Chapter 6 - The Confession of Brenda
The following morning, I sat in the comfort of a quiet hotel suite downtown, sipping hot herbal tea. The burns on my shoulder still throbbed, but the medical treatment was working, and the physical pain was manageable.
Claire walked into the room, carrying a fresh pot of coffee and two morning newspapers. The front page of every paper featured a photo of Daniel and Vanessa in handcuffs.
"The bail hearing was held an hour ago," Claire reported, sitting down opposite me. "The judge took one look at the security camera footage and set Vanessa’s bail at two million dollars, no bond option. She is stuck in county jail until trial."
"And Daniel?" I asked, my heart giving a small, instinctive pang before I steeled myself.
"Daniel’s bail was set at $500,000," Claire said. "He called his mother-in-law, Brenda, begging her to put up her house as collateral for his bond. But Brenda refused."
Speak of the devil, my phone rang. The caller ID displayed Brenda’s name.
I put the call on speakerphone. "Hello, Brenda."
"Eleanor!" Brenda’s voice came through the speaker, high-pitched and hyperventilating. "Oh, Eleanor, thank goodness you answered! This whole thing is a horrific misunderstanding! You have to drop the charges!"
"A misunderstanding?" I said, my voice dripping with ice. "Your daughter poured a pot of boiling soup over my chest, Brenda. I have second-degree burns."
"I know, I know! Vanessa has a terrible temper, she always has!" Brenda pleaded, throwing her own daughter under the bus without hesitation. "She’s unstable, Eleanor! But Daniel... Daniel is your son! He’s crying in a cell! You can't leave your own blood in jail!"
"Daniel sat on the sofa and turned up the TV while I was burning, Brenda," I said firmly. "He chose your daughter over his own mother. He chose greed over honor. He can sleep on a metal cot and think about those choices."
"Eleanor, please!" Brenda sobbed. "If this goes to trial, the police are going to look into the family accounts! Vanessa used my credit cards for some of her purchases! I didn't know the money she was giving me came from your restaurant trust! If they investigate, they’ll drag me into the embezzlement charges too!"
Claire smiled quietly and scribbled a note on her pad: Brenda was laundering trust money.
"Thank you for that confession, Brenda," I said calmly into the phone. "My legal team is listening to this recorded call. I suggest you retain a defense attorney immediately."
I disconnected the call before Brenda could respond.
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Claire looked at me with deep respect. "You didn't hesitate, Eleanor. Most parents break when their children beg."
"I didn't break when my husband died," I said softly, looking out the window at the city skyline. "And I will not break for a son who sold his soul for a fake life. Let the law do its job."
