Chapter 10 - The Fall of the Mistress
Inside the stark, concrete holding facility of the Dirksen Federal Courthouse, Bianca Laurent sat in a private interrogation cell, weeping hysterically. Her designer clothes were ruined, her makeup smeared across her face, and her hands locked to the steel table with heavy chains.
Special Agent Marcus Reed and Assistant United States Attorney Claire Montgomery sat across from her, reviewing a thick stack of bank ledgers and wiretapped transcripts. Bianca looked up with terrified, swollen eyes, grasping at any shred of hope to escape a life sentence.
“I’ll tell you everything!” Bianca sobbed, her voice cracking in desperate panic. “I’ll give you the encrypted passkeys to Julian’s offshore servers in Panama, I’ll testify against Eleanor, I’ll sign whatever you want!”
Prosecutor Montgomery leaned forward, tapping the toxicological report on the table. “Did you personally purchase the synthetic digitalis extract from the private chemical laboratory in Montreal, Miss Laurent?”
“It was Eleanor’s idea!” Bianca shrieked, tears pouring down her cheeks. “Eleanor said that if the babies survived, Victoria would never sign over the trust assets! She gave me the cash and told me to use an anonymous courier in Toronto!”
Agent Reed turned on a digital audio recorder, placing the microphone directly in front of Bianca’s face. “State for the official record: Did Julian Vance have full knowledge of the plan to administer lethal toxins to his newborn children through the nursery humidifier?”
“Yes! Julian was sitting in the room when Eleanor showed us the chemical vials!” Bianca confessed, her entire body shaking with raw terror. “Julian said it was better for the babies to pass away quietly before they developed memories so we could claim the insurance payouts!”
Prosecutor Montgomery nodded to Agent Reed, who stopped the recording and placed the digital file into an official evidence bag. “Miss Laurent, your full sworn confession has been recorded and submitted to the presiding grand jury judge.”
“Does this mean I get bail? Can I go home to my apartment?” Bianca pleaded, looking at the two federal officers with pathetic desperation. “I cooperated! I told you the whole truth!”
May you like
Prosecutor Montgomery stood up, packing her briefcase with cold, unyielding finality. “Your cooperation will be noted during sentencing, Miss Laurent; but for conspiracy to commit capital murder of two minors, you will remain remanded in maximum-security federal custody without bail.”
As the heavy steel cell door slammed shut, locking Bianca in the cold darkness of her own making, she collapsed onto the concrete bench, screaming into the silence of her ruined life.
