Chapter 3 - The Secret Meeting
The morning sun cast a cold, gray light over the imposing brick facade of the precinct.
I sat in the back of my tinted Maybach, watching the police station through the dark glass.
I couldn't just walk through the front doors.
If the paparazzi or Victoria’s informants saw Arthur Sterling visiting his disgraced nanny, the element of surprise would be lost.
I dialed the private number of the Chief of Police, a man whose election campaign I had heavily funded.
Ten minutes later, I was ushered through a secure underground parking garage and into a private, windowless interrogation room.
The heavy metal door opened, and a female officer led Elena inside.
The young woman looked utterly broken.
She was wearing a shapeless orange jumpsuit, her wrists handcuffed, her dark hair tangled and unwashed.
When she saw me sitting at the metal table, she burst into desperate, agonizing sobs.
"Mr. Sterling," she wept, collapsing into the metal chair opposite me.
"I swear on my life, I didn't steal anything."
"Please believe me."
I held up my hand, signaling for her to lower her voice.
"I know you didn't steal them, Elena," I said quietly, leaning across the table.
"Leo told me everything."
Elena gasped, her tear-filled eyes widening in absolute shock.
"He saw her," she whispered, her voice shaking violently.
"I caught Mrs. Sterling pouring a strange powder into your espresso machine."
"When she realized I was standing there, she smiled at me."
"It was the most terrifying smile I have ever seen."
"She told me if I ever said a word, she would make sure I never saw my family again."
I clenched my fists under the table until my knuckles turned stark white.
"Why didn't you come to me immediately?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.
"Because she is your wife," Elena sobbed.
"Who would a billionaire believe?"
"His beautiful wife, or the hired help?"
"And then, before I could even pack my bags to run away, the police were dragging me out of the house."
I slid a clean handkerchief across the table to her.
"Elena, listen to me very carefully," I said, my voice dropping to a dangerous, low octave.
"I am going to get you out of here."
"I have already hired the best defense attorney in the state."
"But for now, you must stay in this cell."
"If Victoria thinks you are silenced, she will get careless."
Elena wiped her eyes, her trembling hands clutching the white cloth.
"She isn't working alone, Mr. Sterling," Elena suddenly blurted out.
My entire body went rigid.
"What do you mean?" I demanded.
"When she was putting the powder in your coffee, she was on the phone," Elena explained, her voice dropping to a frantic whisper.
"She was laughing."
"She said, 'Don't worry, darling, the empire will be ours by the end of the month.'"
A cold sweat broke out across my forehead.
Victoria wasn't just a greedy wife.
May you like
She had a partner.
And whoever this man was, he was helping her plan my execution.
