Inferno Part 3

~169~ My Taylor

Ellie's POV

Taylor stands up and hugs Keegan, ignoring the standard "professionalism" expected.

"Keep your head up, Chief. The old lady ain't done singin' just yet," Keegan says softly to him.

Taylor's eyes get glossy as he nods, and then sits back down.

"Ross, what the hell do you have shoved up your butt?!?!" Keegan asks, glaring at his old friend.

"Michael, this isn't the time or the place...."

"Oh bologna, ya old keister. I'm retired, so there isn't anything you can do to me. "Nico, is that you? What is going on here?!?! This is TAYLOR!"

Keegan takes a deep breath and shakes his head. "Ok. Since you sticks in the mud want everything professional, I'll wait till later to call ya all a bunch'a sellouts. I've brought a heck of a lotta people with me who can testify to Chief Preston's character, since ya'll are pretendin' to have forgotten it—Let me just remind you, Harold, who the first person was that came to the hospital to see your daughter after she was born—Or go to her graduation from high school last year. Let's keep an open mind here, fellas...."

"Let me first introduce you to Mrs. Maria Diego. Since you all have amnesia apparently, let me remind you that she's Lieutenant Diego's wife...."

Liam turns and sees his best friend's wife, and starts crying; He hadn't seen her in the crowd. He breaks professionalism too as he stands up and goes over to her, picking her up and hugging her tight. He kisses her cheek, and then sets her down, looking at her once more.

"Man I've missed ya. Did you guys get the box I sent last week?" He asks, wiping his eyes.

She grins. "Gabriela won't stop playing that video game."

He chuckles as he kisses her head, and sits back down in his chair.

Maria looks at the group of men, and then smiles at Taylor. Taylor reaches out his hand for her to grab, and squeezes it once she takes it.

"This man has saved me and my daughter's lives. Not in the literal sense, but in ever other. He and his wife, along with Lieutenant Clark, have made sure my daughter and I have wanted for nothing since my husband was killed in the line of duty five years ago. Some people say they will never lose touch, and some people MEAN it. Every month since Alejandro died, they have either sent us money, clothes, letters—you name it. Every year on Alejandro's death, they all drive down and spend the day with us. Chief and Mrs. Preston have also paid for my daughter to be in private school these last few years, because my husband always wanted that for her. When Keegan told me what was going on, I laughed. I honestly thought he was joking. To say that Chief Preston is a harasser, would be like saying my husband wasn't a hero. Both statements are grossly false."

Taylor squeezes her hand once more, and Maria sits down, wiping her eyes.

We've missed her so desperately these last five years.

Several more people make testimonies—Nora is one of them.

"Before I started dating my now husband, Chief Preston was only a superior to me. I had no ties to him at all. I ONLY knew him as source of safety. Look in your report, Ross. The last Commissioner's son sexually harassed me, and Chief got him out. Within two hours of me telling him about it, the man was out of the house. My husband told me about what you've done to him from the beginning, Perry. I have also been keeping track."

She gets out a notebook and hands it to Ross.

"You will see the dates next to everything that was said and done to him. It should coordinate to Preston's records too."