What the Witnesses Could Prove
Chapter 16 - What the Witnesses Could Prove
The investigations began to reach conclusions, though not all at once. Prosecutors filed charges arising from the staircase incident after reviewing the evidence. Vanessa contested the allegations through counsel. The financial case developed separately, with disputed invoices and records subject to further examination.
Dominic's role in the freight transactions drew intense scrutiny. An internal review identified losses and recommended civil recovery efforts. Authorities considered what criminal offenses, if any, the admissible evidence supported. Salvatore resisted pressure from investors to announce dramatic conclusions before the proceedings were complete.
He had learned how much harm was caused when powerful people treated certainty as a luxury they could purchase.
In therapy Nicholas made a list of things he was allowed to do in the new house: cry, ask for a hug, make a mess, say no to a game, and tell Dad when something felt wrong. He drew a star beside each rule.
Salvatore framed the paper in the hallway.
When an associate teased him about displaying a child's scribbles instead of fine art, Salvatore replied, “It's the most valuable thing in this house.”
The associate laughed, then saw Salvatore wasn't joking.
One afternoon Dana brought news that the former annex receptionist's testimony had been corroborated by an archived visitor log. It placed Dominic at the annex on the day Elena died, contrary to an account he had previously supplied. The discovery was meaningful but not proof of arson or homicide.
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Salvatore accepted the distinction. He could want answers without inventing them.
That evening, Nicholas asked to go to the park. Salvatore closed his laptop mid-sentence and reached for his coat. This small decision, repeated hundreds of times, was becoming the architecture of their new life.
