Chapter 13 - Interrogation in the Dark
The federal holding facility beneath the district courthouse was a labyrinth of concrete cells, flickering fluorescent lights, and the heavy smell of disinfectant. Thanks to Adrian's political leverage and District Attorney Vance's cooperation, we were granted private access to holding cell 4B at midnight.
Victor Shaw looked a decade older than he had in the Halden boardroom three weeks ago. His expensive tailored suit was replaced by a coarse orange jumpsuit, his silver hair unkempt, and his polished demeanor completely shattered. He sat at a stainless-steel table, handcuffed to a metal ring, staring blankly at the scarred surface.
The heavy steel door clanged open. Adrian and I walked in, our footsteps echoing off the concrete walls. I pulled out a metal chair across from Victor and sat down slowly, resting my hands on the table.
Victor slowly raised his head. When he saw my face, a bitter, broken laugh escaped his lips. "Well, if it isn't the little accountant who learned how to bite. Come to gloat, Victoria? Come to watch an old man rot in a cage?"
"I didn't come to gloat, Victor," I said, my voice smooth, cold, and utterly devoid of pity. "I came for answers. Who is Kaelen Vance?"
Victor's laughter died instantly. His eyes widened slightly before he quickly masked his reaction, though not fast enough to hide the sudden flash of pure terror that crossed his face.
"I... I don't know any Kaelen Vance," Victor stammered, looking away toward the blank concrete wall.
Before I could speak, Adrian stepped forward, placing both hands flat on the steel table and leaning in close until his face was inches from Victor's. Adrian didn't raise his voice, but the sheer menace in his tone made the air in the room drop ten degrees.
"Listen to me very carefully, Victor," Adrian whispered, his eyes locking onto the older man like a predator examining a cornered animal. "Kaelen Vance's operatives just sent an encrypted threat to Victoria's phone regarding her father's unredacted autopsy report. That means you and your co-conspirators didn't just embezzle money—you murdered Arthur Halden in cold blood. And right now, the federal prosecutor is deciding whether to charge you as an accessory to homicide or a principal conspirator. If you hang as a principal, you'll never see parole. Ever."
Victor began to tremble. Sweat beaded on his forehead. He looked desperately between Adrian and me, his chest heaving as panic clawed at his throat.
"I didn't pull the trigger... I swear to God I didn't!" Victor choked out, his voice cracking with desperation. "It was Richard and Celeste! They panicked when Arthur discovered the offshore accounts! They hired a specialist through an intermediary... I just provided the bridge financing to cover the payoff!"
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"Who is the intermediary, Victor?" I demanded, leaning forward, my eyes burning with relentless fury. "Who does Kaelen Vance work for?"
Victor swallowed hard, his throat dry, his voice dropping to a terrified whisper. "The Sterling Syndicate... a global shadow consortium that controls half the shipping ports and real estate trusts on the eastern seaboard. And Kaelen Vance isn't just an operative, Victoria... he's the syndicate's chief enforcer. And if he's after you... you're already dead."
