Chapter 7: The Person Behind the Camera
Daniel stared out the window of his office long after Detective Owens ended the call.
Someone else.
The words refused to leave his mind.
Liam had been dangerous enough alone.
Now there was another person.
Another set of eyes.
Another pair of hands helping him follow Caris.
Daniel picked up his keys.
He wasn't thinking about work anymore.
He was thinking about getting home.
Caris was sitting in the nursery when he arrived.
The afternoon sun spilled through the windows, catching tiny dust particles in the air.
One hand rested gently over her stomach.
She looked up as soon as she heard the front door.
"You came home early."
"I wanted to."
She studied his face.
"What happened?"
Daniel sat beside her.
"The police found fingerprints on the camera."
She waited.
"They don't belong to Liam."
Silence settled between them.
"So... someone helped him?"
"That's what they believe."
Caris looked toward the nursery window.
"I don't understand."
"Neither do I."
"But we're going to."
The next morning, Detective Owens invited them to the precinct.
He placed two photographs on the conference table.
One showed Liam.
The other showed a man neither Daniel nor Caris recognized.
"His name is Eric Dalton."
Owens slid a folder toward them.
"Thirty-four years old. Former private investigator."
"Former?" Daniel asked.
"He lost his license three years ago after illegally accessing confidential records."
Caris frowned.
"So now he follows people for money."
"Among other things."
Owens opened the file.
"We found financial transfers from Liam to Dalton over the last six months."
"How much?"
"Nearly sixty thousand dollars."
Daniel's expression hardened.
"For photographs?"
"We think it became more than that."
The detective placed several printed text messages on the table.
Most had been recovered from Liam's phone.
She's leaving the doctor's office now.
They're walking toward the river.
He kissed her goodbye at 8:12.
She's alone today.
Caris felt her stomach twist.
"They knew where I was every day."
Owens nodded.
"Almost every day."
She looked down at the papers.
"I thought I was imagining it."
"What do you mean?" Daniel asked.
She hesitated.
"Sometimes..."
She swallowed.
"I felt like someone was watching me."
"And I kept telling myself I was being paranoid."
Daniel gently reached for her hand.
"You weren't."
Later that afternoon, officers executed a search warrant at Eric Dalton's apartment.
The search uncovered cameras.
Hard drives.
Lenses.
Memory cards.
And dozens of photographs.
Not only of Caris.
There were pictures of business executives.
Attorneys.
Judges.
Actors.
Anyone willing to pay for information had apparently known Eric Dalton's number.
Detective Owens stood quietly as investigators cataloged the evidence.
One officer opened a locked filing cabinet.
"There are journals."
Owens walked over.
Inside were handwritten notebooks.
Each one labeled with a different name.
He found the one marked:
CARIS RUSSO
His heart sank.
That evening he brought the notebook to Daniel.
"I need to warn you before you read this."
Daniel looked at him.
"It's detailed."
"How detailed?"
"Daily routines."
"Favorite restaurants."
"Medical appointments."
"Conversations overheard in public."
Daniel opened the first page.
The earliest entry was dated almost eight months earlier.
Months before Caris had become pregnant.
Months before Liam had approached her in the café.
"He planned this for nearly a year."
Owens nodded.
"That's our conclusion."
Caris couldn't bring herself to read the notebook.
She sat beside the fireplace while Daniel carefully turned each page.
Then he suddenly stopped.
"What is it?" she asked.
He didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he handed her the notebook.
A single sentence had been underlined twice.
She still checks over her shoulder when she hears footsteps.
Caris stared at the words.
"I never noticed I did that."
Daniel looked at her gently.
"Trauma leaves habits."
A tear slipped down her cheek.
"I thought I'd healed."
"You have."
She looked at him.
"He doesn't get to define your healing."
The following morning, the district attorney filed additional charges.
Conspiracy.
Criminal stalking.
Electronic surveillance.
Witness intimidation.
Detective Owens called with the news.
"The judge also denied bail."
Caris closed her eyes in relief.
"So he can't get out?"
"Not while this case is pending."
For the first time in weeks...
She slept that night without waking from nightmares.
Saturday morning brought clear skies.
Daniel suggested breakfast at a small bakery a few blocks from home.
"No security meeting."
"No lawyers."
"No detectives."
"Just breakfast."
Caris smiled.
"I'd like that."
They sat outside beneath a striped umbrella.
Fresh croissants.
Coffee for Daniel.
Tea for Caris.
For almost an hour...
They talked about names.
"If it's a girl?" Daniel asked.
"I've always liked Sophia."
"And if it's a boy?"
She laughed.
"You've already made a list, haven't you?"
He looked slightly embarrassed.
"Maybe."
"How many names?"
"Seven."
She laughed harder.
"Seven?"
"I've been preparing."
She reached across the table and squeezed his hand.
"I love you."
"I know."
"No."
She smiled.
"I really love you."
Before Daniel could answer, his phone vibrated.
It was Detective Owens.
Daniel answered.
"What's happened?"
Owens sounded unusually serious.
"We've identified another victim."
Daniel's smile faded.
"A woman Liam dated five years ago."
"Is she alright?"
"She's alive."
A pause.
"But she says there's something Caris needs to hear."
Daniel looked across the table.
Caris immediately recognized the expression on his face.
"What is it?"
He lowered the phone.
"The detective wants us to meet someone."
"Who?"
May you like
Daniel answered quietly.
"A woman who survived Liam before you did."
