Chapter 13 - The Gavel Falls
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I picked up the remote control from my desk and aimed it at the massive flat-screen television mounted on the far wall. The screen flickered to life.
The high-definition footage from the hidden camera behind the one-way mirror played in crystal-clear clarity.
Judge Sterling stood frozen, the color completely washing from his face, as he watched his beautiful, polished daughter pour a pitcher of water onto the floor while an elderly, paralyzed woman begged for a drink. The audio was flawless. Every cruel insult, every violent shove of the capsules down my mother’s throat, echoed through the quiet study.
The video cut to the footage from tonight. The infrared camera clearly showed Audrey sneaking into the room with the vial of poison and viciously pressing the pillow down onto the decoy in the bed.
The screen went black.
The silence in the study was deafening. The only sound was Audrey’s pathetic, ragged sobbing from the sofa.
“You created a monster, Judge,” I whispered, leaning against my desk, crossing my arms.
Judge Sterling staggered backward, collapsing into a leather chair. He looked physically ill, grasping at his chest as if he were having a heart attack.
“Victor, please,” the Judge choked out, the arrogant authority completely gone. “She is sick. She needs psychiatric help. We can keep this quiet. I can get her into a private facility. We don't need to ruin the family name.”
“The family name?” I laughed, a harsh, humorless sound. “You don't care about her mental health. You care about the four million dollars you owe the Russian syndicate. I have your financial records, Judge. I know about the illegal real estate deals. I know about Macau.”
The Judge’s eyes widened in sheer, unadulterated terror. He looked at his daughter, then back to me. The realization that he was completely trapped finally sank in.
“I also have a signed confession from Dr. Vance,” I continued, pulling the folded paper from my inner pocket and tossing it onto his lap. “Detailing exactly how you blackmailed him into synthesizing the untraceable poison for Audrey to use.”
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Judge Sterling stared at the paper. His career, his freedom, and his life were officially over.
“I will give you a choice, Judge,” I said softly, the true power of the Costa syndicate radiating in the room. “Because unlike your daughter, I occasionally deal in mercy.”
