Southampton Police Department, NY

Daniel knew there was no point in putting off the inevitable. He had to make his statement to the police. And even if Emily had wanted to protect him from that, there was no getting around it. The moment was propitious because Charlotte and Emily were still in the hospital and this time they couldn't stop him from doing what he had wanted to do from the start. He took another deep breath before entering the police station and walking to the counter. "I'm Daniel Grayson. I want to speak to Officer Dobbs about the case, Ray... "

"Oh yes, I know which case you mean," he was interrupted. "I'll just ask if the officer has time for you."

He didn't have to wait long when Officer Dobbs came out of one of the offices and gestured for him to follow him. "Well, that's what I call a surprise," he said and offered Daniel a seat after he closed the door to his office. "I didn't think I'd see you again so soon."

Daniel shrugged. "I've got time right now," he said casually, and forced a smile. "And finally, I wanted to do my duty to make my statement."

Dobbs leaned back in his office chair. "You know everything you say will be recorded?"

Daniel nodded. "Yes," he said calmly. "I have nothing to hide."

"That's good." Dobbs nodded approvingly. "Because if the victim should die, you should be prepared for the fact that the punishment will be correspondingly higher."

Daniel swallowed hard. That was exactly what Emily had warned him about. "Is there ... the danger that he might die?" He asked quietly.

The police officer looked at him thoughtfully. "I am not authorized to give you information about his state of health. But at the moment he's still alive. If that answers your question." He leaned over and pressed a button on the recorder. "So, we can start now!"

"I didn't mean to hurt him badly. You have to believe me!" Daniel wrung his hands in desperation. "I just wanted to fire a warning shot. But ..." His voice broke. He had to think carefully about what to say. Everything was recorded and could be used against him afterwards.

Dobbs leaned forward. "But ... what ...?" He asked.

Daniel closed his eyes and tried to remember the moment when he aimed at Ray. Julia's ex had his gun pointed at his wife, ready to kill her. He remembered shaking and sweating with fear. He wasn't a bad shooter, had already proven it several times in various missions. But this time it was about the lives of Julia and also Nolan and Jill. It would have been fatal for all three if he had failed.

"Mr. Grayson?"

Daniel's head jerked up. "I'm ... just trying to visualize what happened back then," he said slowly.

Dobbs nodded. "Okay," he said calmly. "Go ahead. The more detailed your statement, the better. "

Daniel closed his eyes again. "He ... had a gun and was aiming it at his ex-wife," he said from memory. "I knew he was going to kill her."

"Is that why you wanted to kill him first?"

"Oh God, no!" Daniel raised his hands defensively. "I never intended to kill him. On the contrary. I had told my wife beforehand that she should call the police. "

"And why didn't you wait for the police, but took matters into your own hands?" Asked Dobbs.

"Because there was no time," Daniel uttered desperately, lifting his head to look at the police officer. "What would you do if you saw someone who was about to blow someone else's brain away? I couldn't watch helplessly as he shoots her! And I had the gun and the opportunity to stop him!"

Dobbs rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I am trained and specialized in such missions," he said calmly. "You are not."

Daniel let out a sigh. "That may be true, but ..."

"May I ask how you even knew the culprit was at Mr. Ross's house?" Dobbs interrupted.

Daniel shrugged. "Just a lucky guess." He told the officer how he and Emily had been at the airport after Ray had knocked Charlotte down and then kidnapped Julia from the Stowaway. Both of them had immediately suspected that he and his ex-wife would be leaving the country in a private jet. Since Nolan was not only a pilot but owned a private jet, it hadn't been difficult to put two and two together.

"Really impressive," said Dobbs after Daniel finished his report.

"We drove to Mr. Ross's mansion and found him," Daniel continued. "I was behind some bushes when he left the house with his ex-wife. "

"And then you pulled your gun, aimed at him to incapacitate him," Dobbs summed up.

Daniel nodded. "Yes, it was exactly like that," he admitted.

The officer picked up a file from the table and turned the pages. "You're a good shooter, Mr. Grayson," he said slowly.

Daniel swallowed hard, then nodded. He knew Dobbs was holding his file and had just gone through the list of crimes he'd committed. He closed his eyes reflexively and suddenly relived the moment in his mind's eye when he had pointed the gun at Emily and pulled the trigger. A moan escaped his throat and he put his hands over his face. He almost killed the love of his life and his child back then! Sometimes being a good shooter was a curse!

"Mr. Grayson ... Daniel ... are you okay?" Dobbs asked worriedly. "Shall we take a break?"

Daniel took his hands away and raised his head. "Yes, let's take a break," he muttered.

"Okay." Dobbs stopped recording. "15 minutes."

Daniel rose hastily from his chair, but Dobbs held him back. "Mr. Grayson! Just a moment." He cleared his throat. "I think you didn't quite understand why I made that statement earlier, did you?" He asked slowly.

"What is to be misunderstood about that? You think I wanted to kill Ray," Daniel said slowly.

The police officer shook his head. "No, quite the opposite. I think... no, ... I know you could have killed him if you wanted to. The bullet entered the shoulder. A little deeper, and you would have hit his heart."

Daniel looked at him confused. "You believe me, that I didn't mean to kill him?" He asked incredulously when he realized what Dobbs was trying so tell him.

Dobbs nodded. "Yes, I believe you. But it's not that easy. You didn't have authority to shoot the man. Even if you were trying to save someone else's life. That is the job of the police. You defied the law when you went out to settle the matter in your own way. Don't expect to get away with it." He cleared his throat. "It would be best if you contacted an attorney. I'll see you again in 15 minutes. "

Daniel nodded, stunned. He knew Officer Dobbs was right. He had broken the law. He would get a sentence for that. And depending on the severity of Ray's injury, it would be higher or lower. "I think I'll use my 15 minute break to call my attorney." He nodded to the officer again and then left the office.