Mark was my property manager in Malibu. Professional, discreet, and expensive—exactly what you needed when dealing with high-value properties.
“Aurora, hi. Everything okay? I noticed some activity at the house earlier. I assumed it was you.”
“It’s not me,” I said, keeping my voice calm and level. “It’s my family. They’re there without my permission.”
There was a brief pause on the line. Mark managed properties for celebrities, tech founders, people whose families often saw dollar signs instead of relatives. He’d dealt with situations like this before.
“I see,” he said, his tone shifting to tactical. “Do you want me to call the police? I can have them removed for trespassing.”
I thought about it. Police sirens. My mother crying in the driveway, telling officers her daughter was cruel and heartless. The neighbors watching from behind their hedges. The scene it would create.
“No,” I said. “Not the police. Not yet. I want to handle this more quietly.”
“Okay. What do you need from me?”
“I need you to reset every access code on the property,” I said clearly. “Gate, front door, back door, garage—everything.”
“I can do that remotely right now,” Mark offered.
“No,” I said, checking the time on my laptop. It was four-thirty in the afternoon in Seattle, which meant four-thirty in Malibu. The sun was still shining. They were probably enjoying the afternoon, feeling victorious.
“Wait until midnight,” I said.
“Midnight?”
“Yes. They’re comfortable right now. They think they’ve won. I want them to stay comfortable. At exactly midnight, I want every code changed. I want the Wi-Fi password changed. I want the smart TV logged out of all streaming accounts.”
“Scorched earth,” Mark said. I could hear the hint of a smile in his voice.
“One more thing, Mark.”
“Yeah?”
“Can you set the alarm system to Away mode at twelve-oh-one?”
“If I do that and they open any door or window, the alarm will trigger. It’s extremely loud, Aurora. It’s designed to be deafening.”
“I know exactly how loud it is,” I said. “If they’re inside when it goes off, they won’t be able to get out without triggering it. And if they’re outside…” I paused. “Well, they won’t be able to get back in.”
I glanced at the camera feeds again. I could see a cooler full of beer on the deck. My father was drinking. My sister was texting, probably posting more photos. They looked like they were settling in for a long, comfortable evening.
“Perfect,” I said. “Do it.”
“You got it. Anything else?”
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