The definitive footage caught his attention four days after the covert installation. A sharp motion alert popped up on his phone while he sat at his office desk. He almost dismissed it as a passing bird, but a sudden impulse urged him to open the live feed. “Let’s see what’s happening,” he murmured, tapping the screen.
Renata was standing at the kitchen counter with a fresh, foil-covered dish from Diane’s kitchen. She peeled back the silver foil, stared down at the food for a long, unreadable moment, and then dumped everything into a garbage bag. She tied it tightly, walked out the back door, and buried it deep within the bin. Before returning inside, she paused, looking directly toward the house.
David sat frozen at his desk for an hour. He would’ve understood spoilage or spillage, and Renata telling him later about it. But there was something very secretive in her action. An eating disorder didn’t align with the calm, deliberate way she disposed of the meals. He replayed the clip a third time, praying for a misunderstanding, but the reality remained unchanged.