Chapter 7 - Trial in the Dark
The trial of Audrey Vance and Judge Vance became the trial of the decade.
Held in the federal courthouse downtown, the courtroom was packed to capacity with reporters, syndicate members, society elites, and curious onlookers.
Audrey sat at the defense table, wearing a plain grey prison jumpsuit, her blonde hair dull, her makeup gone. She looked small, defeated, and terrified. Beside her, Judge Vance sat with his head bowed, refused bail, his legal reputation completely obliterated.
Victor sat in the front row of the gallery, flanked by Leo and his senior captains. He wore a crisp black suit, looking completely unfazed by the media circus around him.
Beside Victor sat Marta, dressed in an elegant green suit, holding a leather folder containing her official nursing credentials.
When the prosecution called its chief witness, Marta took the stand.
She walked up the steps with absolute composure, swore the oath, and looked directly into the eyes of the jury.
For two hours, in clear, steady English, Marta detailed everything she had witnessed. She explained the pharmacological effects of digitalis, how she had identified the symptoms, how she had instructed Sylvia to hide the pills beneath her tongue, and how she had substituted them with harmless vitamins and real medication.
The defense attorney tried to discredit her, leaning heavily on the podium.
"Isn't it true, Ms. Novak, that you are an undocumented immigrant who was simply trying to curry favor with a powerful crime boss to secure your green card?"
Marta did not flinch. She adjusted her glasses, looked the attorney straight in the eye, and spoke with calm, undeniable authority.
"I am a nurse, sir," Marta replied, her voice echoing clearly through the courtroom. "When a human being is suffering, I do not look at their bank account, their last name, or their immigration status. I see a person who needs help. Miss Audrey saw a burden to be eliminated. That is the difference between us."
The gallery erupted into quiet murmurs of approval. Two jurors nodded in agreement.
Then, the prosecution played the surveillance video on three giant screens in the courtroom.
The silence in the room was absolute as the jury watched Audrey pour the water on the floor and spit her venomous words at the helpless old woman. One female juror covered her mouth in horror; two others took rapid notes, their faces hardened with disgust.
The jury deliberated for less than forty-five minutes.
When they returned, the verdict was unanimous:
GUILTY ON ALL COUNTS.
Audrey Vance was sentenced to thirty-five years in a federal maximum-security facility without the possibility of parole. Judge Vance was sentenced to twenty-five years for conspiracy, fraud, and judicial corruption.
As Audrey was led away in handcuffs, she looked across the courtroom at Victor one last time.
May you like
She expected to see triumph or hatred in his eyes.
Instead, Victor didn't even look at her. He was standing up, gently helping Marta put on her coat, guiding her out of the courtroom through a private side exit, completely dismissing Audrey from his life forever.
