Chapter 5 — The Crying Children’s Statement — Then Sophie Remembers Who Brought the Bag Inside
Sophie stepped closer to the quartz island.
She reached out and touched the edge of the black handbag resting near the receipts.
“I saw her bring it out of the utility room,” Sophie said.
Her voice was quiet, but it cut through the silence of the kitchen.
Clara turned her head slowly away from the security panel.
“What did you say, Sophie?” Clara asked.
Sophie pointed a small finger straight at Martha.
“Before you came downstairs,” Sophie said.
“Martha brought the black bag out of the utility room.”
Emma nodded rapidly beside her sister.
“She put it right here on the counter,” Emma added, wiping her nose with her sleeve.
“She told us not to touch it while she went back to the hallway.”
Martha took a sharp step forward.
“The children are confused,” Martha said quickly.
Her voice sounded strained and too loud against the cabinets.
“They were upset about the missing allowance money and they are mixing up their stories.”
“We are not confused,” Sophie said, looking up at Martha with wide eyes.
“You had the bag tucked underneath your grey sweater before you set it down.”
Clara stared at the nanny.
The grey sweater sleeves were still pulled tight over Martha’s hands.
Clara walked past the island and picked up the black handbag again.
She reached into the side zipper pocket that she had not checked before.
Her fingers brushed against a small plastic device tucked deep inside the lining.
Clara pulled it out into the light.
It was a portable USB flash drive with a white paper label taped to the side.
Handwritten numbers were scrawled across the paper in black ink.
Clara squinted at the digits written on the label.
They matched the exact serial number of the downstairs master security hub.