Chapter 15 - The Interrogation of Deception
At four o'clock that afternoon, the atmosphere inside Interrogation Room B at the Cook County Sheriff’s Headquarters was freezing and sterile.
Victor Sterling sat at the stainless-steel table wearing an orange detention jumpsuit, his hands cuffed to an iron ring bolted to the floorboards.
Sitting across from him were State Prosecutor Sarah Jenkins and Detective Maria Ortiz.
Behind the two-way glass mirror in the dark observation room stood Marcus Vance, Lupita, and Ethan.
Prosecutor Jenkins laid three thick black binders flat on the table in front of Victor.
"Mr. Sterling," Prosecutor Jenkins began, her voice flat, clinical, and devoid of mercy.
"Your primary co-conspirator, Dr. Arthur Sterling, signed a complete federal proffer agreement two hours ago."
Victor’s breath caught in his throat, his bloodshot eyes wide with sudden terror.
"Arthur... Arthur talked?" Victor stammered.
"Dr. Sterling surrendered his private ledger, his dark-web chemical purchase receipts, and forty-two encrypted text messages exchanged between your private satellite phone and his clinic," Prosecutor Jenkins revealed, opening Binder 1.
She read one of the text messages aloud into the room's microphone:
Victor (Oct 14): "The doses need to be increased before the November board meeting. Ethan is asking too many questions about the Panama trust accounts. We need her cardiac event finalized before Thanksgiving."
Dr. Sterling (Oct 14): "The Phytolaccine-B concentration is already at max threshold. If I increase it further, the coroner will flag vascular toxicity."
Victor (Oct 15): "I pay the coroner, Arthur. Just finish the job."
Inside the observation room, Ethan gripped the handrail so hard his knuckles turned bone-white.
Lupita covered her mouth, tears of pure horror slipping down her cheeks as she listened to the cold, sociopathic calculation used to murder Eleanor.
"The grand jury has returned a twenty-four count indictment against you, Victor," Prosecutor Jenkins announced, closing the binder with a heavy SNAP.
"Including Premeditated First-Degree Murder, RICO Wire Fraud, Corporate Forgery, Identity Theft, and Biological Poisoning."
"It... it was my father's idea!" Victor suddenly shrieked, leaning forward over his chains, sweat dripping from his nose onto the cold metal table.
"Sterling Vance planned the whole thing! He told me Eleanor was going to ruin the family business! He made me do it!"
"Your father died in a Swiss care facility six months ago, Victor," Detective Ortiz reminded him coldly.
"You executed this murder yourself for pure, unadulterated greed."
"Please!" Victor wept, dropping his head onto the steel table, his body shaking with pathetic, terrified sobs.
"Give me a plea deal! I’ll sign over the Panama holdings! I’ll give you back the land deeds! Just don't give me life without parole!"
In the observation room, Ethan turned away from the two-way mirror.
He looked at Lupita, his expression completely calm, serene, and filled with an unshakeable, quiet peace.
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"Let's go home, Lupita," Ethan said softly.
"The dark is finally gone."
