A week later, Officer Ruiz asked me to meet her at the station.
She said investigators had obtained additional records through the appropriate legal process.
She could not disclose everything, but she confirmed that the damaged memory card from my clock contained recordings made inside my home.
Some clips showed confidential documents on my coffee table.
Others showed me eating dinner, talking with Rachel, or sitting silently after my father’s birthday.
I had imagined the worst, yet hearing those ordinary moments described by a stranger was more disturbing than any dramatic threat.
Ruiz said the investigation now included potential unlawful surveillance and unauthorized computer access.
She warned me that the existence of a recording did not prove who had watched it or why it was made.
Then she asked whether I recognized a voice recovered from one damaged audio file.
The recording was short and noisy.
A woman said that the archive password had changed and that someone needed a new way into the office files.
I recognized Elise’s voice from our brief conversations, but I refused to claim certainty from a few seconds of distorted sound.
Ruiz thanked me for being careful.
She said investigators would compare the recording with other evidence rather than relying on my impression.
Before I left, she showed me a still image of a man carrying a padded equipment case through a warehouse doorway.
The man wore a baseball cap and looked away from the camera.
I could not identify him.
I did recognize the jacket.
It was the same jacket Owen had worn during the inspection.
Chapter 22: Owen’s Second Statement
Owen asked to meet with investigators after learning that his account credentials appeared in the office access logs.
His attorney was present when he gave a longer statement.
I learned the details later through the records made available in our civil case.
Owen said Elise had hired him for occasional technology work after he lost his full-time job.
She told him she was testing a neighborhood safety program that would eventually be offered to insurance companies.
He installed networking equipment and modified several devices without asking how the recordings would be used.
At my house, Patricia directed him to the utility closet while she remained near the living room.
He said he noticed a replacement clock mechanism in Elise’s tool bag but assumed it was part of an authorized repair.
That explanation did not erase his responsibility for entering a private home under false pretenses.
It did, however, contradict Patricia’s claim that I had personally approved a camera installation.
Owen also admitted that Elise asked him to access my firm’s shared folders using a password she supplied.
