“Really. And let me just tell you that absolutely nothing will prepare you for parenthood. The whole thing is scary and exciting. And probably the best thing you’ll ever do. But also the hardest. But nothing can ever fully prepare you.”
“So what you’re saying is that I just need to take the leap?”
“That is exactly what I’m saying.”
Chapter Twenty
Alec had prepared for war.The contents of those folders from Robin Ortiz had been crammed into his head. He’d pulled a damn all-nighter before they left for the interview, just like in college. But by the looks of Barry Millner, this wasn’t going to be hand-to-hand combat.
“He’s aged twenty years from the day he was sentenced,” Alec said out of his mouth to Robin as the lighting guy did his adjustments and the guard unshackled Mr. Millner.
“Prison is hard on these guys.”
Alec glanced around the room, which resembled a generic activity room like you might find at a slightly rundown community center. There was gray industrial carpet and tan walls, but there were also halfway decent chairs to sit in and a water cooler in the corner. “This is minimum security lock-up. It’s not San Quentin. I doubt anyone’s getting a shiv in the dining hall.”
Robin peered at him over her reading glasses, which were perched on the edge of her nose. “You still sleep in a cell. And there’s a lot of downtime. Enough to spend ruminating on every mistake you’ve ever made in your life. There’s no way that’s fun.”
“True.” Still, Alec was already rethinking his approach with the interview. Barry looked like a shell of a man, his eyes drawn and tired, the skin of his face hanging down from his jawline. Maybe this was simply what he deserved. He’d stolen money from hardworking people. There had to be some justice, somewhere.
Alec approached him and held out his hand. “Mr. Millner, hi. I’m Alec Trakas from…” he had to stop himself from saying that he was fromGood Day USA. “The Sunday News Hour. I’ll be conducting the interview today.”
“I know who you are.” Barry attempted to stand, but he was clearly struggling.
“It’s okay.” Alec stopped him with a gentle hand on his shoulder. “You don’t need to get up.”
“I’ve seen you on TV. My mom loves you.”
Of course.“That’s nice. Thanks.”
Robin strode over to chat with Barry, and Alec took that as his cue to take his seat and consult his notes. The makeup person came over to do a quick touchup, and Alec expressed some quiet gratitude for not having to have pounds of pancake on his face. Luckily, hard-hitting journalism required far less airbrushing.
Robin consulted her phone. “Alec, the department of corrections has given us until two-thirty, so we should probably get going.”
“Yes. I’m ready.” Alec sat a little straighter in his chair, amazed that at his age, something could be this exciting. Or make him this nervous. This was what he’d waited for. This was what he’d wanted. And it felt like he was in the right place. For once.
“Let’s get rolling,” Robin said, stepping back behind the camera.
Alec took a beat to settle himself, then started with his questions. At first, they discussed the nuts and bolts of Barry’s crimes, starting with the brokerage firm he’d started in the early 1980s, and going all the way through the development of the investment scheme, taking money from new investors and paying dividends to those who came before them, creating an illusion that their nest egg was growing by leaps and bounds. Barry answered everything candidly, fondly telling stories of the good life at the height of his success—flying on private jets, buying expensive cars, and partying with famous people while his wife wore priceless jewels around her neck.
“Was that why you did it? Was it greed?” Alec asked.
Barry shrugged and shifted in his chair. “I suppose you could call it that. Although it didn’t start that way. At the beginning, I was just another guy trying to raise a family. It was hard to turn down the money when it came so easily. And it made everyone around me very happy. My wife adored me. My children thought I was the best dad in the world.”
“But it was all an illusion.”
“The feelings weren’t fake. There was genuine affection between all of us.” Barry’s voice wavered for the first time.
Alec sensed that he’d finally crossed over that difficult bridge, where an interview goes from getting to the heart of the facts to getting to the heart of the person. If he could pry some hard emotion out of Barry, he’d earn his spot in the news division. “What was it like to face your wife and kids? When they first found out what had been going on?”
Barry’s entire face fell—gone was the cavalier guy who’d figured out how to game the system. “Worst day of my life. Because I’d tricked them, too. They counted on me and I didn’t hold up my end of the bargain.”
“That must have been very difficult.”
“It was the hardest part of the whole ordeal. Much harder than being locked up.”
“Tell me more about that. Are they mad? Sad? What are their lives like now? Without the money they’d once had?”
Barry grew deathly quiet, and Alec wondered if he might yell for the guard and ask to return to his cell. Alec didn’t have a ton of experience cornering an interview subject like this, but he knew how he would feel if he were in this situation—like a complete failure as a husband and father.
