Help! Need advice for a Preston deck

I recently introduced my brother to AHLCG and we’ve made it through the first four campaigns. We’re going to start The Circle Undone in a couple weeks and have decided to go for some thematic investigators. He’s never played a mystic, so he’ll be Diana as a generalist that leans combat. Sticking to the Silver Twilight Lodge theme I’m going with Preston Fairmont as a generalist that leans toward investigation. Our third hasn’t decided but I suggested Vincent Lee to balance out the card pool.

I’ve never played a Preston deck, but looking here it doesn’t seem like anyone is keen on him lately. Have you ever used Preston? If so I’d love your advice!

I’m leaning toward “use testless events” and “hoard resources for Well Connected”. Other themes seem to be “spend down resources for passing tests”, “benefit from failure” and synergy.

The goal here is to pile up cash (via the Family Inheritance, Faustian Bargain, and eventually Unscrupulous Loan) for a Well Connected test once a turn and otherwise use testless events.

My thoughts so far:

Investigating

• Flashlight is can’t fail for shroud 1 or 2, and I’ll be playing three-player so it will usually clear a whole location
• Intel Report can clear multiple clues, remotely, with no test (!)

Surviving the Encounter Deck

• "You handle this one!" foists treacheries on fellow investigators
• Think on Your Feet moves to a new location and has the enemy spawn in the place you vacated
• Counterespionage cancels a treachery and grants a card draw from your deck instead
• Money Talks can save Preston from treacheries that test stats when he hasn’t banked enough cash yet to make Well Connected effective

Managing Enemies

• Elaborate Distraction does testless damage or evades all enemies within a one-location radius
• Small Favor is testless damage
• against low-combat enemies Trial by Fire could likely do a couple damage
• Long Shot is extra damage. If not dealt by Preston then it can be committed to a surprising number of tests by fellow investigators
• Ethereal Slip and Scout Ahead lets Preston out-maneuver enemies blocking his path

Intensification

• Leo De Luca grants an extra action every turn
• need to go do something again? Scrounge for Supplies has you covered
• The Black Fan grants another action every turn
• Double, Double multiplies events
• Black Market exposes a bunch of cards

Outside Help

• eventually you can add Miss Doyle and Charisma for more testless actions, though without Black Market it may be awhile before having access to the specific cat you want

Deck Themes I’m Doubtful About

• Synergy themes that hope to play Antiquary and then benefit from Calling in Favors and Cheat the System seem too cute and slowed by the focus on engine-building
• Failure combos that try to leverage Preston’s awful stats to reap rewards from "Look what I found!", Take Heart, and Rabbit's Foot. The failure combos rely on failing by 2 or less… which means that you might was well just pack a Flashlight so you only need one card and not a combo.

Any suggestions or thoughts?