Chapter 4 - The Counter-Attack
Attorney General Catherine Blake’s office was a grand, wood-paneled room overlooking the state capitol building.
Blake was a legendary prosecutor—a woman with short grey hair, sharp blue eyes, and an absolute zero-tolerance policy for public corruption and violent crime.
She sat behind her massive mahogany desk, reviewing a thick, red-stamped legal brief.
"Sit down, Elena," Blake said, gesturing to the leather armchair across from her.
I sat down, holding my head high. "If this is about my conflict of interest regarding my mother's case, Attorney General, I have officially handed primary trial management over to Senior Prosecutor Marcus Sterling—"
Blake raised her hand, cutting me off with a small smile.
"I didn't call you in here to lecture you about conflicts of interest, Elena," Blake said flatly. "I called you in here because Julian Vance's defense team just tried to pull a stunt that made my blood boil."
She tossed a legal filing across the desk toward me.
"Thirty minutes ago," Blake continued, "Julian's high-priced criminal defense lawyer, Vance Sterling—no relation to Marcus—filed an emergency petition with the State Appellate Court claiming that your search of your mother's home was illegal, that you coerced your mother's statement under emotional duress, and that your mother is suffering from advanced dementia, making her legally incompetent to testify."
I let out a harsh, bitter laugh. "Incompetent?! She was terrified, not incompetent! Dr. Aris Thorne at the hospital completed a full neuropsychological assessment eight hours ago. Her cognitive functions are completely intact! She remembers dates, names, account numbers, and every single threat Chloe made to her!"
"I know," Blake said calmly. "And that's why I personally signed an executive motion denying their petition for evidentiary suppression."
She leaned forward, resting her elbows on the desk, looking at me with fierce solidarity.
"Julian Vance tried to use this office's reputation to intimidate your mother," Blake stated, her voice dropping into a dangerous pitch. "He thought because you were busy taking down cartel leaders, no one was watching what he was doing in that house. Well, he’s about to find out that the entire State Attorney General’s Office is coming down on his head."
"What do you need me to do, Chief?" I asked, my heart swelling with gratitude.
"I need you to take off your prosecutor badge for twenty-four hours," Blake said cleanly. "I want you to sit in that courtroom tomorrow as a daughter. I want you to sit beside your mother, hold her hand, and watch Marcus Sterling rip your brother's defense to shreds."
"And the criminal charges?"
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Blake picked up a heavy gold pen and signed a document at the bottom of the stack.
"We are adding ten additional counts of Felony Wire Fraud, Money Laundering, and Conspiracy to Commit Extortion," Blake declared. "If convicted on all counts, Julian and Chloe are facing a minimum of thirty-five years in the state penitentiary."
