She typed:

But as Mara leaned in, she saw something else. In the reflection of the DVR’s own monitor, behind the robber… a second figure. Watching. Holding a phone, recording everything.

The hardware store robbery had happened three nights ago. One dead—old Mr. Patel, who never hurt anyone. The store’s cheap CCTV system was their only hope. But the previous investigator had forgotten to log the password.