Page 78 of Benjamin and the Thief

“Let’s do this right,” the judge replied and released her arm, pushing her farther into the room.

“You can’t do this,” she said, looking at the Prestons.

“Do what?” James asked, scoffing. “Kill a burglar in self-defense? Of course I can. Particularly if that burglar just escaped from jail and is trying to take revenge on me and my wife for pressing charges.”

“That’s a lie!” Catalina cried out and pointed to the judge. “The judge let me out.”

“Oh, and I’m sure you’ve got papers from the jail that say you were released, right?” Judge Norton said in a mocking tone.

She sucked in a breath. “I see. You’re never gonna get away with this.”

“We will,” Elizabeth Preston said coolly. “It’s your own fault, really. Snooping around here instead of accepting that your brother is in prison.”

“Yeah, for a theft you framed him for,” she spat.

“You can’t prove that,” James interrupted.

“But it’s true.”

She looked at the Prestons and saw it in their eyes. But what she also saw was that they had no scruples. They would do anything they had to in order to keep their secret. She knew she didn’t have much time left. But she wasn’t ready to leave this world. As for somebody coming to her aid—she knew there was no chance. Nobody knew where she was. Nobody could track her without her phone. Not even Benjamin. Not that he would. She’d run away from him, screaming. There was no reason for him to help her. Besides, if she died tonight, his secret would die with her.

“My brother will get out of prison in six years, maybe even earlier,” she said, her head held high. “He’ll know what you did. And he won’t give up until you pay for it, one way or another.”

Because her brother loved her just like she loved him. He was as loyal to her as she was to him. He would get justice for her and for himself. She had to believe that.

James scoffed. “He couldn’t prove his own innocence. He’s not gonna be able to ever prove what’s happening here tonight.”

“Do it already, James,” Elizabeth urged. “Enough of all the talk.”

James nodded. “Tylor, it’s best you leave now. Thank you again. You’re a true friend.”

“Alright, just like we discussed. Make sure her prints are on the gun too, so it’s believable that you wrestled it from her when she tried to kill you and Elizabeth,” Judge Norton instructed.

James nodded, and the judge turned on his heel. She could hear his footsteps as he walked back in the same direction from which they’d come.

She was alone with the couple who were responsible for Santiago’s conviction. And in a few moments, they would also be responsible for killing her in cold blood.

34

Benjamin kicked the gas pedal of his Porsche down even further, while Anita looked at the screen on her cell phone, following the dot that represented Judge Tylor Norton’s car.

“He’s stopped,” she reported.

“Where?”

“Divisadero and Broadway.”

It took only a fraction of a second for him to know what was at that location. “The Prestons.”

“What is he planning?” Anita asked.

“Nothing good.”

There was really only one reason to get Catalina out of prison in the middle of the night and bring her to the Prestons: to stop her from looking into her brother’s case. And with all the evidence he and his colleagues had unearthed in the past couple of hours, it was evident that the Prestons had a lot to lose if that evidence came to light. However, they didn’t know that Catalina wasn’t the only one who was looking into them, or they would have tried to kidnap him too. Not that they would have had much luck with him. He was stronger than the Prestons and their corrupt judge. However, Catalina was vulnerable. He had to get her out of the Prestons’ clutches. Every second counted.

He tossed Anita his cell phone. “Call Ethan and put him on speaker.”

A moment later, his cell phone rang over the car’s speakers. Ethan answered instantly.