Chapter 6 - The Trial of the Vipers
The federal courthouse in Querétaro was an imposing structure of glass and white granite. Brenda Salazar sat at the defense table, flanked by public defenders after Carlos Fuentes abandoned her case due to lack of payment. She looked thin, her luxury jewelry replaced by standard detention overalls, her eyes fixed on the floor.
Diego stood at the prosecutor’s podium, his black robes giving him the aura of an executioner of the law. He didn't present long speeches or emotional appeals. He presented data.
The screens in the courtroom displayed a synchronized timeline: the medical drops administered to Hector Mendoza, the simultaneous stock transfers to Brenda's shell companies, and finally, the live security video of the garden hose striking Teresa's fragile body.
The silence in the courtroom was absolute as the final video clip played. The sound of water hitting the stones and Brenda’s cruel laughter filled the chamber.
The federal judge, an iron-faced woman named Justice Alvarez, slammed her gavel down before the defense could even offer an opening statement.
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"This court finds the actions of the defendant, Brenda Salazar, to be an affront to human dignity and a systematic execution of predatory fraud," Justice Alvarez announced. "The marriage to Hector Mendoza is hereby declared null and void from its inception due to lack of mental capacity. The defendant is sentenced to fifteen years for grand larceny, corporate fraud, and ten years for aggravated abuse of an elderly citizen, to be served consecutively."
As Brenda was led away in chains, she turned to look at Diego one last time. She didn't scream; she looked completely hollowed out, a ghost destroyed by the very laws she thought she could manipulate.
