Chapter 9 - The Deadly Secret in the Cabinet
The morning of the preliminary hearing arrived. The courtroom was packed to maximum capacity with reporters, journalists, and curious spectators drawn in by the viral sensationalism of the billionaire saga.
Deborah sat at the defense table, wearing a dark modest dress, dabbing fake tears from her eyes to win over the judge. Travis sat beside her, looking hollowed out and gaunt.
When the judge called the court to order, Travis's lawyer stood up confidently. "Your Honor, we move for an immediate dismissal of all felony charges against my client. The prosecution's case relies on a fabricated crime scene staged by the alleged victim, Sarah Vance. This entire drama was an elaborate hoax designed to emotionally destroy a humble young man!"
The judge turned to my lead prosecutor. "How does the state respond?"
My attorney stood up, unbuttoning his jacket calmly. "Your Honor, we agree that the staged scene in the living room was dramatic. However, the scene was created after Miss Vance was rescued by emergency personnel. But the defense's argument that this was merely a family dispute over a shopping trip is a grotesque lie."
My attorney pulled a set of sealed medical documents from his briefcase and handed them to the bailiff to present to the judge.
"During Miss Vance's emergency delivery, hospital toxicologists performed routine blood work on both the mother and the newborn twins," my attorney declared, his voice echoing loudly through the silent courtroom. "They found lethal concentrations of Poulzin-B—a rare, tasteless, slow-acting chemical compound that induces severe placental detachment and uterine hemorrhaging."
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A collective gasp rippled through the gallery. Travis turned sharply to look at his mother. Deborah’s face instantly paled, her fake tears freezing mid-drip.
"We conducted a forensic search of the defendant's home," the prosecutor continued, pointing directly at Deborah and Travis. "Hidden behind the pantry panel in Deborah Montgomery's kitchen, federal agents recovered three bottles of prenatal vitamins laced with this exact chemical compound. Travis and Deborah Montgomery were not just negligent—they were actively poisoning Sarah Vance for four months to induce a fatal miscarriage!"
