Chapter 3 - The Deposition of Lies
The Travis County Correctional Complex was a cold, imposing structure of poured concrete and bulletproof glass. Two days after her arrest, Vanessa sat across from me in a private attorney-client visitation room, wearing a bright orange jumpsuit with her hair pulled back into a messy bun. Her expensive makeup was gone, revealing the sharp, bitter lines of a woman whose illusions of grandeur had been stripped away.
Beside her sat her high-powered defense attorney, Richard Sterling—a man known for getting wealthy sociopaths off on legal technicalities.
"Mr. Vance," Sterling began, leaning across the table and opening a leather portfolio. "My client is prepared to offer a full surrender of any claims to the marital residence and alimony in exchange for your agreement to drop the felony elder abuse charges and sign a non-disclosure agreement regarding the video footage."
I chuckled—a short, dark sound that made Sterling narrow his eyes.
"You think this is a divorce negotiation, Mr. Sterling?" I asked. "Your client didn't just breach a marriage contract. She committed felony grand larceny, systematic torture of a vulnerable adult, and fraud against a state-registered trust."
"The video evidence was obtained without my client's consent inside a private residence!" Sterling snapped, slamming his pen down. "We will move to have every single gigabyte of that footage suppressed under Texas wiretapping statutes!"
"Try it," I said smoothly. "I am the sole owner of the property and the primary subscriber to the security service. Furthermore, North Carolina and Texas federal precedent allows for residential surveillance when used to document ongoing criminal activity against a dependent ward. My mother was a dependent ward living under my legal care."
Vanessa glared at me, her fingers digging into the vinyl arms of her chair. "You think you're so smart, Daniel! You left me alone in that house for eight months! You cared more about your oil wells in Saudi Arabia than you ever cared about me!"
"I went to Saudi Arabia to pay off the four hundred thousand dollars in secret gambling debts you accumulated in Las Vegas before we were married," I replied, staring directly into her eyes. "Debts you hid from me until the collection agencies showed up at my mother's door."
Vanessa's breath caught in her throat. She looked at Sterling, who suddenly looked very uncomfortable.
"And as for your brother Julian," I continued, leaning forward until I was inches from the glass partition. "The FBI's financial crimes unit raided his office in downtown Austin two hours ago. They found the offshore accounts in the Cayman Islands where you two were laundering my mother's pension checks. Julian is currently in federal custody."
Vanessa’s facade completely crumbled. She burst into hysterical tears, slamming her fists against the wooden desk. "You ruined my life! You brought that worthless maid into my home to spy on me! She's the one who did this!"
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"Elena didn't spy on you, Vanessa," I said softly, standing up from my chair and buttoning my suit jacket. "Elena protected a human being when you proved you didn't have a soul. You're going to prison for a very long time. And when you get out, you won't have a single cent to your name."
I turned and walked out of the room, leaving her screaming my name against the reinforced glass.
