Chapter 8 - The Deposition
Two weeks later, the formal civil deposition took place inside the executive conference room of Marcus Vance’s law firm on Michigan Avenue.
Michael Bennett sat at the far end of the long glass table, wearing a faded orange county jail uniform with his wrists shackled to a chain around his waist.
He had lost fifteen pounds; his face was gaunt, his stubble thick and graying, his eyes completely hollowed out by twenty days in maximum security.
Beside him sat a court-appointed public defender who looked exhausted and thoroughly uninterested in mounting a dramatic defense.
Across from them sat Marcus, two forensic accountants, and me.
I was wearing an elegant navy cashmere sweater, tailored slacks, and my grandfather’s gold watch, radiating the calm, unshakeable power of a woman who had reclaimed her world.
A certified court stenographer sat at the end of the table, her fingers clicking silently above her machine as the video camera recorded every word.
"State your full legal name for the record," Marcus instructed Michael.
"Michael Thomas Bennett," he mumbled, staring down at his cuffed hands.
"Mr. Bennett, let’s turn to Exhibit Fourteen," Marcus began, sliding a high-resolution photocopy of the locksmith receipt across the glass table.
"Do you recognize this document dated October 14th, authorizing the forced entry and lock replacement of Unit 2902 at Cloudview Towers?"
Michael looked at the paper, his shoulders twitching slightly before he pulled his eyes away.
"Yes," he whispered.
"Did you forge the signature of Emily Bennett on that authorization?"
Michael’s public defender leaned over, whispering into his ear: "Assert the Fifth, Michael."
Michael closed his eyes, taking a ragged, trembling breath.
"On the advice of counsel, I invoke my Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination."
"Duly noted," Marcus said smoothly.
"Let’s turn to Exhibit Twenty-Two: the constructive trust petition filed in Chancery Court claiming you contributed two hundred and eighty thousand dollars toward the purchase of Unit 2902."
Marcus leaned forward, his voice dropping into a razor-sharp register.
"Mr. Bennett, did you create that fraudulent wire transfer record on your home computer using an image editing software?"
Michael swallowed hard, tears finally leaking from his red-rimmed eyes.
"I invoke the Fifth Amendment," he choked out.
"Forty-two times," Marcus noted calmly.
"You have invoked the Fifth Amendment forty-two times regarding the theft of your wife's property, the embezzlement of Horizon Realty funds, and the Michigan land purchase."
Marcus slid a four-page blue-backed document across the table directly in front of Michael's shackled hands.
"This is our final settlement agreement, Mr. Bennett."
Michael looked up, his voice cracking with desperate, pathetic hope.
"A settlement? Emily... you’re offering a settlement?"
I looked at him, feeling no hatred, no pity, only the tranquil finality of a judge delivering a predetermined sentence.
"Read the terms, Michael," I said softly.
"Total, absolute waiver of any claim to Unit 2902, now and forever," Marcus read from the docket.
"Immediate surrender and transfer of the four-acre Michigan parcel to Emily Bennett as partial restitution."
"Full assumption of all personal credit debts incurred during the marriage, totaling one hundred and forty thousand dollars."
"And a permanent, irrevocable waiver of all spousal maintenance."
Michael’s public defender scanned the pages, his mouth slightly open.
"This leaves my client with literally zero assets and over a hundred thousand dollars in civil debt upon his release from prison."
"Your client has a choice," Marcus said, locking eyes with Michael.
"He can sign this agreement today, or the State’s Attorney proceeds to trial on thirty-two felony counts with our forensic audit as Exhibit A."
"With that evidence, your client is looking at a mandatory minimum of fourteen years at Stateville Correctional Center."
Michael looked at the signature line at the bottom of the page.
His shackled hands trembled so violently that the heavy steel chains clattered loudly against the glass table.
He picked up the pen with shaking fingers and signed his name on all four lines.
May you like
It was the fastest choice he had ever made.
And just like that, the man who had tried to steal my life was formally erased from it forever.
