Chapter 16 - Julian Takes the Stand|
Julian agreed to testify under a cooperation arrangement with prosecutors.
The hearing took place in a crowded courtroom in Madison. Morgan sat beside Patricia, dressed in a simple navy suit. Denise sat behind her, holding a small notebook in her lap.
Julian entered wearing a dark suit that hung loosely on his shoulders. He looked older than he had a month earlier.
He did not look at Morgan.
The prosecutor began by asking about his relationship with Gregory Vance.
Julian explained that he had borrowed money through several business ventures and had become deeply indebted after repeated failures. Vance had offered to restructure the debts if Julian could persuade Morgan to sell the cottage.
At first, Julian claimed he believed the transaction was legitimate.
Then the prosecutor showed him an email discussing the fraudulent survey.
Julian admitted he had suspected that the documents were inaccurate.
“Why didn't you report it?” the prosecutor asked.
“Because I was afraid of losing everything.”
“You were willing to risk your wife's property to protect yourself?”
Julian looked down.
“Yes.”
The prosecutor showed him the necklace receipt and the transfer from Northstar Consulting.
“Did you know the necklace contained a surveillance component?”
Julian hesitated.
“Yes.”
Morgan felt her chest tighten.
“Did you tell your wife?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because she would have refused to wear it.”
The courtroom fell silent.
The prosecutor continued.
“Did you understand that the device might record or transmit information about her movements?”
“I understood that it could be used to monitor her.”
“Did you consider how your wife might feel if she discovered that you had secretly placed a surveillance device in a gift?”
Julian's voice broke.
“No.”
“Why not?”
He looked toward Morgan for the first time.
“Because I was thinking only about myself.”
Morgan stared back.
The answer did not make her forgive him.
But it was the first time he had admitted the truth without blaming someone else.
The defense attorney challenged Julian's credibility, pointing out that he had participated in the scheme and was cooperating in hopes of receiving a reduced sentence.
Julian acknowledged it.
“I have reasons to protect myself. But the documents are real. The messages are real. And what I did to my wife was wrong.”
The prosecutor asked about the night of the fire.
Julian said he had received a message from Vance's operations manager suggesting that the cottage would be “made impossible to keep.” He had not been told precisely what would happen, but he suspected the message referred to intimidation.
He admitted that he had failed to warn Morgan until the danger was already imminent.
When the hearing ended, Morgan left without speaking to him.
Outside the courthouse, reporters gathered near the steps.
One called out, “Mrs. Hayes, do you forgive your husband?”
Morgan stopped.
“No.”
The reporters quieted.
“Not today. Maybe not ever. Forgiveness is not a legal strategy, and it doesn't erase what happened. I want the truth established, and I want the people responsible held accountable.”
She continued down the steps.
That evening, Julian sent her a letter through Patricia.
Morgan read it alone.
I spent years believing that if I could make enough money, I could become the man I promised you I would be. Every time I failed, I hid the failure. Then I started hiding the lies that came after it.
I told myself I was protecting you from disappointment. In reality, I was protecting myself from consequences.
I don't expect you to forgive me. I only want you to know that you were never responsible for my failures.
Morgan folded the letter.
She placed it in a drawer rather than throwing it away.
It was not reconciliation.
It was simply the acknowledgment she had needed for years.
The following week, the court granted an injunction preventing Northstar from acquiring the cottage while the fraud investigation continued. The company was also ordered to preserve its records.
For the first time, Morgan could breathe.
Then Patricia called.
“There's been a development.”
Morgan sat down.
“What now?”
“The prosecutor found a final payment from Northstar to a company connected to a county official. The transfer occurred two days after Clara's death.”
Morgan felt the familiar chill return.
“Does it prove someone harmed her?”
“Not by itself. But it may establish that the company paid someone to suppress the investigation.”
May you like
Morgan looked at the cottage photographs on her desk.
“Then we keep going.”
