Chapter 5 - THE MAN WHO FOLLOWED HIS BRIDE
The SUV stopped behind Madeline’s vehicle.
Preston stepped out.
He had changed into a dark sweater and jeans.
There was no visible sign that he had spent the night in police custody.
He looked through the windshield and smiled.
Madeline locked the doors.
“He found me.”
Detective Ortiz exited her car.
“Preston Bennett.”
He raised both hands.
“I am not armed.”
“Stay where you are.”
“I came to speak to my wife.”
Madeline lowered herself in the seat.
“I don’t want to speak to him.”
Detective Ortiz moved between the vehicles.
“She does not want contact.”
Preston looked at me.
“You should be at the hospital with your daughter.”
“You should be in jail.”
“I made bail.”
“You should enjoy it while it lasts.”
His smile disappeared.
“I want my phone.”
“It is evidence,” Detective Ortiz said.
“It contains privileged business information.”
“It also contains evidence of bribery and fraud.”
For the first time, genuine alarm entered his eyes.
He looked at Madeline.
“What did you show her?”
Madeline did not answer.
Preston approached the car.
Detective Ortiz placed one hand near her weapon.
“Stop.”
He stopped.
Then he softened his voice.
“Madeline, open the door.”
She began breathing faster.
“Look at me.”
She kept her eyes down.
“You are upset.”
Preston smiled gently.
“We had a difficult night.”
“You are confused.”
I had heard him use that voice before.
It was the voice he used around our parents when he needed them to believe someone else was unstable.
Madeline whispered, “He always does this.”
Preston leaned toward the glass.
“You stole my phone.”
“You planted a phone on Sophie.”
“That was a misunderstanding.”
“You hit her.”
“She moved.”
I stared at him.
“You aimed at her head.”
His face turned toward me.
“You ruined the reception.”
“No.”
I opened the passenger door and stepped out.
“Your phone proved you planned the accusation.”
“My parents helped you.”
“You forged my signature.”
Preston glanced toward Detective Ortiz.
“Be careful.”
“Why?”
“Because making false allegations can have consequences.”
“You should know.”
His jaw tightened.
Madeline climbed out behind me.
She held the real phone in both hands.
“I am giving this to the police.”
Preston’s control disappeared.
He lunged toward her.
Detective Ortiz caught his arm.
He twisted away and struck the detective’s shoulder.
She forced him against the hood of the car.
“You are under arrest.”
“For what?”
“Assaulting an officer.”
“I barely touched you.”
She pulled his wrist behind his back.
“You also violated the court’s no-contact condition.”
“There was no no-contact order.”
“There was a temporary protection clause concerning witnesses.”
“She is my wife.”
“She is also a witness.”
The handcuffs closed.
Preston looked toward me.
“You think this makes you powerful?”
“No.”
I watched Detective Ortiz search him.
“It makes you visible.”
Police units arrived minutes later.
Madeline surrendered the phone and the envelope.
Detective Ortiz photographed the forged documents before sealing them as evidence.
My father called while officers placed Preston in a patrol car.
I answered.
“What have you done?” he demanded.
“I protected my daughter.”
“You had Preston arrested again.”
“He attacked a detective.”
“He was trying to speak to his wife.”
“He was trying to take evidence.”
My father lowered his voice.
“You do not understand what is at risk.”
“Six hundred jobs?”
“The entire company.”
“If the sale fails, the lenders will call our loans.”
“What loans?”
Silence.
I had served on the board for years.
No major loans had been disclosed.
“What did you borrow against?” I asked.
“That is not your concern.”
“I own thirty percent of the voting shares.”
“You have never participated.”
“You made sure every meeting happened while I was working.”
“You chose to leave the company.”
“I chose to leave Preston.”
My father breathed heavily.
“Sign the proxy.”
“No.”
“You will lose everything.”
“My daughter nearly lost her life.”
“That was an accident.”
I stared at the patrol car.
Preston watched me through the window.
“No.”
I ended the call.
Adrian called moments later.
“The South Shore Hotel is being evacuated.”
“Did you find problems?”
“The fire panel shows twenty-seven disabled sprinkler zones.”
My stomach dropped.
“How many guests?”
“Three hundred eighty-two.”
“Get everyone out.”
“We are.”
He paused.
“Evelyn, the maintenance logs say the repairs were completed six weeks ago.”
“They were not.”
“Who signed the approval?”
I already knew.
“My father paid someone.”
Sirens sounded in the distance.
Madeline looked toward me.
“What happens now?”
“The police investigate.”
“No.”
She wrapped both arms around herself.
“What happens to me?”
“You tell the truth.”
“And then?”
“I don’t know.”
She looked toward Preston.
“He will destroy me.”
I watched officers drive him away.
“He has spent his life surviving because everyone was too afraid to speak at the same time.”
May you like
I held up the forged proxy.
“That ends when we stop standing alone.”
