Marcus's anger cooled.
That question helped.
He took out his phone.
Brenda glanced at it.
“Do not record me.”
“I am not.”
“Then put it away.”
“No.”
Marcus unlocked the Meridian application.
The alert remained.
Video available.
Vehicle cameras.
Driveway camera.
Cloud archive.
He looked at Brenda.
“Do you want to ask that question again?”
Her expression changed slightly.
Tyler noticed.
“What?”
Brenda said quickly:
“He doesn't have anything.”
Marcus tapped the video.
The screen loaded.
He did not show them.
Not yet.
Instead he looked toward Tyler.
“Before we do this, you have one chance.”
Brenda snapped:
“No.”
Marcus ignored her.
“Tell the truth now.”
Tyler looked at the phone.
Then the Lamborghini.
Then his mother.
Brenda stepped closer to him.
“Don't let him pressure you.”
Marcus said:
“I am offering him a choice.”
“He is a child.”
“He is sixteen.”
“Exactly.”
Marcus looked toward her.
“Old enough to know dragging a blade across a car is not an accident.”
Brenda's face hardened.
“It could have been.”
“No.”
“You don't know.”
“I have video.”
Silence.
Not total.
Birds.
A lawn mower several streets away.
A sprinkler clicking.
But socially, complete silence.
Tyler stared.
Brenda laughed.
“You always say that.”
Marcus raised an eyebrow.
“What?”
“Cameras.”
“Documents.”
“Evidence.”
“You intimidate people by pretending everything is recorded.”
Marcus almost smiled.
“This one is.”
Brenda's smile weakened.
Marcus tapped play.
He held the phone toward them.
The video began.
Wide driveway angle.
Timestamp.
Tyler entering from the sidewalk with Emily behind him.
Utility knife already in his hand.
He walked directly toward the Lamborghini.
No accident.
No stumble.
No object falling.
He looked toward the house.
Then said clearly:
“Watch this.”
Emily's voice:
“Tyler, don't.”
He extended the blade.
Pressed it to the front fender.
Dragged.
The scratch formed.
Then he laughed.
Marcus stopped the video.
Tyler had gone pale.
Brenda stared at the phone.
Marcus said:
“That is the driveway camera.”
Nobody spoke.
Then he swiped.
“Want the car camera?”
Brenda's eyes lifted.
Marcus continued:
“Different angle.”
He looked toward Emily.
“And her phone probably gives us a third.”
Emily's face collapsed.
Brenda turned toward her.
“Delete whatever you recorded.”
Marcus's voice changed.
“Do not.”
Brenda spun.
“Stay out of this.”
“No.”