ALEXANDER
The security room is cramped and dim, lit only by the glow of multiple monitors.
Enzo pulls up the footage and steps back, giving me space.
I lean forward, my hands braced on the desk, my eyes fixed on the screen.
The timestamp reads 2:47 PM.
The park is empty except for two figures.
Emma sitting on a bench, and Liam playing in the sandbox a few feet away.
My chest tightens.
The footage continues. Liam is building something with his little bucket and shovel.
Em’s watching him, smiling softly at whatever he’s doing.
Everything looks normal.
Safe.
Then Emma’s attention shifts for just a moment—she’s distracted.
And then the screen flickers.
Static.
For exactly eight seconds, there’s nothing but gray and white noise.
When the image returns, Liam is gone.
The sandb
