Page 256 of Taken Away

Declan never looked away.

A moment later, something moved near the fence.

A figure appeared at the edge of the frame, blurred by distance and night vision. The footage was too grainy to make out any real detail, but there was no mistaking the shape.

The figure hesitated, glanced once toward the road, then slipped through a low break in the fence, disappearing onto winery land.

Kelly whispered, “Well, hell.”

“Aye.”

Declan stepped closer to the television, his eyes on the timestamp.

“Play it again.”

Kelly rewound it.

They watched in silence.

Declan’s face had gone very still.

Kelly looked from the screen to Declan.

“Do you know who that is?”

Declan never answered.

His eyes remained fixed on the frozen image.

The timestamp.

Slowly, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.

“If you don’t mind, Kelly,” he said, “don’t touch the footage.”

Kelly nodded. "Understood."

Declan finally looked at him.

“I believe…”

He glanced back toward the screen.

“…someone showed us a way onto Blackwood property no one has been looking at.”

Declan pressed call.

“Sheriff…”

Declan never looked away from the frozen frame on the screen.

“I think I’ve found your way into Blackwood.”

FIFTY-ONE

Blackwood Estate

Harold’s Study