CHAPTER 37: Too Late

POV: Selene Castellano

The call came at 6 AM.

Detective Sarah Shyn.

Selene knew before she answered that it was bad news, nobody calls at 6 AM with good news.

“Mrs. Pierce, this is Detective Shyn. I need you and your husband to come down to the station right away.”

“What happened?”

“Victoria Hartley was found dead in her apartment two hours ago. It was home invasion and according to her phone records, you were the last person she spoke to.”

Selene’s hand started shaking. “We didn’t—we would never—”

“I’m not accusing you of anything but I need statements from both of you. NOW.”

They were at the police station by seven.

Diana met them there, looking exhausted, she had been up all night going through the flash drive evidence.

“Don’t say anything without me present,” she instructed. “Nothing, not even a casual conversation.”

They sat in an interrogation room, gray walls and Metallic table. The cliché of every crime show Selene had ever watched.

Except this was real and Victoria was dead.

The woman whom had  given them evidence, tried to help them and also ost her sister is gone barely 24hours after they spoke.

Detective Shyn entered with a male detective Selene hadn’t seen before.

“This is Detective Marcus Rodriguez,” Shyn said. “He’ll be observing.”

Of course his name was Marcus because this nightmare needed more irony.

“Let’s start with yesterday,” Shyn began. “You met with Victoria Hartley at Pier 39, what did you discuss?”

Diana leaned forward. “Before my clients answer that, what’s the cause of death?”

“Blunt force trauma to the head, force strikes and her apartment was ransacked….it looked like a robbery gone wrong.”

“Looked like?” Diana pressed.

“Nothing was actually taken all her expensive jewelries are on the dresser, her cash were in her wallet, her laptop still there. So, either the intruder was interrupted or—”

“Or it was staged to look like a robbery,” Avalon finished.

“That’s one theory.” Shyn pulled out her notepad. “So, the meeting, what did you both discuss?”

Selene looked at Diana. Diana nodded.

“Victoria told us about a conspiracy,” Selene said carefully. “Between Marcus Pierce, my biological father Richard Castellanos, and a corporate raider named Vincent Caruso.

 She gave us an evidence of financial records and emails. She handed us a  flash drive with everything.”

Shyn’s expression didn’t change. “Where’s this flash drive now?”

“With our lawyer,” Diana said “and I’ll be happy to provide copies to the police along with our analysis of the contents.”

“What kind of conspiracy are we talking about?”

Avalon explained. The plan to destabilize Pierce Holdings, payments from Vincent to Marcus, Richard’s involvement and threats.

When he finished, Shyn and Rodriguez exchanged looks.

“That’s quite a story,” Rodriguez said.

“It’s not a story. It’s documented fact, we have everything on the flash.”

“Contracts to do what exactly? I’m not seeing how any of this relates to two murders.”

“Three murders,” Diana corrected. “Victoria’s sister Jennifer died Friday night ruled as a car accident that wasn’t an accident. Jennifer was holding additional evidence for Victoria and someone killed her to get it.”

“And you think this Vincent Caruso killed all three? Marcus, Jennifer, and Victoria?”

“Who else had motive?” Avalon asked.

“You did,” Rodriguez said flatly. “Marcus was trying to steal your inheritance. Victoria and Jennifer knew about your plans to destroy him and they were witnesses who could testify that you’d hired investigators to dig up dirt on Marcus that you were planning to expose him, ruin him and completely take him down.”

“We were planning legal action not murder.”

“The week before Marcus died, you told your lawyer you wanted to ‘destroy him completely.’ Your words.”

Selene felt ice in her stomach. Had they been listening or has someone been feeding them information.

“Context matters,” Diana said sharply. “My clients wanted to destroy Marcus’s reputation through legal means. Expose his tax fraud, his affair and all his illegal activities. That’s not the same as wanting him dead.”

“Isn’t it? Because from where I’m sitting, three people who stood in the way of Mr. and Mrs. Pierce’s inheritance are now dead. That’s not conspiracy that’s pportunity.”

“That’s circumstantial,” Diana shot back. “You have no physical evidence linking my clients to any of these deaths. No witnesses and forensics just timing and motive.”

“Motive is enough to investigate.”

“Investigate then but stop treating my clients like suspects when they’re actually victims. Someone is killing people connected to this case. First Marcus then Jennifer and now Victoria—all had information about Vincent Caruso’s plot and all dead within days of each other. The pattern isn’t my clients eliminating threats it is someone eliminating witnesses.”

Shyn held up a hand. “Okay, let’s assume you’re right and say Vincent Caruso is behind this. How do we prove it?”

“You investigate him,” Avalon said. “Pull his phone records, financial records, alibis for Friday night when Victoria died.”

“We’re already doing that but Mr. Caruso has an alibi for all three deaths. He was in New York when Marcus died, in Los Angeles when Jennifer died and at a charity gala with two hundred witnesses when Victoria died.”

Selene’s hope crumbled. “Alibis can be faked.”

“Not when they’re verified by multiple independent sources. Vincent Caruso might be a lot of things, but he’s not stupid, if he’s behind this, he wouldn’t do it himself.”

“Then he hired someone,” Avalon said. “Maybe a professional who could make the deaths look unrelated.”

“Maybe, but proving that takes time, evidence and right now, the evidence I have points at you two more than anyone else.”

“We didn’t kill anyone,” Selene said. Her voice broke. “Victoria came to us, she wanted to help….She said she wanted justice for her sister and now she’s dead because of it, someone wanted to stop her from talking.”

“Or because you wanted to stop her from talking,” Rodriguez suggested. “She gave you evidence. Maybe she threatened to go to the police with it or she wanted more money to keep quiet. Maybe—”

“Stop.” Diana stood. “Unless you’re charging my clients with something, we’re done. They came here voluntarily, answered your questions and provided evidence of a conspiracy. If you want to keep treating them like criminals instead of witnesses, we’ll continue this conversation through lawyers.”

Shyn and Rodriguez looked at each other.

Finally, Shyn nodded. “You can go but pleas do not  leave the city and if you remember anything else—”

“We’ll call,” Diana said. “Through counsel.”

Outside the police station, Selene couldn’t stop shaking.

“They think we did it,” she said. “All of it. They think we’re murderers.”

“They’re exploring every possibility,” Diana said. “It’s what they do.”

“They have us in their crosshairs, meanwhile, the actual killer is out there planning their next move.”

Avalon pulled her close. “We prove Vincent did this, we expose him, we will stop the acquisition and put an end this.”

“How? He has alibis and seem untouchable.”

“Nobody’s untouchable. If he hired someone, we will find them, trace the payments, we need just one mistake—just one—and we unravel everything.”

Diana’s phone rang. She answered, listened, her face going pale.

“When?” She paused. “Are you sure? Okay. Okay. We’re coming.”

She hung up.

“What?” Avalon asked.

“That was Robert . The vote on Vincent’s acquisition offer has been moved up.”

“To when?”

“Tomorrow morning. Vincent’s lawyers convinced the board that waiting until Thursday creates market instability. They’re voting tomorrow at 9 AM.”

Selene felt the world tilt. “That’s less than twenty-four hours.”

“I know.”

“We can’t expose Vincent in twenty-four hours. We can’t prove the murders and stop an acquisition—”

“No,” Diana agreed. “We can’t not with the resources we have.”

“Then what do we do?”

Diana looked at Avalon. “You go to the board meeting, make the case that Vincent Caruso is dangerous and that this acquisition is a trap, let them know that voting yes destroys everything Nene built.”

“They won’t listen not without proof anyways.”

“Then you make them listen. You’re still CEO, the chairman and Nene’s only  heir. You must use every ounce of authority, every relationship, every favor you’re owed and fight.”

“And if I lose?”

“Then Pierce Holdings gets acquired by a murderer and everything we’ve fought for disappears.”

They spent the rest of Sunday preparing.

Avalon rehearsed his presentation while Diana compiled evidence—not enough to prove murder, but enough to raise questions about Vincent’s ethics, his business practices and connections to Marcus.

Margaret worked the phones. Calling board members, reminding them of loyalty, of Nene’s vision, and of what they’d be giving up.

By midnight, they had a strategy not a good one but something regardless.

Selene found Avalon in his study at 2 AM.

“You should sleep,” she said.

“I can’t. You know, I keep thinking about what to say and how to convince them.”

“You’ll find the words.”

“Will I? Because every argument I have practiced sounds weak. Vincent is offering FIVE BILLION DOLLARS  and I’m offering speculations and suspicions.”

Selene sat beside him. “You’re offering the truth.”

“Is that enough?”

She took his hand. “Whatever the outcome is, we will figure out together.”

Avalon pulled her close. “I’m scared, Selene, what I’m going to fail or lose the company? What if we survive this and there’s just another threat waiting?”

“There is probably another threat brewing , that is life especially our life.”

“How do you stay so calm?”

“I’m not calm, quite the opposite, I am terrified but being terrified hasn’t stopped us yet. We will keep moving, fighting and choosing each other. That’s all we can do.”

They sat in the quiet study, holding each other while the city slept.

Tomorrow would decide everything.

The board vote, the acquisition and the future of Pierce Holdings.

Win or lose, everything changes tomorrow.

Avalon’s phone buzzed. Another unknown number and another text.

The board will vote yes and you’ve already lost but  I’m willing to make a deal if you’ll meet with me by midnight tomorrow. I will send you my location but you have to come alone or everyone you love dies starting with Maya.

Selene read it over his shoulder.

“That’s Vincent,” she whispered. “It has to be.”

“Or someone working for him.”

“What kind of deal could he possibly offer?”

“The kind where I give up everything to keep you safe.”

“You’re not going.”

“If he threatens Maya—”

“We have to call the police and get Maya protection. We won’t walk into obvious traps.”

“What if he means it? What if he hurts her to prove a point?”

Selene’s hands shook. “We will protect her but we won’t sacrifice everything Nene built because someone made a threat.”

Avalon looked at her. “Even if it means risking Maya’s life?”

“Maya would tell you to fight not give up. You know she would.”

“I know, but Selene—I can’t lose anyone else not Maya, you or anyone I care about.”

“Okay, we don’t have to go alone or play his game by his rules, we can change the rules.”

“How?”

“I don’t know yet, Avalon, but we have until tomorrow midnight to figure it out.”

Avalon pulled her closer.

Outside, somewhere in the city, Vincent Caruso was probably sleeping peacefully.

He had alibis, had money and a plan which seems to be working perfectly and in less than twelve hours, he’d have Pierce Holdings too unless they found a way to stop him.

But how do you stop someone who’s always three steps ahead?

How do you fight someone who kills anyone who gets in his way?

How do you win when every move you make just tightens the trap?

Selene didn’t have answers.

But she knew one thing.

They’d survived everything else thrown at them. The forced marriage, deposition, Marcus, medical records leaked, Catherine’s threats and a decade apart.

They’d survived it all.

One thing she knows however, is that tomorrow, they’d survive this too or maybe die trying.