Chapter 9 - Two Lies at Once
Preston drove directly to the police station.
Graham arrived separately with his attorney.
Nobody allowed the brothers to speak privately.
That was wise.
The burner phone had been purchased with cash at a convenience store.
Security footage showed Graham entering.
He bought cigarettes.
A prepaid phone.
And a charger.
Three months earlier.
Graham’s attorney argued that purchase did not prove he sent the messages.
Technically true.
But the walls were closing.
Preston stared through the interview-room glass.
His brother sat with both hands on the table.
Ruiz joined Preston.
“He wants to explain.”
“I’m listening.”
Not forgiving.
Listening.
Graham entered the conference room with counsel.
He did not sit near Preston.
“I bought the phone.”
Preston said nothing.
“But I didn’t use it to message Renata.”
“Then who did?”
Graham looked down.
“Victor.”
Preston’s jaw tightened.
“You bought Victor Vale a burner phone?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because he contacted me.”
“When?”
“Four months ago.”
“What did he want?”
“Money.”
“Of course.”
“He said Dad never completed their agreement.”
“What agreement?”
“I don’t know exactly.”
Preston slammed his palm against the table.
Graham flinched.
His attorney immediately warned:
“Mr. Hale.”
Preston forced himself back.
“What did Victor threaten?”
“To expose Stonebridge.”
“That scandal is eight years old.”
“It could destroy me.”
“You tried to remove me as CEO.”
“I know.”
“You bought information from Renata.”
“I know.”
“You bought Victor an anonymous phone.”
“I know.”
“And you expect me to believe you didn’t know they were planning something involving Zoey?”
Graham’s eyes filled with tears.
“I did not know.”
Preston stared.
“Why should I believe anything you say?”
“Because I’m telling you the part that destroys me.”
That stopped Preston.
Graham continued.
“Victor said Renata could help me force you away from Friday’s meeting.”
“Force how?”
“I thought she was going to steal documents.”
“You told her to create panic.”
“Yes.”
“You paid her seventy-five thousand.”
“Yes.”
“And Victor?”
“I paid him two hundred thousand.”
Preston almost laughed.
“For what?”
“Silence.”
“No. For leverage.”
Graham looked ashamed.
“Both.”
“Where did the money come from?”
“My personal line of credit.”
Ruiz asked, “Did Victor have access to the burner phone after you bought it?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“I gave it to him.”
“When?”
“Three months ago.”
“Where?”
“A parking garage near the airport.”
“Any witnesses?”
“No.”
“Messages?”
“No.”
Convenient.
But not impossible.
Ruiz pushed photographs across the table.
“Why did you continue messaging Renata on her normal phone if Victor had a burner?”
“Because I didn’t know Victor was using her for anything else.”
Preston stared.
“You knew they were connected.”
“I knew they had history.”
“You knew they were married.”
Graham closed his eyes.
“Yes.”
Preston felt betrayed all over again.
“You recommended her to me.”
“That was seven years ago.”
“You knew.”
“I thought they were separated.”
“Did Dad tell you not to use her?”
“Yes.”
“Then why?”
Graham’s face twisted.
“Because I wanted something from you.”
“What?”
“Access.”
Preston stared.
Graham had recommended Renata knowing she could become eyes inside Preston’s house.
Not necessarily because he planned seven years of spying.
But because even then, resentment had outrun loyalty.
“You put her near Zoey.”
“She was good with children.”
“She pushed my daughter down an escalator.”
“I know!”
Graham broke.
His voice cracked.
“I know what I did.”
“No.”
Preston leaned forward.
“You know what she did.”
He pointed at Graham.
“You still haven’t understood what you did.”
Silence.
Graham lowered his head.
Detective Ruiz asked, “Why Friday?”
“The land sale.”
There.
Graham finally admitted it.
“I wanted Preston gone from the board vote.”
“Why?”
Graham hesitated.
“Because Victor told me if the sale closed under Preston’s structure, he would release the Stonebridge ledger.”
Preston frowned.
“What does one have to do with the other?”
“He wanted the buyer changed.”
Ruiz leaned closer.
“To whom?”
Graham swallowed.
“A company he chose.”
Preston’s stomach turned.
Victor wanted Hale Architectural to sell industrial property to a buyer he controlled.
Below market?
With kickbacks?
The same pattern as Stonebridge.
“What company?”
Graham answered.
“Redwood Industrial Partners.”
Preston recognized the name.
They had submitted a bid.
Not the highest.
Not even close.
“How much?”
“Thirty-one million.”
The winning bid currently stood at forty-two million.
Eleven million dollars difference.
Preston felt sick.
Victor wanted the board to sacrifice eleven million dollars.
“Why would you agree?”
Graham whispered:
“Because he said the alternative was prison.”
Preston stared.
“You were willing to cost the company eleven million dollars to hide what you did eight years ago.”
Graham looked at him.
“Yes.”
There was no defense.
Only truth.
Then Ruiz’s phone rang.
She listened.
Her eyes moved to Preston.
“We found Victor Vale.”
“Where?”
“A hotel near Harrowgate Galleria.”
Preston stood.
Ruiz continued.
“He checked out thirty minutes after the escalator incident.”
“Where is he now?”
“We don’t know.”
Then she added:
“But we found something in the hotel room.”
“What?”
“A printed floor plan of your house.”
Preston stopped breathing.
May you like
On it, one room had been circled in red.
Zoey’s bedroom.
