Chapter 5 - The Interrogation
By two o’clock that afternoon, Vanessa had been transferred from the county holding cell to a soundproof interrogation room in the basement of the regional federal building. She had refused to talk to the local deputies, arrogantly demanding an attorney while claiming she was being unlawfully detained. But when the heavy steel door opened and I walked in carrying a thick manila folder, the smug smirk dropped off her face.
""You can't be in here,"" Vanessa snapped, crossing her arms defensively. She had attempted to fix her makeup with water from the cell sink, but her mascara was smeared, and her expensive designer blouse was creased and filthy. ""This is a conflict of interest! You’re his daughter! Where is my lawyer?""
I pulled out the metal chair across from her, letting the legs screech harshly against the concrete floor before sitting down. I placed the manila folder on the table between us and leaned back, letting the silence stretch until she shifted uncomfortably in her seat.
""Your lawyer was notified forty minutes ago,"" I said, my voice completely devoid of emotion. ""He took one look at the federal wire fraud indictment and informed the magistrate that he would be withdrawing his representation due to non-payment of his retainer. It turns out the accounts you attempted to draw from belong to Thomas Vance, and those funds have officially been frozen under the Federal Elder Abuse and Prevention Act.""
""That's absurd!"" she hissed, leaning forward, her eyes flashing with venom. ""Your father attacked me! Look at my arm! He went crazy! Eric saw the whole thing! He will testify in court that the old man tried to kill me with that bat!""
""Eric is currently in Room B, three doors down,"" I replied calmly. ""He has been in there for forty-five minutes. And do you know what Eric did the second he heard the words 'fifteen years in federal penitentiary for conspiracy and bank fraud'?""
Vanessa’s breathing hitched. Her eyes darted toward the two-way mirror on the wall.
""He folded like a cheap lawn chair, Vanessa,"" I continued, opening the folder to reveal several printed transcripts. ""He told the investigators everything. How you scouted Dad’s property value on Zillow before Eric even proposed to you. How you systematically slipped over-the-counter sleep sedatives into Dad’s evening tea to make him appear disoriented and clumsy in front of the neighbors. How you drained forty thousand dollars from his high-yield savings to pay off your luxury car leases.""
""That's a lie! He has no proof!"" she shrieked, slamming her palms against the table.
""We have the silver thumb drive, Vanessa.""
The temperature in the room seemed to drop ten degrees. All the color drained from Vanessa’s lips. She stared at me, her chest heaving as the realization settled like lead in her stomach.
""We have the audio recordings you kept as leverage over Eric,"" I said, tapping the folder with one finger. ""We have your practice sheets where you spent dozens of hours tracing my father's signature. We have the search history from your personal tablet researching 'how to commit an elderly parent against their will' and 'untraceable sedatives for seniors.' But best of all, we have the forensic report on the baseball bat.""
I leaned forward, looking directly into her wide, terrified eyes. ""You wiped the handle, Vanessa. You thought you were so clever. But you used standard household sanitizing wipes, which left your epithelial skin cells trapped inside the porous rubber grip. Furthermore, the blood transfer on Dad’s sweater proves the angle of impact came from above, swung with deliberate, two-handed force. A seventy-two-year-old man who cannot lift his right arm above his chest could never have delivered that strike.""
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Vanessa sank back into the chair, her arrogance collapsing inward. The predatory monster who had terrorized an innocent old man was suddenly reduced to a trembling, pathetic creature. ""I... I can explain,"" she whimpered.
""Save it for the federal judge,"" I whispered. ""Because I’m not done with you yet.""
