My brother-in-law called from his business trip and asked me to water his plants. But when I unlocked his house, I found his frail, delirious niece curled up in a filthy spare room — and beside her was something that exposed the horrifying truth.

Arthur’s estate was a fortress. News vans lined the long, sweeping driveway, their satellite dishes aimed at the sky. Armed security guards in dark suits patrolled the perimeter with tactical earpieces.

Marcus parked the car in a dense thicket of trees about four hundred feet from the main gate. He immediately opened his laptop, typing furiously. "I'm in the Channel 7 frequency. Give me ten minutes to breach the main audio feed."

"I don't have ten minutes," I said, slipping out of the car. "Start the audio tape the moment I give the signal. Not a second before."

I crept through the woods, avoiding the floodlights. I knew the weak point in the estate’s security. Elena had despised the oppressive nature of the property, so she had a landscaper secretly unbolt a section of the wrought-iron fence hidden behind heavy ivy.

I found the spot, pried the bars apart, and slipped onto the manicured lawn.

The press conference was set up on the grand back patio. Dozens of reporters were seated in folding chairs, cameras rolling. Arthur stood at a sleek acrylic podium, looking like a grieving saint, speaking softly into the microphone.

"...and while my family is going through an unimaginable tragedy right now, with the kidnapping of my dear cousin Julian by a disturbed individual, we must continue to focus on charity. On giving back."

The hypocrisy made my stomach violently churn.

I slipped through the side garden, entering the house through the mudroom. The interior was empty; all the guards were focused on the event outside. I crept through the lavish hallways until I reached the master study, which overlooked the patio.

I cracked the French doors open just enough to hear the reporters. I pulled out my phone and dialed Marcus. "Are you tapped in?" I whispered.

"Locked and loaded," Marcus confirmed. "I can broadcast the murder tape over every speaker and earpiece on that patio. Give the word."