Chapter 8 - THE DEPOSITIONTen days later, the civil deposition took place in a high-rise conference room in downtown Raleigh.
Preston Cole sat at the head of the long oak table, looking smug and confident, surrounded by legal pads and tabbed exhibits. Vanessa sat beside him, wearing sunglasses indoors and tapping her pen aggressively against the wood.
I walked into the room wearing my full Class-A military dress uniform, adorned with my ribbons and insignia. Behind me walked Walter Hobbs, carrying a leather briefcase, followed by two federal investigators specialising in interstate financial fraud.
Preston cleared his throat, adjusting his glasses. "Colonel Parker, before we begin official record, I advise you that failure to disclose—"
"Mr. Cole," I interrupted, taking a seat directly across from him and placing my cap neatly on the table. "Before you enter a single word into the official record, I suggest you review Exhibit A in the federal packet my counsel just served to your firm."
Preston frowned, picking up a thin manila envelope handed to him by a federal agent.
He opened it, pulled out a single sheet of paper, and began to read. Within five seconds, all the color drained completely from his face.
"This... this is an audit warrant," Preston stammered, looking up in sheer panic. "You can't—my firm has nothing to do with—"
"Your firm has been funneling fraudulent domestic claims across three state lines using fabricated spousal affidavits, Mr. Cole," Walter Hobbs stated calmly, opening his own briefcase. "And Vanessa Parker has been operating an asset-stripping scheme targeting elderly spouses under false pretenses. The federal grand jury in Raleigh has already issued indictments."
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Vanessa leaped out of her chair, her face twisted in absolute terror. "You can't do this! This is a setup! Richard's money belongs to us!"
"Richard’s money belongs to Richard," I said, standing up tall in my uniform and looking down at her with absolute pity. "And my grandfather’s trust belongs exactly where it has always been—safe, secure, and completely out of your reach."
