Page 34 of Drowning in Lies
Both defense attorneys objected strenuously to the decision, stating that their clients' unfrozen accounts would not be adequate to mount a proper defense for a trial of such an in-depth nature.The judge informed them that when their funds ran out, both defendants would be welcomed to request representation from a public defender at no cost to them.
Vanessa gasped in horror, and Scott's entire body tensed until I thought he might shatter if someone touched him.I really wanted to test that theory but imagined that the armed deputies in the room might not appreciate it.
The arraignment ended with the judge setting the date for the trial in sixty days, then pounding her gavel to dismiss the defendants. Vanessa and Scott were handcuffed again prior to being allowed to step away from the table, and I enjoyed the sight almost as much as I had after the funeral.The deputies led them from the room, followed by their two attorneys.
Mike and James both approached us along with the prosecutor.I was introduced to him, and noticed he was giving Chris some major side-eye, clearly not a fan of defense attorneys.I made a point of introducing 'my very dear friends' to him, and then thanked him for everything his office had done so far.He informed me that we would need to meet at some point to go over my testimony, but that he wanted the official reports from the lab and the forensic accounting team first.
I assured him that I would make myself available when needed.He excused himself from our group, and Mike and James left shortly after.Both had come in on a Sunday for this and were off for the rest of the day. I thanked them again for going above and beyond to gather evidence in this case, and they both gave me quick hugs before leaving.
We decided to stop by my favorite steakhouse for a late lunch, then Sherry and I planned to go shopping for things for my new place. Chris wanted to go home and watch the football game, so we dropped him off, quickly changed into more comfortable clothes and headed back out.
We spent several hours out shopping, picking out a new bed, dresser, couch, bar stools and side tables for my temporary condo rental.I decided to wait to buy anything else until after I found a new house to buy.I paid extra to ensure delivery on Tuesday, because I wanted to let Chris and Sherry get back to their normal lives as soon as possible.We stopped to buy new linens, dishes and kitchen essentials and then called it a day.By the time we picked up a pizza and made it back to their house, I was ready to put my feet up and relax.
Over dinner, I told them that I was meeting with the realtor tomorrow to list my house and the condo that Vanessa had been staying in. Chris reminded me that I would probably need to file for an emergency eviction order, even though she didn't have a valid lease agreement and wasn't actually paying rent.
"You're right, but I will get a petty sort of enjoyment in filing against her," I said, smirking wickedly.
"I need to call Randall in the morning, too, to reimburse him for the money they stole from the company."
"Hon, when Vanessa is convicted, her accounts and any assets will be forfeited and used to pay restitution to Randall then.It's nice that you want to pay him back, but as David's sole beneficiary, you are a part owner of the firm, so in essence you would be paying him for your own losses as well," Chris advised.
"I get it, but I still think it's the right thing to do. It's not fair that he should be penalized because my husband was a greedy sonofabitch with a stupid, slutty girlfriend. Besides, by the time I sell off David's cars and his boat, I'll more than recoup the money anyway."
"What are you going to do with the rest of his stuff? The watches and the designer suits, and God, all those shoes he had," Sherry asked, rolling her eyes at David's lavish spending habits.
"I don't know, really.I'll probably donate the clothes and shoes.There's a charity downtown that helps people returning to the workforce with dress clothes for interviews and such.I'm sure they could make use of them. I was thinking of giving the watches to the children's hospital for their charity auction.I like the idea of something good coming out of this."
"Those sound like wonderful ideas, honey," Sherry said, giving me a quick hug.
By the time I went to bed that night, I had a mental plan in place of things I need to accomplish in the next few days. Shopping with Sherry today had made me feel more like my old self than I had in months, and I hoped it was a sign of healing.
Chapter 19: Moving Out
Monday morning brought a return to normalcy for Chris and Sherry, who both returned to work. I called my boss at the publishing company and explained the situation to her in-depth. Since she had been one of the shocked funeral attendees, she wasn't surprised to hear most of it.
The company offered a week's bereavement leave for the death of a spouse, which I had used last week. After hearing everything that was going on in my life, she reluctantly agreed to give me a thirty-day unpaid leave of absence. I knew I needed time to find my new normal, not to mention the myriad of details that needed to be sorted out.
I then called Melissa, the attorney who helped with my real estate portfolio, on the way to the realtor's office. I knew that Chris had called her to fill her in on the situation with David yesterday while Sherry and I were shopping, since the informal gag order on the investigation was lifted once they were arrested. She commented that she was pleased that the judge had denied the bond request and had frozen their assets.
I laughed and agreed, adding "I was also pleased to see Vanessa and Scott looking so rough. Scott got in a fight with his cellmate, and Vanessa looked on the verge of a mental breakdown. She wasn't her usual vision of perfection. I hadn't realized until Chris explained it, but did you know they remove your hair extensions when you're booked into jail? They can apparently be used as weapons or tied together to strangle yourself or something. I had no idea, but God, her hair looked awful when they finished with it. I'm petty enough to have enjoyed the hell out of it, too."
We both laughed at that, before she sobered and apologized that she and her staff hadn't realized that David had falsified and forged the documents adding his name to the condo's deed.
"He told me that you were having an extremely difficult time after the miscarriage, and the documentation he gave me looked in order. I believed him when he said he was handling this for you since you weren't feeling up to dealing with anything then. I should have confirmed it with you directly, and I'm so sorry I didn't. If I had, he would have gotten caught almost three months ago," she told me, remorse clear in her voice.
"I don't blame you, Melissa. He was my husband. I trusted him, and by extension, so did you. It's not your fault at all. I do need your help though. I want to sell the condo immediately. Vanessa won't be out of jail anytime soon, as she's being held until trial at least. Do I need to file for eviction, even though she has no legitimate lease and hasn't been paying rent?"
"Unfortunately, in this state if she has lived there for more than thirty days, she has established residency and you have to get a court order to remove her and her possessions. I can file an emergency order this morning. Under the circumstances, I can guarantee it will be granted quickly."
"Yes, please do that, and let me know the moment the court issues the order."
My next call was to Randall, who agreed to meet with me that afternoon once I finished getting the keys to my rental condo.
It didn't take long at my realtor's office to sign the rental agreement and get the keys for the new place, as Rachel had all the documents ready and waiting for me. I explained that I wanted to list my house for sale immediately, and that as soon as the current resident was evicted, the Meridian Street condo would need to be listed as well.
She had followed the story on the news, so I didn't have to explain much about the situation, for which I was grateful. I was tired of talking about it, and having people realize what a gullible fool I had been.
"I have movers coming tomorrow to get my personal items and a few other bits and pieces from the house. Then I'll hire a cleaning service to give it all a deep cleaning so it's ready for you to show."
