Watch Me (Last Stand 3)

Nothing.

Returning his attention to what he’d found, Cain sat at the desk and studied each monitor. Apparently, Robert had installed a security system. But why? And why hadn’t Cain ever noticed the cameras before?

Probably because he didn’t come by very often and wasn’t in the habit of looking for such things. Still, Robert must’ve hidden them well or he would’ve noticed something. The fact they were there at all was astonishing enough—but it was the reason for the security system that really stumped Cain.

As far as he knew, John had never been robbed. If Robert was worried about a break-in, why hadn’t he put up a camera that focused on his own front door? Robert’s computer equipment meant more to him than anything. He spent every dime he made on either hardware or software. And yet none of the monitors showed the approach to the trailer—or covered the trailer at all.

“This is weird.”

As Cain watched, a Toyota Prius came down the street shown via a camera filming John’s front lawn. Although it was impossible to discern many details about the driver, there were enough streetlights to reveal the color of the car. It was a car Cain recognized. The town librarian, Marian Welton, lived on the corner and drove a charcoal Prius. If Cain could freeze the screen and magnify the picture, he was fairly sure he’d be able to identify her, maybe even read the license plate number.

Was Robert recording all of this or just using these monitors to keep an eye on the place while he was home? So many cameras would require an equal number of recording devices. If the tapes existed, and they were date-stamped, it was possible that his stepbrother had recorded footage of the man who’d kidnapped Sheridan from her uncle’s house—or at least his vehicle.

Pulse racing, Cain opened the cabinets beneath the desk that contained the CPU. Nothing there. But a second later, he found what he was looking for in the closet—a tape for each camera and a red light that indicated the system was recording.

“I’ll be damned.” Why hadn’t Robert said anything? What was the purpose of all this?

Regardless, he had to get his stepbrother to let him view the tapes from the night Sheridan was attacked. But Robert didn’t have a cell phone. He wasn’t away from home enough to need one.

Back in the kitchen, Cain called Owen. “Where’s Robert?”

“What?”

Owen’s groggy voice told Cain he’d gone to bed. “I need to talk to Robert.”

This time Owen sounded more alert. “What’s he done now?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Why do you want to talk to him?”

“Did you know about the security system?”

“The what?”

“The security system. Robert’s watching Dad’s house 24/7.”

“Oh, that.” Owen yawned loudly. “It’s nothing, just Robert’s new toy. I don’t have to tell you what a techie he is.”

“Why would he put up a system to monitor Dad’s house and not his own?”

“It’s nothing, really.”

“Then tell me.”

“I don’t know if you’ve heard Dad ranting about it lately, but he saw some story on the news that convinced him banks are no longer safe. He withdrew his entire savings and invested it in silver coins, which he’s keeping at the house.”

“Oh, brother,” Cain grumbled. “If he was going to do that, why wouldn’t he put it in a safety deposit box?”

“I guess he wants it accessible. He talks like he’s preparing for the end of the world.”

“How long has Robert had this system in place?”

“Three or four weeks.”

“Any chance his cameras might’ve been recording the night Sheridan was kidnapped?”

“I don’t see why not,” he said. “But, like you mentioned, those cameras are aimed at Dad’s house. How’s that going to help?”

“One camera catches a section of the street. It might tell us more than we think.”

“I doubt it, but—” he yawned again “—you can definitely ask Robert.”

“Do you know where he is?”

Before Owen could answer, headlights bore down on the trailer as a car pulled up.

“Never mind. He just got home.”

“Wait…”

Cain hesitated. “What is it?”

“Where are you calling from?”

“Robert’s.”

“What are you doing there?”

“Snooping,” he admitted.

“Shit, don’t let him know that.”

“I don’t think there’s any way to avoid it, since I’m standing in his kitchen and he’s parking out front.”

“Say I told you about the system and you wanted to see it,” Owen said quickly.

Robert would refuse to help him if he admitted the true motivation behind his visit, so Cain agreed. “Good idea. Thanks for the cover.” He was about to disconnect, but Owen stopped him again.

“Whatever you do, don’t fight with him. I really don’t want to drag myself out of bed right now. And I’d hate to see what you could do to poor, stupid Robert.”

Cain peered out the window to see his youngest stepbrother climbing out of the truck he occasionally borrowed from Owen. “I won’t touch him.”

“If he’s drunk he might get in your face—”

“I said I won’t touch him,” Cain repeated and hung up just as Robert threw open the front door and let it bang against the wall.

“What the hell are you doing in my house?”

He didn’t sound drunk, but the vein popping out on his forehead put Cain on notice that he was more than a little upset. “Take it easy.” Cain lifted a placating hand. “Owen told me about the security system, and I came by to talk to you about it.”

“Where do you get off letting yourself in?”

“You weren’t home, and I wanted to see it.”

His stepbrother tilted his head. He seemed to believe this response, but then his eyes narrowed in distrust. “I didn’t see your car parked in the drive.”

“Because I walked down from Sheridan’s.” At least that part was true.

Robert dropped his keys on the counter and ditched the anger and suspicion—but not the belligerence Cain encountered even on good days. “That system’s none of your business.”

“From what I saw, there’s a camera angled across the front yard.”