Chapter 7: The Deal He Tried to Make
Alexander Hayes met with his lead attorney, a silver-haired man named Clifton Pryce, in a detention facility meeting room on the third day after his arrest.
Victoria knew this because Clifton Pryce had called her the following morning.
She let the call go to voicemail.
Then she listened to it twice.
*Ms.
Langford.
This is Clifton Pryce calling on behalf of my client, Alexander Hayes.
Alexander would very much like the opportunity to speak with you directly, outside of any formal proceeding.
He believes there is information you would want to hear from him personally, before this matter goes further.
He is prepared to be fully transparent.
Please call me at your earliest convenience.*
She played it a third time.
Then she called Margaret.
"He wants to talk to me," Victoria said.
"I heard." Margaret had already been informed.
"Don't."
"I know." A pause.
"What does he think he has that I would want?"
"He thinks you still have feelings for him.
He's going to try to use that." Margaret's voice was flat.
"He's done it before.
Two of his previous targets agreed to meetings.
Both of them walked out more confused than when they went in.
He's very good in a room."
"I know he is." Victoria thought about the eight months.
The dinners.
The easy confidence.
The way he had of making every room feel like it had been arranged for his comfort.
"What does he actually have?"
"Leverage he thinks he has," Margaret said.
"He'll claim to have information about you — something embarrassing, something he can use.
He may even have something.
But whatever it is, it's less dangerous than giving him a private audience."
"And if he goes to the press with it?"
"Then we deal with it publicly, which is always easier than dealing with it privately on his terms." Margaret paused.
"Victoria.
He put a child in a box.
Whatever he has on you is not the same category of problem."
Victoria looked at the voicemail on her phone screen.
"He's going to try to make a deal," she said.
"Not with the DA.
With me.
He thinks if he can get me to soften my cooperation with investigators—"
"Yes."
"He thinks I'm still the woman who was going to marry him."
"He always underestimates the people he targets," Margaret said.
"It's actually how Gerald caught him.
Rachel warned Gerald that Alexander would assume she was too frightened to act.
She used that."
Victoria set the phone down on the desk.
She looked at it.
Then she picked it up and called Clifton Pryce.
He answered on the second ring.
"Ms.
Langford.
Thank you for—"
"I'll meet with him," Victoria said.
"Tomorrow.
Ten o'clock.
In the presence of my attorney and a representative from the DA's office." She paused.
"If he has something to say to me, he can say it in that room.
Those are my terms."
A silence on the other end.
"I'll need to discuss that with my client," Pryce said carefully.
"Of course." Victoria kept her voice pleasant.
"Let me know by end of day.
Otherwise I'll assume he has nothing worth saying and proceed accordingly."
She ended the call.
Margaret called back forty seconds later.
"What are you doing?" she said.
"He wants a room," Victoria said.
"I'm giving him one.
On my terms, with witnesses, on the record." She paused.
"If he talks, we get more.
If he doesn't talk, we've lost nothing.
Either way, he doesn't get to believe he still has power over this situation."
A long pause.
"You've thought about this," Margaret said.
"I've thought about very little else for four days," Victoria said.
May you like
Pryce called back at 4:47 that afternoon.
Alexander would meet.
