meeting.
The house was quiet, except for the soft ticking of the grand clock.
Sarah was polishing the wooden banister near the second-floor balcony.
She saw Vanessa walking slowly along the hall with a small black notebook.
Vanessa kept looking up at the ceiling where security cameras were mounted.
She took two steps to the left, then stopped and marked her notebook.
Then she stepped close to the marble railing and measured the distance with her eyes.
Sarah ducked behind a large decorative fern to watch her movements.
Vanessa stood near the edge of the balcony where the camera angle was blocked.
She smiled to herself in a strange and terrifying way.
Sarah felt a sudden chill run down her entire spine.
Why would Vanessa be mapping out the dead zones of the security system?
Sarah: Mrs. Carter, do you need help with anything up here?
Vanessa jumped in surprise and quickly slammed her notebook shut.
Her sharp face turned red with sudden, furious anger.
Vanessa: Why are you sneaking up on me like a rat?
Sarah: I was only finishing the banister polish, ma'am.
Vanessa: Mind your own business and get out of my sight!
Sarah: Yes, ma'am.
Sarah turned around slowly and walked down the grand white staircase.
Her heart was pounding heavily against her ribs with deep suspicion.
Yesterday, Sarah had noticed security technicians adjusting the foyer cameras.
Vanessa had specifically asked the workers to tilt the lenses away from the balcony.
At the time, Sarah thought Vanessa just wanted private phone calls.
Now she realized there was a far more sinister reason behind that request.
Sarah decided to keep a close eye on the upper hallway all evening.
She went to the security panel in the kitchen utility room.
The screen showed that the balcony edge was indeed completely out of view.
If anything happened near that railing, the camera would capture nothing.
Sarah wrote down the time and date on a small slip of paper.
She knew she needed solid proof before accusing the master's new wife.
Without hard evidence, Mr. Carter would never believe his humble maid.
He was head over heels in love with Vanessa despite her cold personality.
Sarah tucked the paper into her pocket and took a deep breath.
She vowed to stay alert and guard little baby Lily at all costs.
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