Chapter 11 - Shadows in the Courtroom
The federal courthouse in downtown Seattle was packed to capacity when the marshal called the court to order. Flashbulbs strobed outside on the stone steps as Arthur Pendelton and Victor Vance were led through the media scrum in federal orange jumpsuits, their heads bowed beneath dark jackets.
Inside Courtroom 404, Judge Thomas adjusted his glasses and looked down from the bench with severe displeasure.
“The charges of wire fraud, grand larceny, and corporate extortion are severe,” Judge Thomas stated, his voice echoing off the mahogany walls. “Given the scale of the deception and the targeting of public health grants, the defense’s motion for bail is summarily denied.”
Arthur clenched his jaw so tightly his cheeks hollowed out. He turned his head slightly, locking eyes with Jack Anderson, who sat quietly in the front row alongside Betty, Chloe, and the twins.
There was no triumph in Jack’s expression—only a quiet, immovable finality.
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As the bailiffs led Arthur away toward the holding cells, the disgraced executive muttered a final, venomous threat under his breath: “You think you’ve won, Anderson. But the foundation is rotten at its core. You can’t save a dying beast.”
Jack didn't even flinch. He simply reached over, took Betty’s wrinkled hand in his, and led his family out of the courtroom into the bright afternoon air.
