Longing For The Beach Billionaire Daddy
Chapter 76

Shelby

“Of course. I’ll just need to get dressed before we go,” I said, turning from the two FBI agents and heading back into my room.

My head was spinning, trying to understand why I had two FBI agents in my living room. The only explanation that made sense had to do with Blaine.

I slipped on the first outfit I found in my closet and ran a brush through my unruly hair. I silently kicked myself for going to sleep with it still wet and wrapped in a towel.

I rushed back into the living room, not wanting to make the agents wait for me.

“Okay, I’m ready to go,” I said.

The two agents silently got up and made their way to the door. I followed behind them, hoping that was the right thing to do. Outside, a black SUV waited with completely tinted windows so you couldn’t see the inside. One of the agents held the back door open for me, and I slipped inside.

We drove for about five minutes before the car stopped. The two agents led me into an unmarked building. I took one of the seats in an interrogation room, and the two agents sat across from me.

“Miss Hatton, please explain the nature of your relationship with Mr. Michael Astor,” Agent Gatlin stated.

“We used to be in a romantic relationship. That ended a few weeks ago, and I haven’t heard from him since,” I explained.

“And when that relationship ended, were there hard feelings on either side?” he asked.

“It wasn’t the most pleasant breakup, but nothing belligerent was said by either of us,” I said, confused as to why I was being interrogated about my relationship with Michael.

“And the night that your relationship with Mr. Astor ceased was the same night that you and his personal driver were involved in a head-on collision?” Gatlin continued.

“Yes, it was on Christmas Eve. Michael was sending me to the airport so I could go home for Christmas after our breakup. We were involved in the crash on our way there.”

“Can you please restate what you told the police when they questioned you the next day?”

“I don’t really remember much. I left Michael’s cabin, and the snow started falling fast. It was really dark out, and the snow made it impossible to see anything. I looked down for just a few minutes to text my roommate, letting her know I was on my way home. When I looked up again, all I could see were headlights shining through the front window. Then everything went dark. I can’t remember anything after that.”

“Sometimes, after a tragic accident, the people involved in the crash will get flashes of memory back. Have you experienced anything like that, Miss Hatton?”

“No. I don’t have any memories until I woke up in the hospital the next morning. I was told that someone pulled me out of the vehicle and ransacked the car. When I woke up in the hospital, my phone, wallet, and luggage were all missing. The only thing they recovered was my wallet.”

“We believe that to be true. Based on the tire tracks that were recorded in the snow, it seems as though the other driver actually sped up before hitting you. We also have records of the footprints left in the snow at the scene. All have been accounted for as the first responders to the scene, except for one set. That set went to the trunk and then to your door, Miss Hatton. Someone did pull you out of that car,” Agent Gatlin told me.

My entire body went cold. It was impossible to wrap my head around the fact that someone had intentionally caused that accident. Was all that just to steal my phone? What kind of information did they expect to replace on it that would be worth that kind of risk?

“While you were in a romantic relationship with Mr. Astor, were you aware of anyone trying to blackmail him?”

My mind immediately went to Blaine and the photographer he’d hired to follow us. It went to that day in New York City when I started receiving threatening letters taped to my front door. It went to the day we set the trap to catch Blaine.

That day we thought everything was over. But as I talked to the FBI, I realized it wasn’t over and that Blaine had to be behind the car crash.

“We always had to be careful with our relationship. People are quick to take pictures, and if they were leaked to the press, it could have caused a lot of bad publicity for Michael,” I stated simply.

“And why was it so important to keep your relationship a secret?” Gatlin asked.

“It wasn’t necessarily a secret. But the media are like sharks, and with our age gap, there would have been stories printed in the press.”

After my answer Agent Gatliln slid a light blue folder across the table to me.

“Do you recognize these?” he asked in his same steady tone of voice.

I opened the file, and my stomach twisted at every email, text message, and phone call that had occurred between Michael and me. At the very back of the file were some of the pictures we’d taken together. I held one in my hands, our faces squished together, sitting on the same side of the booth at my favorite restaurant. The memory made my heart twist in pain.

I missed him.

“This is everything from our relationship,” I said, slipping the picture back into the file. I couldn’t keep looking at our happy faces.

“Where did you get all these?” I asked.

“Mr. Astor’s penthouse was broken into on Christmas Eve. We were called in once it was discovered that his laptop and hard drives were the only things taken. We expected to replace his personal bank accounts or private company information had been compromised, but this was all that the hackers accessed.”

“Why would someone want all this information?” I asked, still confused.

“That’s why we wanted to talk with you today. We were hoping you could tell us that very thing.”

I went silent, not knowing whether or not to bring up Blaine. The FBI agent asked me another question before I could decide.

“Are you aware of any connections Mr. Astor or any of his family members have to any known crime families?” Gatlin asked, his face giving nothing away.

This was the only question that truly caught me off guard. I had no idea what any crime family would have to do with Michael being blackmailed.

“Honestly, I can say I know nothing about any connections between Michael and anyone like that.”

“Thank you very much. We’ll be in touch if we have any more questions.”

The black SUV dropped me back off at my apartment, and as soon as it drove away, I slipped a small card out of my wallet. Bruce had given it to me before I left the hospital. He told me to let him know if I ever needed anything. I tucked it away, knowing he wouldn’t leave without me taking it, but I never intended on using it.

I dialed the number on the card, waiting to hear his voice on the other end of the call.

“Hello?” he answered on the second ring.

“Hi, it’s Shelby.”

“Is everything okay?” he said and I could hear the worry in his voice.

“I don’t know. Two FBI agents showed up at my door this morning and took me away for questioning. I just got back. I need you to tell me what’s going on,” I said flatly.

“You really should ask Michael these questions. I don’t know if it’s my place to answer them.”

I let a pause hang over the conversation. I didn’t know if I was ready to face him yet, but I couldn’t go on as if nothing had happened. I needed to know why the FBI was suddenly so curious about that car accident.

“Shelby, I don’t want to get in the middle of what’s going on between you and Michael, but if you ever need to come here, I’ll arrange a car to come to get you. If that’s something you want, I will make sure you get to New York City safely.”

“Thank you, Bruce….” I trailed off. “Can you arrange something? A car to come to pick me up?” I asked.

“For you, I can always do that. When would you like the car?”

“I need to finish up the school week. I can’t afford to miss any more classes. Will you please send a car on Friday and tell Michael that we need to talk?”

“Of course,” Bruce said.

I ended my phone call with Bruce after we arranged a time for the car to pick me up. I took a deep breath and made my way up the flight of stairs back to my apartment.

Lin was waiting for me on our living room sofa. It was very apparent she wasn’t able to relax after I left, and I couldn’t blame her; it wasn’t every day the FBI came knocking at your front door.

“What in the hell is going on?” she asked me as soon as I walked in the door.

“Someone broke into Michael’s penthouse. They took all of our text messages, emails, phone calls, pictures, and everything. Someone is using them to blackmail him.”

“Does that mean Blaine is out and causing problems again?” Lin asked.

“I don’t know for sure. Last time I heard, he was still in jail, but I’m not so sure anymore,” I answered.

“Why do you say that?” Lin asked, her eyebrows knitting together in concern.

“It was implied by the police officer I talked to at the hospital, but talking to the FBI officers just confirmed that the car accident I was in actually wasn’t an accident. They have evidence to prove the other car sped up before hitting us. Someone got out of the car to search ours, and left me lying there in the snow.”

“Someone ran into your car head-on, on purpose?” Lin asked, her eyes wide with shock.

“I think so,” I said, nodding.

“Also why didn’t you tell me they found you on the outside of the car? That’s a huge deal Shelby, you could have frozen to death.”

“I think that was the plan,” I said as I started pacing around the room.

“This guy is out for b***d, Shelby. I don’t know if we’re even safe anymore,” Lin said with uncertainty in her voice.

I picked my bag up from the floor.

“What are you doing?” Lin asked me.

“We have class in twenty minutes. I’m not going to miss another one today.”

“Shelby, you just told me that someone crashed into your car on purpose, possibly tried to kill you, and you want to go to class?”

“I don’t know what else to do Lin,” I said, tears filling my eyes again.