Chapter 18 - The Trial Nobody Wanted
Six months later, the federal courthouse was surrounded by reporters.
The case had become national news.
Harold Voss faced racketeering charges.
Fraud.
Obstruction.
Blackmail.
Conspiracy.
Grant faced attempted murder charges involving Ethan and Mia.
Murder charges involving Mateo.
Financial crimes.
Kidnapping.
Dean Mercer accepted a cooperation agreement in exchange for testimony about the boat sabotage.
Lucinda pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud and misuse of custodial funds.
Her sentence had not yet been decided.
Silvio sat behind prosecutors.
Ethan and Mia were not present.
He refused to let their pain become public entertainment.
Grant took the stand against his attorney’s advice.
He blamed Voss.
Voss blamed Grant.
Each man tried to make the other look like the true architect.
Then prosecutors played Grant’s detention-center recording.
“The original plan was the three of them.”
Grant’s face changed.
The courtroom went silent.
Then they played the garage surveillance.
Grant reaching under the dashboard.
Lucinda locking the SUV.
The children pounding on the glass.
Grant watching the temperature reading on his phone.
Several jurors looked away.
Silvio did not.
He forced himself to watch.
Then came Mateo’s voice.
“If something happens to me, do not let Lucinda become guardian of the kids.”
Lucinda sat behind her attorney.
She cried silently.
When she testified, the prosecutor asked one question.
“Mrs. Holloway, why did you protect your husband for so long?”
Lucinda looked toward Grant.
Then toward Silvio.
“Because every time I admitted one thing was wrong, I would have had to admit the thing before it was wrong too.”
She swallowed.
“And eventually I had built my entire life on refusing to admit what I already knew.”
Grant stared at her.
“You lying—”
The judge ordered him silent.
Lucinda continued.
“My brother Mateo tried to stop us.”
“My father tried too late.”
“My brother Silvio came back when two children needed someone to stop making excuses.”
Silvio looked down.
The prosecutor asked.
“Did you know Grant intended to kill Ethan and Mia?”
Lucinda closed her eyes.
“Not at first.”
“When did you know?”
“When he asked why they were still alive.”
The courtroom became utterly still.
Silvio remembered the stone portico.
The heat.
The broken valet kiosk.
Mia’s red face.
Ethan’s shaking hands.
Everything had begun with one sentence Grant should never have spoken.
After four weeks of testimony, the jury deliberated for two days.
Grant was convicted on every major count.
Voss was convicted on all but one.
Nico pleaded guilty separately.
Dean received a reduced sentence but would still serve time.
Then came Lucinda.
Before sentencing, she turned toward Ethan and Mia’s empty seats.
“I don’t ask them to forgive me.”
Her voice shook.
“I hope someday they understand that I finally told the truth.”
Silvio watched her.
For once, there was no strategy in her face.
Only consequence.
The judge sentenced her to prison.
Less than Grant.
May you like
More than she hoped.
Exactly enough to remind everyone that fear did not erase responsibility.
