Page 33 of Drowning in Lies

I took a nice long shower, letting the warm spray of the water literally wash off the worry of the day.I replayed everything in my mind, satisfied that neither James nor Mike suspected that I was anything more than an innocent victim.

I smiled to myself as I dried off and slipped into bed. Scott and Vanessa were about to find out firsthand that Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

Chapter 18: The Arraignment

The next morning, I awoke bright and early, eager for the day to come.I took my time getting ready, wanting to be sure I looked my best when I faced Scott and Vanessa, who would hopefully be looking the worse for wear if there was any justice in this world.I carefully applied my make-up and styled my hair, then chose a figure-flattering pencil skirt and a beautiful silk blouse to wear, along with a pair of high-heeled peep-toe pumps that made my legs look great.

Before leaving the room, I removed my engagement ring and wedding band - they were clearly meaningless symbols at this point. I walked down the stairs, hearing Chris and Sherry getting ready in their room. I started a pot of coffee and decided on toast and a yogurt with granola for breakfast.Chris and Sherry made their way into the kitchen moments later.Chris was dressed in one of his beautifully tailored suits, and Sherry was wearing a gorgeous wrap dress. They made a striking couple.

As they fixed a quick breakfast for themselves, I filled them in on the latest developments.

Sherry's mouth dropped open."Are you fucking kidding me?Why didn't you call us?" she yelled, smacking her hand down on the table in agitation.

"I didn't want to bother you guys.You needed a night to yourselves, and it worked out fine.They did say they hoped the testing on at least the red wine would be done by this morning, so I hope they let me know something soon."

She grumbled a bit more that I hadn't let them know earlier, and Chris patted her arm to calm her down."Just finish eating so that we can get to the courthouse, Sher. We can't be late."

I received a call from James on the drive there, letting me know the initial lab results where in on the red wine. I asked him for permission to put him on speakerphone so that Chris could hear it as well, and he agreed.

"The bottle of red wine from the refrigerator showed signs that it had been opened, and it tested positive for extremely high levels of GHB.That amount of GHB, exacerbated by alcohol consumption, would have quite probably led to fatal respiratory failure, according to the medical examiner.You're a very lucky woman, Lila."

He went on to say that the prosecutor's office and the FBI had determined that the State of Indiana would try the case, since all the charges were connected to one big conspiracy.

"It appears that they will both be charged with attempted murder as well as conspiracy to commit murder, mortgage fraud and forgery.Vanessa will be charged with embezzlement for her part in the scam at the firm, and Scott will be charged with possession of illegal drugs, illegal possession of controlled substances and wire fraud for the unauthorized bank transfers.The prosecutor is asking that they remain in custody until their trial, but the decision to allow them out on bond will be up to the judge."

After I thanked him and assured him that we were on our way, I hung up and blew out a breath.

"Wow," Sherry said. "Shit just got real for them."

"Yes," I agreed with a chuckle."Shit just got very real." It couldn't happen to two more deserving people, I thought.

Chris spoke up to offer his perspective."The prosecutor has a damned good chance at getting bond denied, unless McFadden or Kendrick are presiding today. They're the only two judges who consistently approve bond unless the extenuating circumstances are especially horrific - multiple murders, that sort of thing.I normally love seeing them presiding over my clients' arraignments. I don't want to see either of them today."

I asked why they would only charge Scott with possession, rather than with distribution of the drugs."They have him on video saying that it was coke or Viagra or whatever, but his lawyer can raise reasonable doubt by saying that Scott was lying in an effort to cheat David out of money.Selling someone a baggie of flour that theyclaimis cocaine isn't illegal.They don't have the drugs, the baggies they came in, or David's testimony to prove that they were, in fact, the drugs that Scott claimed they were on the video.Possession is the only thing they can prove beyond reasonable doubt, since they found small amounts of them at his place."

He parked and we made our way up the courthouse steps, taking seats in the courtroom about ten minutes before it was called to order.Chris leaned over to whisper that this judge, Mary Donovan-Smith, was known for siding with the prosecutor's request when it came to the issue of bond, and I smiled to myself. It would be a damned shame if they had to sit in jail until their trial.

I noticed Mike and James slipping into the back at the last minute.Scott and Vanessa were led in - handcuffed - by deputies and seated together with two people who I assumed were their attorneys.The deputies removed the handcuffs from both of them, and Vanessa rubbed her wrists.Aw, poor thing.I imagined those things chafed a lot more than a diamond tennis bracelet did.Yes, I was still salty as hell about that.

They both looked like hell. Vanessa's normally long hair appeared hacked off to just above her shoulders.She had no make-up on, and her skin was sickly pale, and she appeared teary-eyed and trembling.The shapeless orange jumpsuit did absolutely nothing for her complexion or her figure.

She looked timidly around the the courtroom for a moment. Spying me, she averted her gaze and spent the rest of the time staring down at the table in front of her unless she was asked to address the judge directly.Scott looked even worse, with a bruise on his cheekbone and a split lip, with more scratches and scrapes visible on his face and neck.His defiant attitude was still in place though, which is probably why someone had tried to kick his ass in the first place if I had to guess.

The judge's gaze narrowed on Scott's injuries, and she demanded an explanation."Your honor, my client was the victim of an unprovoked attack by a fellow inmate in the holding cell earlier this morning.Guards intervened immediately, and Mr. Montgomery was examined at the jail infirmary.No further treatment was deemed necessary at that time."

The judge nodded and called everyone to order. The charges were read by the bailiff, and I lowered my head to hide my smile.I couldn't follow the legalese for a lot of it, but I understood enough to figure it out.The prosecutor presented their initial findings, and the judge ruled that they had enough evidence to proceed to trial.

Their defense attorneys both argued that they should be tried separately, as some of the charges were different and the alleged crimes of one might unfairly reflect poorly on the other in the eyes of the jury.The prosecutor argued that the bulk of the crimes they were charged with were committed together, in a conspiracy with David, and that even the separate charges were related to that conspiracy.

The judge ruled against separate trials.The next argument presented was in regard to bond.The prosecutor argued that both Scott and Vanessa posed a flight risk. Both had limited ties to the community, as neither had immediate family in the area, neither owned real estate here, and both had been at their current places of employment for less than six months.He also argued that they both had access to unknown funds, as they both had unofficial and illegal sources of income.He additionally asked that their known assets be frozen, as they were believed to be derived from illegal sources and - should they be convicted - would need to be seized and used for restitution to the victims.

There was a lengthy debate about which assets would be frozen.As I listened, I learned that those accounts and assets derived fromtaintedfunds - obtained in an illegal manner - could be frozen, even if there was legitimately earned money commingled in the same account.If an account or asset could be shown to be derived from onlyuntaintedfunds, it could not legally be frozen.

In the end, the judge ruled Vanessa's checking and savings accounts would be frozen pending the outcome of the trial, since the proceeds from her part of the embezzlement scheme were deposited there, as well as the numerous cash gifts from David which the prosecutor could prove had originally been obtained illegally from me. Her retirement fund, which contained direct deposits from her payroll, and her car which she purchased prior to moving to Indiana, were deemed untainted, and were therefore available for her to use to fund her defense.

Vanessa started crying in earnest at this point, and Judge Donovan-Smith asked that she control herself so as not to disrupt the proceedings.I focused my gaze on the seat in front of me, knowing that if I locked eyes with Sherry or Vanessa, I would start laughing and probably be escorted out.

Scott was smart enough to have a separate bank account for his various schemes, and it was frozen, as was the sports car he bought with my money that David had given him.His retirement fund and the checking account that his paychecks were deposited into were deemed untainted and available for his defense.I watched him closely for his reaction, but he merely tightened his hands into fists on the table and clenched his jaw tightly enough to crack a molar. He sat stoically otherwise.

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