Chapter 4 - Digital Ghosts
Clara’s erratic breathing hitched.
She stared at the small, glowing rectangle.
The red and blue strobes from the cruiser continued to sweep over her back, but her face was locked in the white light of the screen.
On the phone, grainy, black-and-white night-vision footage played.
A timestamp ticked silently in the top right corner.
A figure in shiny pajamas walked across the frame.
The figure stopped at the large, dark bins by the curb.
Clara’s fingernails dug into her own palms until the skin broke.
She recognized the rigid posture.
She recognized the neat, silver bun.
Eleanor.
Just a few feet away, on the edge of the lawn, the real Eleanor stood perfectly still.
The flashing police lights painted Eleanor’s face red, then blue, then red again.
Her eyes were wide, unblinking, fixed on the officers.
Her jaw muscles were locked so tight they twitched under her pale skin.
On the small screen, the digital Eleanor dropped a bundle into the bin.
The lid closed.
Clara’s chest stopped moving.
The world went completely silent, save for the mechanical click of the officer locking his phone.
Officer Davis looked from the screen to the real Eleanor.
He unclipped a radio from his shoulder.
He didn't speak into it.
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He just signaled his partner with a sharp nod toward the curb.
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