The tiny red light in the corner of the nursery recorded the one secret Gero believed would die behind closed doors. Her Husband Beat His Pregnant Wife 50 Times With A Belt—But The Nursery Camera Recorded Everything, And Her Soldier Father Saw The Video

The morning sun was gray and overcast when Detective Keller’s unmarked car escorted Viktor’s SUV back into the Hartmann driveway.

Two county sheriffs stood guard at the front gate, preventing the paparazzi from approaching the perimeter fence.

Clara walked into the master suite, her head held high, ignoring the empty spot on the wardrobe hook where the strap had once been.

"It's right here," Clara said, tapping the solid oak paneling behind the third shelf of the architectural bookcase.

"The framing stud was offset by six inches to allow a fourteen-inch steel enclosure."

Detective Keller signaled to a forensics technician, who used a specialized pry bar to carefully detach the ornamental wood molding.

Behind the expensive trim sat a matte-black steel door with a high-security digital keypad and a secondary mechanical keyhole.

"We don't have his fingerprint," Keller noted, examining the scanner.

"We don't need it," Clara said smoothly, reaching into her pocket for her old university keyring.

"Julian was methodical, but he was also arrogant. He used the mechanical emergency override key from my father's old desk because he thought I would never dare touch his belongings."

Clara slid the small, notched brass key into the bottom slot and turned it ninety degrees to the right.

A heavy, satisfying clunk echoed through the room as the steel bolts retracted from the frame.

Inside the vault sat three black external hard drives, five stacks of hundred-dollar bills bound in bank straps, and a thick blue leather folder.

Clara pulled the folder out first, her hands remaining completely steady as she read the label on the cover: Hartmann Estate - Primary Asset Consolidation.

"He transferred the title of my mother's summer cottage to his shell company three days before he was arrested," Clara said, handing the folder to Keller.