Chapter 0345


    Abby


    I can’t believe what I’m seeing.


    The footage from Mr. Caldwell’s gallery security cameras clearly shows a hooded figure walking toward


    the side door of my restaurant on the night of the Alpha party. But on my own CCTV footage, at the


    exact same time, the figure just keeps walking down the street.


    This doesn’t make any sense.


    I’ve been sitting in my living room, reying the footage from both cameras—mine and Mr. Caldwell’s


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    —over and over, trying to make sense of it.


    The discrepancy between the two clips is ring, and I can’t shake the feeling that something sinister


    is at y here. It’s as if someone deliberately tampered with the footage.


    Frustration gnaws at me as I continue to review the footage. I wish I could figure this out on my own,


    but it’s clear that I need some technical help if I’m going to get to the bottom of this. I grab my coat and


    the USB drive containing the footage and head out of my apartment for what feels like the millionth time


    today.


    As I make my way to a nearbyputer store, my mind races with questions.


    Who is that hooded figure, and what were they doing near the side door of my restaurant? Could they


    be connected to the food poisoning incidents and the other strange urrences that have gued my


    business?


    I push open the door to theputer store and approach the counter, where a young man wearing a


    beanie is busy helping another customer. I wait patiently until it’s my turn, my heart pounding with


    anticipation.


    When it’s finally my turn, I ce the USB drive on the counter and clear my throat. “Excuse me,”I say,


    trying to keep my voice steady, “I need some help with this footage. I think it might have been tampered


    with.”


    The young man, whose name tag reads ‘Colin,’ looks at me with a curious expression. “Tampered?” he


    asks.


    I nod. “Can you please just take a look?” I ask. “I figure maybe someone here could be able to tell if it’s


    been changed.”


    He gives me a sideways look, but finally nods. “Uh, sure thing,” he says, taking the USB drive and


    plugging it into the beat-upptop that’s sitting on the counter. “I guess I could look.”


    I watch anxiously as Colin opens the footage and begins to review it. I tell him the time stamp, and he


    fast-forwards through the recording until he reaches the part where the hooded figure appears. I hold


    my breath, hoping that he’ll be able to see something, anything.


    After a few moments, Colin stops the yback and turns to me, his eyes wide with surprise. “You’re


    right,” he says. “There’s definitely something off about this footage.”


    I let out a sigh of relief, grateful that someone else can see the discrepancy. “Can you tell what


    happened?” I ask.


    Colin nods and points to a specific portion of the footage, the part where the hooded figure stops, looks


    around, and then keeps walking. “See here,” he says, “it looks like a chunk of time was cut out. See


    that jump cut there?”


    Colin hesitates for a moment before responding. “It’s possible,” he says, then pauses, looking me up


    and down. “You’re Abby, right?”


    I nod. Co?tent оf NovelDrama.Org


    His words send a chill down my spine. The police.


    “I’ll do just that,” I say, taking my USB back. “Thank you.”