Chapter 12 - GRANT'S SECOND STORY
Grant had been placed in a hotel under police supervision while prosecutors negotiated his cooperation agreement.
He was supposed to have no contact with Preston.
No contact with Diane.
And definitely no contact with Sophie.
Yet the photograph proved he had been outside her school.
Detective Alvarez confronted him.
Grant did not deny it.
“I was trying to warn Evelyn.”
“From across the street?”
“I panicked.”
“About what?”
Grant looked at the surveillance photograph.
Then covered his face.
“You don’t understand.”
“Explain it.”
“Preston wasn’t the only one watching them.”
Maria leaned forward.
“Who else?”
Grant hesitated.
“Anton Keller.”
“The Swiss intermediary?”
“No.”
Grant shook his head.
“Someone working for him.”
“Why?”
“Because the seventy-eight million isn’t Preston’s biggest problem.”
Maria stared at him.
Grant continued.
“About twelve million of that money belonged to regular investors.”
“The rest belonged to people who thought Preston was hiding funds for them.”
“What people?”
Grant swallowed.
“People Vincent used to know.”
That changed everything.
Investigators had assumed Preston was drowning in legitimate debt mixed with fraud.
Grant revealed something darker.
Years earlier, Preston had quietly marketed himself as a respectable financial manager to people connected to old criminal organizations.
He promised anonymity.
He promised returns.
He promised their money would disappear into legitimate developments.
Instead, he lost much of it.
Now some of those investors believed Vincent Moretti was protecting him.
Why?
Because Preston had deliberately used Vincent’s name.
Evelyn’s father.
Sophie’s grandfather.
A family connection powerful enough to make nervous people feel safe.
Vincent was furious when he heard.
Not because Preston had borrowed his reputation.
Because Preston had placed Sophie inside that world without her knowledge.
“Names have consequences,” Vincent said.
Detective Alvarez looked at him.
“You know some of these investors?”
“I knew their fathers.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
Vincent met her eyes.
“Yes.”
“Can you help us?”
Vincent looked through the glass wall toward Sophie, who was coloring at a table in the adjacent room.
“I already told you I won’t handle this my old way.”
“I’m asking you to handle it my way.”
He considered that.
Then nodded.
That night Vincent made three calls.
Not threats.
Introductions.
By morning, two attorneys representing unnamed investors had contacted federal investigators.
The message was simple.
Their clients wanted their money back.
They had no interest in harming Vincent Moretti’s family.
And they were willing to cooperate against Preston.
One problem remained.
Grant’s reason for going to Sophie’s school.
He finally explained.
“I heard Diane make a call.”
“When?”
“Yesterday.”
“To whom?”
“I don’t know.”
“What did she say?”
Grant looked at Evelyn.
“She said, ‘If Preston talks, use the girl.’”
Evelyn went pale.
Vincent rose from his chair.
Detective Alvarez immediately pointed toward him.
“Sit down.”
He did not.
“Vincent.”
His hands curled.
Then Sophie walked into the room.
“Grandpa?”
He turned.
Her presence stopped him more effectively than any officer could.
She walked over.
“Are you mad?”
“Yes.”
“At me?”
His expression broke.
“Never at you.”
Sophie reached for his hand.
Vincent looked down at her fingers around his.
Then slowly sat.
Detective Alvarez watched him.
Sophie climbed into the chair beside him.
“Mommy says angry people still have choices.”
Vincent glanced at Evelyn.
She shrugged.
“I’ve been teaching.”
For the first time all day, he almost smiled.
Then Alvarez’s phone rang.
She answered.
Her expression changed.
“What?”
Everyone waited.
May you like
She hung up.
“Diane Hale is gone.”
