Chapter 4 - The Rat in the Corner
Inside the interrogation room of the county detention facility, Victor Castillo sat shivering in an orange jumpsuit.
His wrist was tightly wrapped in a fiberglass cast, throbbing with a dull, sickening ache. Across from him sat his court-appointed attorney, a weary public defender named Harrison, who looked like he wanted to be anywhere else in the world.
“Where is my father’s legal team?” Victor demanded, his voice cracking with panicked fury. “We pay Miller & Shaw sixty grand a month on retainer! Why am I sitting here with a state-appointed amateur?”
Harrison didn't flinch. He adjusted his cheap wire-rimmed glasses and dropped a single sheet of paper in front of Victor.
“Miller & Shaw terminated their representation contract at six-thirty this morning,” Harrison said flatly. “Vance Capital is one of their largest corporate clients. The managing partner took one look at your intake sheet and decided representing you was an existential threat to their firm.”
“Vance Capital?” Victor spat, his face flushing red. “What the hell does Vance Capital have to do with Maya? She’s an orphan! She worked as a graphic designer for ten dollars an hour!”
Harrison stared at him with something bordering on pity and disgust.
“Your wife is Maya Vance. Sole heir to Alexander Vance. The man whose signature is on the treasury bonds that keep this entire county operational.”
Victor’s breath caught in his throat. His chest felt constricted, as if an invisible belt were tightening around his lungs.
“No,” Victor whispered, shaking his head furiously. “No, that’s impossible. She wore cheap clothes. She took the bus when her car broke down. She let my mother talk to her like she was dirt!”
“She chose a simple life,” Harrison remarked coldly. “And you chose to beat her unconscious while she was carrying Alexander Vance’s grandchild. Quite frankly, Mr. Castillo, you might be the stupidest man in the state.”
The door to the interrogation room clicked open, and the lead detective entered, tossing a manila envelope onto the metal table.
“Pack it up, Harrison,” the detective said.
Victor leaned forward, a desperate spark of hope igniting in his chest. “Did the charges get dropped? Is my dad here?”
“Your dad was arrested twenty minutes ago at the airport trying to board a charter flight to Panama with four hundred thousand dollars in undeclared bearer bonds,” the detective replied with a sneer. “And no, your charges weren't dropped. The U.S. Attorney’s office just upgraded your indictment. You’re being charged with federal civil rights violations, attempted premeditated murder, and assault resulting in catastrophic bodily injury.”
“Catastrophic?” Victor stammered. “She had a few bruises!”
The detective leaned down, planting both palms on the metal table, invading Victor’s personal space.
“She almost lost the baby, you bastard. And the hospital report states that if she hadn't received emergency intervention within thirty minutes, hypovolemic shock would have killed them both. That makes it attempted murder in the first degree.”
Victor slumped back in his metal chair, his skin turning a sickly shade of ash gray. The grand illusions of his family’s untouchable power shattered like thin glass. For months, he had felt like an absolute ruler in his kitchen, breaking down a quiet, gentle woman who never raised her voice. He had fed on her vulnerability, mistaking her patience for weakness.
Now, the silence she had kept was answering back with the full, crushing weight of an empire.
“Can I... can I see her?” Victor croaked, tears of terror leaking down his stubbled cheeks. “I need to talk to Maya. She loves me. If I explain things to her... if I tell her I was stressed about the business... she’ll forgive me. She always forgave me!”
Harrison gathered his files and stood up, not even bothering to look back.
May you like
“Mr. Castillo, the only time you will ever see your wife again is from across a courtroom. And if you’re smart, you’ll keep your mouth shut, because every word you speak is adding five years to your sentence.”
***
