“That,” I replied, “is where you are wrong.”
Emily’s deposition came first.
For three hours she performed innocence flawlessly. She knew nothing about offshore transfers. She never manipulated Diana. She never conspired to undermine me.
Then Daniel played the gala courtyard recording.
Her face froze.
Then he introduced messages recovered from Richard’s old corporate phone. Not deleted. Archived.
Emily: Diana is soft. Push the guilt angle.
Richard: She’ll talk if she thinks Clara abandoned Robert.
Emily: Then make her remember it that way.
After that, Emily stopped sounding smooth.
Richard’s deposition went worse.
He denied everything until Daniel placed the security log in front of him.
“Were you in Robert Scott’s apartment the night he died?”
“I stopped by briefly.”
“You previously told Clara you were at the office.”
“I didn’t want to upset her.”
“Did you discuss Robert’s medication with Diana?”
“No.”
Daniel slid a text message across the table from Diana’s old phone.
Diana: He’s crying again. Nurse says wait.
Richard: Waiting is cruelty. You know what he wanted.
Diana: I’m scared.
Richard: Then be brave for him.
