The pool wasn’t the only place where his secrets were beginning to surface.
My phone vibrated again.
The unknown number had sent another message.
*Did you find the March 14 footage?*
I stared at the screen.
Then I typed a response.
*Who are you?*
The reply came almost immediately.
*Someone who should have warned you sooner.*
My hands went cold.
I looked toward the garage.
Our security system stored recordings from the driveway, side entrance, and garage. I had insisted on those cameras after someone stole a package from our porch. Ethan had complained about the expense for weeks, but I had refused to remove them.
At the time, I had thought I was protecting our home from strangers.
I had never considered that the footage might protect me from my husband.
I opened the security application and selected March 14.
The archive showed a timestamp of 11:38 p.m.
A silver rental car pulled into our driveway.
Ethan stepped out of the driver’s side.
He was supposed to have been in Chicago.
I enlarged the image.
His face was unmistakable.
Then the passenger door opened.
A woman climbed out.
Even through the grainy nighttime recording, I recognized Brooke.
She was wearing the same pale coat she had worn when she visited me the following morning to borrow sugar.
I remembered that Tuesday clearly.
She had stood in my kitchen, telling me Daniel had been working late and she hated spending evenings alone.
I had made her coffee.
I had listened while she complained about feeling neglected.
And I had told her she was lucky to have a husband who cared about her.
Now I watched the recording of her following Ethan through our garage door.
The footage continued.
Ethan looked around the driveway before entering the house.
Brooke followed him inside.
Neither of them emerged until nearly two hours later.
I felt as though someone had opened a door beneath my feet.
The pool had been a betrayal.
This was evidence that the betrayal had been going on for months.
I replayed the clip.
Once.
Twice.
Then I noticed something in the corner of the image.
A second vehicle had arrived while Ethan and Brooke were inside.
A black SUV.
Daniel’s black SUV.
My breath caught.
The vehicle remained parked near the curb for several minutes before leaving.
Had Daniel known?
Had he seen Brooke enter my house with Ethan?
I turned toward him.
“Daniel, I need to show you something.””
He approached slowly.
I handed him my phone and played the recording.
His face changed as the silver car appeared.
When Brooke emerged, he stopped breathing for a moment.
Then the black SUV appeared.
He leaned closer.
“That isn’t my vehicle,” he said.
I stared at him.
“What?””
“Mine has a different registration. That’s not my SUV.””
He watched the recording again.
The black vehicle had tinted windows, and the camera couldn’t capture the driver clearly.
But Daniel was certain.
“I’ve never parked that car outside your house.””
Margaret stepped closer.
“Could it belong to someone from the company?””
Ethan suddenly lunged toward the phone.
“Give me that.””
I pulled it away.
“No.””
“Lauren, delete it.””
The entire backyard seemed to fall silent.
I looked at him.
“Why?””
“Because it’s private footage.””
“Of you bringing Brooke into our house while you told me you were in Chicago?””
His mouth opened, then closed.
“It’s not what you think.””
I felt the familiar anger rise, but beneath it was something colder.
“Then explain it.””
He looked toward Margaret.
Then Daniel.
Then the officers.
He had nowhere left to hide.
Before he could answer, my phone rang.
The unknown number.
This time, I answered.
“Who is this?””
A woman’s voice came through, low and trembling.
“Lauren, my name is Claire. I work in the administration department at Ethan’s company.””
Margaret immediately looked at me.
Claire continued.
“I’ve been trying to contact you because I found something in an archived company file. I wasn’t sure whether to tell you, but after seeing what happened at your house, I can’t stay silent.””
“What did you find?””
A pause.
Then she said, “Ethan wasn’t the only person using that rental car.””
I glanced at the recording.
“Who else?””
“Someone who has access to your house. Someone who knew exactly when you would be away.””
My throat tightened.
“Tell me who.””
Claire inhaled shakily.
“Before I do, you need to know that the March 14 recording isn’t the worst one.””
My phone nearly slipped from my hand.
“What do you mean?””
“There is another recording from the following Tuesday. Brooke came back to your house, but she wasn’t alone.””
I looked toward Ethan.
He had gone completely motionless.
Claire lowered her voice.
