Chapter 6 - The Grand Jury Indictment
The autumn air had turned biting and crisp by the time the grand jury proceedings concluded downtown. Mr. Harrison called me early on a Tuesday morning with the news we had been waiting for.
"The indictments are locked," the attorney announced over the secure satellite phone line. "Ethan Bennett and Summer Cole have both been formally charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, wire fraud, grand larceny, and insurance fraud. The district attorney isn't offering plea deals to either of them. They are going straight to trial, and given the digital evidence and co-conspirator confessions, the prosecution's case is bulletproof."
"What about Marcus Vance—the driver?" I asked.
"He cut a deal in exchange for testifying against Ethan as the primary instigator," Mr. Harrison replied. "He admitted that Ethan promised him fifty thousand dollars from your life insurance payout to stage the intersection collision."
I closed my eyes, letting the pieces of the puzzle click firmly into place. The truck that hit us wasn't a random accident of bad timing. It was a calculated execution attempt, timed down to the exact second our limousine pulled out from Saint Matthew’s Church.
"When does the arraignment begin?" I asked.
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"Next Monday morning at 9:00 a.m. You don't have to be there, Claire. We can handle the representation remotely," Mr. Harrison advised gently.
"No," I replied instantly, my voice carrying absolute conviction. "I want to be there. I want them to look up from the defense table and see the woman they tried to bury in a wedding dress."
