Chapter 18 - THE VERDICT
Closing arguments lasted nearly six hours.
The prosecution laid out twenty-three years of concealment.
Henry Morrow discovered Lucinda’s theft.
He died.
Charles Whitmore covered up the financial scandal.
Lucinda learned that silence could be purchased.
Years later, she stole again.
Caroline discovered it.
Caroline gathered records.
Caroline hid evidence inside an emerald pendant.
Lucinda confronted her.
She cut the balcony cable.
She pushed Caroline.
She threatened Samuel.
She frightened Alex into silence.
She intimidated witnesses.
She attempted to control Alex’s trust.
And when Martin Vale threatened to expose her, another death followed.
The defense argued that Lucinda was guilty of financial wrongdoing but not murder.
They blamed the railing.
They blamed Caroline’s panic.
They blamed Samuel’s delay.
They blamed Thomas.
They blamed Martin.
They blamed Elizabeth.
They blamed Andrew.
And when there was nobody else left to blame, they blamed the memory of a six-year-old child.
The jury deliberated for fourteen hours.
Andrew sat beside Elizabeth in the courthouse hallway.
Alex remained at home with his therapist and a trusted family friend.
Andrew did not want him inside the courthouse for the verdict.
At 4:37 p.m., the jury returned.
Lucinda stood.
Andrew watched her from three rows behind the prosecution.
The clerk read the first count.
“Guilty.”
Financial fraud.
“Guilty.”
Forgery.
“Guilty.”
Witness intimidation.
“Guilty.”
Obstruction.
Then came Caroline.
The courtroom became painfully still.
“On the charge of murder in the second degree, how do you find?”
The foreperson stood.
“Guilty.”
Elizabeth began crying.
Andrew did not.
He felt almost nothing.
Then came the conspiracy charge related to Martin Vale.
“Guilty.”
Lucinda closed her eyes.
For the first time, she looked old.
The judge revoked all possibility of release pending sentencing.
Officers approached.
Lucinda turned toward Andrew.
Their eyes met.
He expected anger.
He expected hatred.
Instead she looked almost confused.
As if she still could not understand how the family had stopped protecting her.
Andrew walked closer before officers led her away.
Lucinda whispered, “You chose them over your own sister.”
Andrew looked at her.
“No.”
He glanced toward Elizabeth.
Then toward the courthouse doors beyond which Alex waited at home.
“I chose the people you hurt.”
Lucinda’s face tightened.
Andrew continued.
“You stopped being my sister when you decided our family existed to protect you from consequences.”
Lucinda said nothing.
The officers led her through the side door.
The heavy door closed.
Andrew stood motionless.
After seven months of questions, Caroline finally had a verdict.
But as he walked outside, Detective Cole approached him.
Her expression was serious.
“We found something in Lucinda’s lodge.”
Andrew stopped.
“What?”
“A sealed envelope.”
“Addressed to Caroline.”
“From your father.”
Andrew looked at her.
“When?”
“Three weeks before Caroline died.”
Andrew took the envelope.
May you like
A single sentence was written across the back in his father’s handwriting.
THERE IS ONE THING ABOUT HENRY’S DEATH I NEVER TOLD ANYONE.
