Chapter 7 - The Paper Fortress Collapses
Three days later, the story broke on the front page of every major newspaper in the state: THE BENNETT EMPIRE OF DECEIT: BILLIONAIRE FAMILY INDICTED ON 42 COUNTS OF CORRUPTION, EMBEZZLEMENT, AND DOMESTIC TORTURE.
I sat in the office of Eleanor Sterling, the premier divorce and corporate litigation attorney in the state capital. Eleanor was sixty-five, possessed an encyclopedic knowledge of statutory fraud, and had a reputation for tearing corrupt men to pieces in open court. On her mahogany conference table lay three thick binders detailing the forensic audit I had compiled alongside federal investigators.
""Clara, this is the most airtight case of financial co-mingling and coercive control I have seen in forty years of practice,"" Eleanor said, pushing a steaming cup of tea across the desk toward me. ""Arthur’s attorneys attempted to post bail this morning. The judge denied Arthur and Diane without bond, citing flight risk due to their undisclosed accounts in Saint Kitts. Paul was granted a fifty-thousand-dollar bond, but since all his accounts are frozen under federal injunction, he couldn't even scrape together the bondsman's ten-percent fee. He’s sitting in a holding cell in the county annex.""
""What about the prenuptial agreement?"" I asked, adjusting my leg rest. The throbbing had subsided to a dull, manageable ache, though the cast remained a heavy reminder of what I had survived.
Eleanor chuckled, a low, predatory sound. ""The prenup Paul made you sign had an infidelity clause, an asset waiver, and a complete forfeiture of corporate earnings. However, under state law, any contract entered into through fraudulent inducement or criminal duress is null and void ab initio. More importantly, Section 12-B of our civil code states that any spouse convicted of felony domestic violence forfeits all claims to marital assets and becomes personally liable for punitive compensatory damages.""
""I don't just want the divorce, Eleanor,"" I said, looking her directly in the eyes. ""I want full restitution for the funds they stole from the public. And I want the whistle-blower share guaranteed under the False Claims Act.""
""You’re entitled to up to thirty percent of every dollar recovered by the federal government,"" Eleanor smiled, tapping the ledger. ""The feds have already frozen fifty-two million dollars across Arthur’s offshore shell network. That means your relator fee alone will exceed fifteen million dollars, tax-free. Furthermore, we are filing a separate civil suit against Paul and Diane personally for assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and false imprisonment. We will take Paul’s Porsche, his stock options, his trust fund distributions, and Diane’s jewelry collection. When we are done, Paul Bennett will not be able to afford a bus pass.""
That afternoon, Detective Marcus Cole stopped by Eleanor’s office with an update from the precinct. ""Lieutenant Miller turned in his badge an hour ago,"" Marcus announced, setting down a copy of the indictment. ""He signed a full confession implicating Arthur in four separate bribery schemes to avoid federal prison. He admitted that Arthur called him at midnight on the night of your assault, asking him to alter the dispatch logs to show you had run away hours before Diane struck you.""
""Did Paul try to reach out?"" I asked.
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""Paul’s court-appointed public defender requested a meeting with you yesterday,"" Marcus said. ""He wanted to discuss a plea deal. Paul offered to testify against his mother and father in exchange for a suspended sentence and community service.""
I looked at Marcus, then at Eleanor. ""Tell his public defender that the only deal Paul Bennett gets is the one the jury hands him. I will take the stand, and I will recount every single second I spent lying on that freezing tile while he watched football.""
