The Confiscation

For ten days, they waited. Peter didn’t want to risk being caught by retrieving the memory card too early. But on the eleventh day, a phone call shattered their plan. It was Sarah, the cemetery supervisor.

“Peter, I need you and Mary to come to the office,” she said, her voice uncharacteristically soft. “A groundskeeper found a device in the North Woods oak. We’ve… had to take it down.”

When they arrived, the camera sat on Sarah’s desk. Peter began to apologize, fearing a ban or a fine, but Sarah held up a hand. “I should delete this, Peter. It’s a massive liability. But I watched the footage from two nights ago.”

She paused, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. She slid a small USB drive across the desk. “I think Michael wanted you to see this. Don’t tell the board I gave it to you.”