Chapter 29
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Aurora went back upstairs. Max spotted her as she stepped out of the elevator. “Where have you been?”
“Checking on my bodyguard, the guy who got shot.” She didn’t like how defensive she sounded. But she’d live with concealing her feelings for the moment if it made things easier for Devon.
Max nodded begrudgingly. “I’ve been planning to get down to the infirmary, but it’s been hectic up here. How is he?”
“The bullet didn’t cause much damage. The doctor finished, and Devon’s resting.”
“Thank goodness.” Her brother hooked an arm around her shoulders. “Lana told me the plan for the video meeting. You sure you want to do this? You don’t owe Crane a damn thing.”
“But if I can help end all this, I have to try. I refuse to be afraid of him.”
Max sighed. “And that’s exactly why I worry about you. You should be afraid of a man like him. But Lana is in favor of hearing him out, so I’ll go with it.”
They went up to Max’s glass-box office. Lana was waiting.
“Crane appeared before the court yesterday, and the judge granted our request to deny bail. A huge victory. So today, his lawyers are at the jail in a meeting room. They’ve asked to talk, but I’ve got to tell you, they’re being super cagey and weird.
Even this video meeting they want is way beyond what’s normal.
But I have the feeling it’ll be enlightening, at the very least.”
“Do I have to say anything?” Aurora asked.
Lana tucked a stray lock of dark hair behind her ear.
“It would be better if you don’t. The district attorney has given me full authority to handle this case, so I’ll do the talking.
I don’t think Crane’s lawyers are playing games with us—this is way too risky for them—but if it’s not productive or you aren’t comfortable, we can end the call at any time. ”
“Okay.” Aurora sat on the couch by Max’s desk, trying to calm the butterflies in her stomach. “Where will the screen be? Are we using your phone, Lana?”
Max laughed. “We’ve got better equipment than just a phone.” He hit a key on his computer keyboard. “Are they on the line?”
“Hold on.” Lana’s thumbs typed on her phone screen. “Yes. They’re on the line.”
Suddenly, one of the glass walls of the office turned opaque, and a different room appeared on a huge screen.
A skinny man in a tan suit sat behind a table.
Dominic Crane stood beside him, glowering at the camera in his prisoner jumpsuit.
She’d built him up so much in her mind that she’d forgotten how young he was.
Early thirties at most. He looked more haggard than the last time Aurora had seen him.
But Crane still retained that air of royalty that she remembered.
Thick, wavy hair, alabaster skin, and darkly beautiful features.
His drab clothing didn’t make him any less imposing.
Max’s fancy wall screen made it look like Crane was standing right before her. Aurora suppressed a chill. This was the man who’d been trying to kill her. Because of Dominic Crane, Devon was lying in an infirmary bed recovering from a gunshot wound.
That thought chased the fear away, leaving only seething anger.
Lana stood up, walking toward the screen. “Hello Mr. Sandford. Mr. Crane.”
The two men nodded back.
“I thought the attorneys for Mr. Crane’s co-defendants might be joining us?”
“No,” Mr. Sandford said. “I’ve been in touch with them, but given the circumstances, I decided this meeting should just be us.”
“And what circumstances are those?”
“The recent attempt on Mr. Crane’s life.”
Max slammed his hands on his desk. “Are you kidding? Crane’s life? What about my sister being chased and shot at this afternoon? She was nearly killed for a second time. She’s being terrorized!”
“That’s exactly why I wanted us to speak,” Crane said. “I had nothing to do with—”
Sandford held up his hands. “Everyone, please. This will be far more efficient if we refrain from emotional outbursts.”
Max’s fists were so tight, his knuckles were turning white. But he exchanged a glance with Lana and said nothing more. Neither did Crane.
Aurora didn’t like sitting there silently after they’d been talking about her. But she had no idea what was going on here. Someone had tried to kill Crane? And it had sounded like he was about to claim no knowledge of the attack on Aurora. She couldn’t understand it.
“What attempt on Mr. Crane’s life?” Lana asked. “That’s a shocking claim, and this is the first I’m hearing of it.”
Sandford folded his hands on the desk. “Early this morning, someone here at the holding facility attacked him. They’re refusing to talk. But—”
“I don’t give a fuck about that,” Max said. “What does Crane know about a black Escalade? Does the driver work for him?”
Crane shook his head. His face remained placid. “Why? Is that the vehicle that went after you, Miss Bennett?”
“Don’t you speak to her.”
Aurora jumped up from the couch. “Enough. All right? I can talk for myself.”
Lana was shooting her warning glances. Aurora was supposed to let Lana handle this. But she couldn’t just sit quietly while they discussed her.
The only person to actually address Aurora so far was Crane himself. Wasn’t that messed up?
“Yes, someone driving a black Escalade tried to kill me today. Did you send him?”
“No, I did not.”
“But why else are these people after me? You’re trying to stop me from testifying about Wolfson’s murder. I won’t be intimidated.”
Lana put a hand on Aurora’s arm.
“And I wouldn’t dream of trying to silence you,” Crane said smoothly. “When the truth is known, I’m sure that I’ll be exonerated in court.”
She didn’t see how that was possible. But Crane spoke with such confidence that she was tempted to believe him.
“How? I know what I saw in Wolfson’s office.”
Sandford leaned over to whisper something to Crane, probably a warning not to respond. But Crane wasn’t listening any more than Aurora was.
“I didn’t order Wolfson’s death. Why would I? The man owed me money.” Crane ignored his lawyer’s horrified expression. “But if someone did, Wolfson deserved it. He was a betrayer and a human trafficker, nothing better than scum.”
Aurora opened her mouth in shock. Brandon Wolfson? A human trafficker? That couldn’t be true.
Sandford waved his hands over his head. “Not another word on that subject. We’re not discussing Wolfson.”
Lana looked amused. “Then let’s get back on track, shall we? I appreciate the insight into your defense strategy on the murder charge, but I’d love to know why your client needed to speak to my witness.”
Crane leaned forward toward the camera. “Because I am not trying to kill Miss Bennett. I run a lucrative promotion business, and certain people are jealous enough to resort to murder and deception to oust me.”
“Promotion business?” Max scoffed. “Don’t you mean gang of thugs and criminals?”
Crane tilted his head back, looking down his nose. “We invest in and promote restaurants and nightclubs like The Lighthouse. Brandon Wolfson stole some of my investment to run an unsavory business on the side. But Wolfson had more allies than I realized.”
Lana cut her hands through the air, halting the conversation. “Hold on a moment. The men who invaded Aurora’s apartment building were known associates of yours, Mr. Crane. Members of the Silverlake Syndicate. Like you. And you expect us to believe you didn’t order that hit?”
“It’s the truth. It’s possible someone else who knows me got overzealous.”
Max hit a few keys on his computer. A smaller window popped up on the large screen—the still image of the driver of the black Escalade from the surveillance footage. “What about this man? Have you seen him before?”
“Never.”
Max rubbed a hand over his jaw. Aurora knew her brother’s mannerisms. He remained skeptical, but he was considering Crane’s claims. Could the man be telling the truth?
Lana had said that the Escalade driver wasn’t a known member of the Silverlake Syndicate.
Something much bigger was going on here. Something that none of them understood.
Crane went around to the front of the table, sitting on its edge. They couldn’t see Sandford behind him at all. “The fact is, Miss Bennett and I are both targets. Someone wants to get rid of me and stop Miss Bennett from testifying. Which means that we should be working together.”
Sandford leaned his head to one side, trying to get back into the conversation. “That’s why we want to arrange to get Miss Bennett’s testimony on the record right away, as a sign of good faith.”
Lana pointed at the man. “If you’re spinning me some kind of bullshit about a preliminary hearing—”
“I’m talking about the procedure you requested, Ms. Marchetti. We’re willing to agree.”
Aurora exchanged a glance with her best friend. This was great news, right? As soon as Aurora testified, there would be no reason for anyone to come after her. At least, she hoped not.
“But Aurora will be testifying against you, Mr. Crane,” Lana reminded him. “You’re sure about this?”
The man shrugged one shoulder, unconcerned. “As I said, when the truth comes out, I’ll be vindicated. Miss Bennett’s testimony is only one side of the story.” He inclined a head at Aurora. “But no matter what, I don’t put pressure on women. That’s not how I do business.”
Again, she felt like he was in the room with her, instead of merely on a screen. But this time, Aurora wasn’t unnerved by the impression. If he didn’t mind her testifying, then he had to be telling the truth. His version of it, anyway.
Lana crossed her arms. “But what about Crane’s co-defendants, Mr. Sandford? They’ll have to agree, too. They’re entitled to object, and to question her when she’s under oath.”
“Of course. I’m confident I can get them on board.”
“All right. But what do you want in exchange for all this cooperation? Don’t even think about immunity. Not unless you’re willing to give up a lot more.”
Crane spoke over his lawyer. “Get the judge to reconsider his decision to deny me bail. Whoever is trying to kill me, they have the best chance of getting to me here in holding.”
Lana nodded. “I think I can get the district attorney to agree to that. With conditions, of course, including electronic monitoring.”
The lawyers spent a few more minutes discussing logistics and schedules, then ended the conference. Aurora exhaled, sinking back against the couch. They’d scheduled her testimony for the day after tomorrow at the courthouse.
“I can’t believe that Crane wasn’t behind those attacks,” Aurora said. “Assuming we believe him.”
Max grunted noncommittally.
But Lana looked thoughtful. “I’m inclined to accept what he says.
It makes sense, honestly. I’ve been hearing rumors from my friends in the LA District Attorney’s Office.
There’s discord within the Silverlake Syndicate.
Dominic took over less than a year ago, and some people aren’t happy about it.
They see him as weak compared to his older brother.
He has a reputation for avoiding certain income streams—human trafficking, underage prostitution, sales of the most dangerous opiates like fentanyl.
Crane has been focusing the Syndicate more on high-level financial and property crime. ”
Aurora recalled Crane’s claim about Brandon Wolfson. “He said Brandon was involved in human trafficking. If that’s really true, then maybe Brandon was working with Dominic Crane’s enemies within the Syndicate.”
“Exactly. That fits. He’s managed to maintain control until now, but his enemies must see his arrest as an opportunity to get rid of him.”
“But if some members of the Syndicate want Dominic out of the way,” Max reasoned, “wouldn’t they want Aurora to testify? She’s your star witness against him.”
“True. I don’t understand that part of it. We don’t know exactly who’s behind this conspiracy or what they want.”
The driver of the black Escalade had something to do with it. And they still didn’t know who they could trust within the police department, aside from Chase Collins.
Aurora stood up. “But once I testify, it won’t be my problem anymore. Right? These people will leave me alone.”
“That’s my hope.” Lana pulled her into a hug. “The danger will be far less urgent, especially with Crane’s assurances. We’re really close.”
Aurora couldn’t wait to tell Devon. A few more days, and this craziness might be over. Then they could go on that date they’d talked about. Max’s disapproval would be their biggest worry.