Chapter 4 - The Interrogation of Dr. Sterling
By 6:00 AM, the sun began to rise over the misty gardens of the estate, casting long, orange shadows through the high windows of the private security pavilion near the east gate.
Inside the soundproof interrogation room, Dr. Robert Sterling sat strapped to a metal chair, sweating through his three-thousand-dollar silk shirt. Marcus stood near the door with his arms crossed, while I sat across the table from the doctor, sipping a cup of black coffee.
"Mr. Vance, please!" Dr. Sterling pleaded, his voice trembling as he looked at the thick manila folder resting in front of me. "This is a massive misunderstanding! Mrs. Evelyn Vance came to my private clinic six months ago! She told me your wife was experiencing severe paranoia and manic episodes! I was only prescribing standard stabilizers!"
I set my coffee cup down with a soft, deliberate clink.
"Standard stabilizers?" I asked smoothly. "Dr. Sterling, I have your private prescribing logs right here. You prescribed two hundred milligrams of heavy industrial-grade Haloperidol under Clara’s name every single month for four months."
Sterling’s face went chalk-white. "I... I thought the dosage was appropriate—"
"Haloperidol at that dosage causes cognitive impairment, motor tremors, severe lethargy, and short-term memory loss," I said, leaning across the table, my eyes locking onto his like two iron vices. "You were intentionally chemical-lobotomizing my wife so my family could manipulate her signatures."
"I didn't know!" Sterling squeaked, his voice cracking into panic. "Tristan paid me fifty thousand dollars in cash! He said it was just to keep her calm during a family corporate restructuring! I didn't know they were abusing her!"
"Fifty thousand dollars," I mused, pulling my phone from my pocket. "Fifty thousand dollars to destroy the mind of the woman I love."
"I'll sign anything!" Sterling offered desperately, leaning forward against his restraints. "I'll testify against Evelyn! I'll testify against Tristan! I'll give you every bank transfer record, every text message, every email! Just don't destroy my medical license, Mr. Vance! Please!"
I looked at Marcus. "Did we record that statement?"
"Crystal clear video and audio, sir," Marcus confirmed, tapping his earpiece.
I stood up from the table, smoothing my jacket.
"Dr. Sterling," I said, looking down at the groveling man. "Your medical license is the least of your concerns. As of fifteen minutes ago, my legal team turned your prescribing logs over to the District Attorney. You aren't just losing your license. You are facing twenty years in state prison for conspiracy to commit severe bodily harm and illegal distribution of controlled substances."
"No! Mr. Vance! Wait!" Sterling screamed as Marcus stepped forward, snapping heavy steel handcuffs around the doctor's wrists.
I walked out of the pavilion into the crisp morning air.
My assistant, Sarah, was waiting beside my black town car with a fresh stack of legal documents.
"Everything is set, Julian," Sarah reported. "The emergency hearing before Judge Harrison is scheduled for nine-thirty AM. The District Attorney has already signed the preliminary freeze orders for Tristan and Don Emilio’s accounts."
"And my family in the pool house?" I asked.
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"They've been shouting at the security guards for three hours," Sarah said with a cold smile. "Evelyn tried to call the local news outlets, but Marcus jammed the cellular signals within a two-mile radius of the estate."
"Good," I said, climbing into the back of the car. "Bring them out of the pool house. It's time for them to see what their fourteen million dollars actually bought."
