Chapter 4 - Preston Talks
Preston Hale lasted eleven hours.
That was all it took.
Federal agents picked him up outside a private hangar.
By sunset, he was sitting in an interview room.
I wasn’t allowed inside.
I watched through glass with Adrian and Marcus Reed.
Preston looked smaller without an audience.
Reed sat across from him.
“You’re looking at assault, obstruction, conspiracy, tampering with evidence, and potentially more.”
Preston leaned back.
“My father will destroy you.”
Reed smiled.
“Your father is why you’re here.”
Preston’s smile disappeared.
Reed placed a photograph on the table.
My father.
“You know him?”
Preston looked away.
“No.”
“Wrong answer.”
“I said no.”
Reed placed another photo down.
A Hale transport truck at Ortiz Auto Repair.
Preston swallowed.
“He fixed trucks.”
“He found something.”
Silence.
Reed said, “Your father wanted Rafael Ortiz quiet.”
“I don’t know anything about that.”
“Then why did Judge Hale tell you to target Rafael’s daughter?”
Preston looked toward the one-way glass.
Straight at me.
He couldn’t see me.
But somehow it felt like he could.
Reed continued.
“You threw the bottle because you thought she had the files.”
Preston rubbed his face.
“I was drunk.”
“You were instructed.”
“He told me to scare her.”
“Why?”
“He thought her father gave her something.”
“What?”
“I don’t know.”
“Try again.”
Preston slammed his hand on the table.
“I don’t know!”
Reed waited.
Preston lowered his voice.
“My father said Rafael copied everything.”
“Everything what?”
“The accounts. Payments. Properties. Judges.”
Reed leaned forward.
“And Rafael’s death?”
Preston went pale.
I stopped breathing.
Reed said, “Did your father order it?”
Preston shook his head.
“I didn’t know until later.”
“Later when?”
“After the funeral.”
My hands went cold.
Adrian noticed.
“You don’t have to watch.”
“Yes, I do.”
Inside the room, Reed asked, “Who killed him?”
Preston hesitated.
“Malcolm Voss.”
Adrian swore quietly.
I looked at him.
“Who?”
“Former police lieutenant.”
Reed asked the same question.
Preston answered.
“He works for my father.”
“Still?”
“Yes.”
“Where is he?”
“I don’t know.”
Reed leaned back.
“What happened at the gala?”
Preston stared at the table.
“My father saw Lena.”
“Then?”
“He recognized her.”
“How?”
“From Rafael’s funeral.”
I felt sick.
Judge Hale had been there.
I remembered a man standing near the back.
Gray hair.
Dark overcoat.
I thought he’d been one of my father’s customers.
Preston continued.
“My father panicked when he saw her talking to a Halcyon employee. He thought Rafael might’ve hidden something there.”
“So he told you to scare her.”
“Yes.”
“With a bottle.”
“I wasn’t supposed to hit her.”
Reed’s voice sharpened.
“You threw a bottle into a crowd.”
“I was drunk.”
“That stopped being an excuse three felonies ago.”
Preston covered his face.
Then he said, “My father is going to kill me.”
Reed leaned back.
“Not if we get him first.”
Suddenly Adrian’s phone buzzed.
He looked at the screen.
His face changed.
“What?”
He answered.
“Yes.”
Silence.
Then he looked at me.
“Where’s Mateo?”
My heart stopped.
“At the townhouse.”
Adrian stood.
“Not anymore.”
I felt the room tilt.
“What happened?”
“One of the guards was found unconscious.”
“No.”
“Lena.”
“No.”
My phone rang.
Unknown number.
Everyone froze.
Adrian said, “Don’t answer.”
I did.
“Hello?”
A man’s voice replied.
“Ms. Ortiz.”
I closed my eyes.
“Who is this?”
“You know.”
Malcolm Voss.
“What do you want?”
“Something your father stole.”
“I don’t have anything.”
“That’s unfortunate.”
Then Mateo’s voice came through.
“Lena!”
I stood.
“Mateo!”
“Lena, don’t—”
The line cut.
I looked at Adrian.
For the first time since meeting him, I saw real anger.
Not loud.
Not wild.
Something colder.
He said, “Tell me exactly what Voss said.”
I repeated it.
Adrian looked at Reed.
“He wants Rafael’s copy.”
Reed nodded.
“Which means they still think Lena has something.”
I whispered, “I don’t.”
May you like
Adrian turned toward me.
“Maybe you do.”
