Clara: Wiped clean? Victoria deleted the video footage?!
Detective Ross: The primary server in the basement was manually reset at two-fifteen AM. We have no direct video evidence of the shove itself.
Arthur: Julian did it. He knows the server room access codes.
Detective Ross: Without that video or physical forensic proof, Victoria's lawyer is claiming you tripped over the train of your gown, Mrs. Vance.
Clara: She looked me in the eyes and pushed me with both hands! I didn't trip!
Arthur: Detective, Victoria's lawyer is claiming it was an accident because they think the hard drive was the only recording device in that hall.
Detective Ross raised an eyebrow, leaning against the edge of the hospital table.
Detective Ross: What are you implying, Mr. Vance?
Arthur: My father-in-law was paranoid about Victoria for three years before he passed away. He installed secondary analog cameras inside the crystal chandelier fixtures.
Clara looked at Arthur in total shock, her eyes widening in realization.
Clara: The chandelier... my father put hidden lenses in the glass trim?!
Arthur: They don't run through the house server room, Detective. They record directly to a private cloud server stored at my firm's office in downtown Chicago.
Detective Ross: Do you have access to that feed right now?
Arthur pulled his smartphone from his pocket, tapping the screen three times before turning it toward Detective Ross and Clara.
On the high-definition video screen, the scene played out with complete clarity: Victoria stepping close to Clara on the marble landing, raising both hands, and forcefully shoving her backward down the staircase while Julian watched from two feet away.
Detective Ross: That is clear, unobstructed evidence of felony aggravated assault and attempted murder.
Clara: Look at Julian's face on the screen... he watched her do it and didn't even reach out to help!
Arthur: That makes him an active co-conspirator to the crime, Detective.
Detective Ross: I am issuing immediate arrest warrants for both Victoria Vance and Julian Hayes.
Arthur: Make sure you bring enough officers, Detective. Victoria won't come quietly.
Detective Ross: They won't have a choice, Mr. Vance. With this video footage, no judge in this state will grant them bail.
Detective Ross closed his briefcase, nodding respectfully to Clara before stepping out into the hospital hallway.
Clara: Arthur... bring me my shoes and coat.
Arthur: Clara, no. The doctor said you need total bed rest!
Clara: I am not staying in this bed while they go to my father's house to arrest her. I want to look her in the eyes when the handcuffs go on.
Arthur: Sweetheart, think about your blood pressure!
Clara: My blood pressure is fine, Arthur. For nine months, that woman made my father's life a living nightmare. I am going back to the estate.
Arthur looked at his wife's determined face, seeing the sharp, unwavering strength of her father staring back at him.
Arthur: Okay. But we take the private car, and you sit in the wheelchair the entire time.
Clara: Deal. Let's go take back my home.