Chapter 4 - The Woman Preston Never Expected to Fight Back
Alex stared at the message.
Roman took the phone from her only after she handed it to him.
He read it once.
Then twice.
“No.”
Alex blinked.
“No what?”
“You are not going to Sabbes.”
“I didn’t say I was.”
“You were about to.”
“I was thinking.”
“You think with your shoes on?”
Alex looked down.
She had already stepped into her heels.
Roman almost smiled.
Almost.
Then his expression hardened.
“If Sabrina is armed, you stay here.”
“What about Preston?”
Roman said nothing.
Alex folded her arms.
“Yes, he betrayed me.”
“Correct.”
“Yes, he intended to let forged evidence point toward me.”
“Correct.”
“Yes, I currently hate him.”
“Also understandable.”
“But if Sabrina and Daniel think he can expose them, he may be in real danger.”
Roman looked at Maya.
“Call it in.”
Alex frowned.
“To whom?”
“People with badges.”
Roman’s tone was dry.
“Despite rumor, I am aware they exist.”
Maya began making calls.
Alex looked toward the laptop.
“There’s something wrong.”
Roman waited.
“Why would Preston text me?”
“Because he panicked.”
“No. Why me?”
“You’re the one person he knows Sabrina hurt.”
“Or because he wants me there.”
Roman went still.
Alex paced.
“Suppose Daniel knows we have the drive. Suppose they need it destroyed. They know I won’t trust Daniel now.”
“But Preston could still draw you out.”
“Yes.”
Roman nodded.
“So we assume it’s a trap.”
Alex picked up her coat.
Roman stared at her.
“You just agreed it’s a trap.”
“Yes.”
“And you’re putting on a coat.”
“We don’t walk into it blindly.”
“We?”
Alex looked at him.
“Your reputation got me through the ballroom.”
“My reputation is not body armor.”
“Good thing I wasn’t planning to use you as one.”
Despite the danger, Roman laughed once.
Then he became serious.
“Alex, people who move millions through fraudulent transactions do not become reasonable when exposed.”
“I know.”
“No, you know appraisals.”
His voice softened.
“I know people who become desperate.”
She heard what he was actually saying.
He was afraid.
Not theatrical fear.
Not the controlling concern Preston always used when he wanted her to comply.
Real concern.
Roman continued.
“I won’t order you to stay.”
Alex looked at him.
“But I am asking you to.”
That nearly changed her mind.
Nearly.
Then Maya turned from her phone.
“NYPD has units near Sabbes. They’re coordinating quietly because of the fraud angle.”
Alex nodded.
“Good.”
Maya added, “But there’s a complication.”
Roman closed his eyes briefly.
“There’s always a complication.”
“Security cameras at Sabbes went offline twelve minutes ago.”
Alex felt cold.
“Daniel controls building access.”
“Yes.”
Roman looked at Alex.
“Still want to go?”
“Yes.”
He sighed.
“Of course you do.”
They did not enter through the front.
Police positioned nearby while Roman’s driver parked a block away.
The auction house stood dark behind rain-streaked windows.
Alex had spent seven years in that building.
Tonight it looked unfamiliar.
They waited inside the car while officers moved around the rear entrance.
Then Preston called.
Alex answered on speaker.
His breathing was fast.
“Alex?”
“Where are you?”
“Fourth floor.”
“Are you alone?”
Pause.
“Yes.”
Roman shook his head immediately.
Lie.
Alex kept her tone steady.
“What happened?”
“Sabrina knows I told you.”
“Why are you at Sabbes?”
“I needed documents.”
“Which documents?”
Another pause.
“Alex, please.”
She closed her eyes.
“Stop lying.”
Silence.
“You have maybe one chance left with me. Use it.”
Preston’s breathing slowed.
Finally:
“Daniel told me I could fix everything.”
“How?”
“If I brought him the drive.”
There it was.
Roman’s jaw tightened.
Preston continued quickly.
“I didn’t know Sabrina was part of it until tonight.”
“You knew enough to sacrifice me.”
“I know.”
“Do you?”
“Yes.”
His voice broke.
For the first time, Alex heard no polish in it.
No banker confidence.
Just fear.
“I thought I could control it.”
She almost laughed.
“You always think that.”
“I’m sorry.”
“That does not matter right now.”
“I know.”
“Who’s with you?”
Silence.
Alex sharpened her voice.
“Preston.”
“Daniel.”
“And Sabrina?”
Another pause.
“Yes.”
Roman mouthed: Keep him talking.
Alex did.
“Why are they waiting?”
“For you.”
“Why?”
“The drive.”
“And after I hand it over?”
Preston did not answer.
She already knew.
Roman gestured toward Maya.
Police were ready.
But before they moved, Preston whispered:
“Don’t come up.”
Then louder:
“Alex, run.”
The line went dead.
Three minutes later, officers entered.
Roman stayed behind.
Alex did too, though every instinct urged her forward.
Ten minutes passed.
Then fifteen.
Finally an officer returned.
“Building’s empty.”
Alex stared.
“What?”
“Fourth floor conference room was occupied recently, but no one’s there.”
Roman looked toward the alley.
“Garage.”
Maya checked her phone.
“One vehicle left eight minutes ago.”
“Registered to?”
Maya looked up.
“Sabbes.”
Alex knew the vehicle.
“Company transport van.”
Roman swore quietly.
Then Alex’s phone rang.
Preston again.
She answered.
No voice.
Only engine noise.
Then Daniel.
“You made this much harder than necessary.”
Alex felt Roman move closer.
“Where’s Preston?”
“With us.”
“Is he okay?”
“For now.”
Sabrina’s voice sounded somewhere nearby.
“Ask her about the drive.”
Daniel continued.
“You have property that belongs to my employer.”
“You forged my signature.”
“Careful.”
“You framed me.”
“You are becoming emotional.”
That word.
Alex almost smiled.
“No, Daniel. I’m becoming very precise.”
Roman looked at her.
She continued.
“The metadata on the forged reports traces to your workstation.”
Silence.
“And the hidden audio recording is already copied.”
Longer silence.
Daniel’s confidence finally shifted.
“What recording?”
Alex knew then.
He had not known about it.
Interesting.
She pressed.
“The one where Edward Kensington explains exactly what happens to Preston and me.”
Sabrina shouted something.
Daniel moved the phone.
Roman mouthed: Good.
Divide them.
Alex continued.
“Did Edward tell you he recorded you?”
“Shut up.”
“Or did Sabrina?”
Daniel’s breathing changed.
She had him.
“He was going to blame you too, wasn’t he?”
“Alex.”
“That’s the structure of this whole thing.”
She looked at Roman as the idea developed.
“Everyone blames the person below them.”
Preston blamed Alex.
Daniel blamed Preston.
Edward blamed Daniel.
“And Sabrina?” Alex asked.
Silence.
Sabrina answered herself.
“My father doesn’t control me.”
Alex almost felt sorry for her.
Almost.
“You really believe that?”
Sabrina snapped.
“You have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“I know your father let Preston think he was marrying into protection while arranging to bury him.”
“Stop talking.”
“I know Daniel thinks he’s your partner.”
“Stop.”
“And I know there’s only one person Edward Kensington is planning to save when this collapses.”
Sabrina shouted.
“Hang up!”
The line disconnected.
Roman looked impressed.
“You’re terrifying.”
“I appraise disputed antiquities for wealthy collectors.”
“I stand corrected.”
Maya raised her phone.
“We got enough location data. Vehicle headed toward Red Hook.”
Roman’s expression changed instantly.
“Warehouse district.”
Police were already moving.
Roman looked at Alex.
“You stay here.”
She started to protest.
He added:
“That is not an order. It’s a request from a man who would prefer not to spend tonight watching you get killed.”
Alex stared at him.
The way he said it made everything else disappear for one moment.
She nodded.
“Fine.”
Roman looked surprised.
“Don’t make me regret agreeing.”
“I was going to say the same.”
He left with Maya.
Alex remained in the car with a driver and an officer.
Twenty-three minutes later, her phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
A photograph.
Preston sitting in a warehouse office.
Alive.
Beside him sat Daniel.
Sabrina stood behind them.
The caption read:
Bring Roman Costa and the drive. No police.
Alex stared at the image.
Then noticed something in the reflection of the window behind Sabrina.
A fourth person.
Older.
Gray hair.
Expensive tuxedo.
Edward Kensington.
The man who had supposedly gone home from the gala an hour earlier.
Alex enlarged the photograph.
Edward was holding a folder.
On the cover were two words.
COSTA MARITIME.
Alex’s stomach dropped.
This had never been only about her.
Roman had been part of the plan from the beginning.
May you like
And he did not know it.
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