Chapter 5 - The Offer of Judas
The intimidation started forty-eight hours before jury selection.
Clara was walking down the stairwell of her apartment building when a tall man in a tailored charcoal suit stepped out of the shadow beneath the landing, blocking her path. It was Arthur Vance. His silver hair was slicked back, and his smile had the cold precision of a scalpel.
"Miss Thomas," Vance purred, holding out a manicured hand. "A word, if you have a moment."
Clara backed away toward the wall, clutching her purse to her chest. "Get out of my way, Mr. Vance. My attorney told me not to speak to anyone from your office."
"Your 'attorney' is an unpaid child working out of a glorified storage closet," Vance scoffed, chuckling softly. "Clara... let’s speak as adults. You are a working-class woman with no prior record. You made a mistake. Temptation got the better of you. It happens."
"I didn't take that necklace," Clara said, her voice clear and level.
Vance took an envelope from his breast pocket and held it out. "Inside this envelope is a cashier's check for fifty thousand dollars. In addition, Mrs. Hamilton has agreed to drop the charges down to simple misdemeanor trespass. You will serve no jail time. None. You simply plead no-contest, take this money, and relocate to another state. Florida, perhaps. A fresh start."
Clara looked at the white envelope, then raised her eyes to Vance’s smug face. "If Mrs. Hamilton is so sure I stole a five-million-dollar sapphire, why would she give me fifty thousand dollars to walk away?"
Vance’s smile thinned, his eyes hardening like flint. "Because the Hamilton family does not enjoy having their private affairs aired in public court. Take the exit, Clara. If you force this to a verdict, I will tear you apart on that stand. I will paint you as an opportunist who preyed on a lonely widower and poisoned the mind of a motherless child. You will spend your youth in a cell at Bedford Hills."
Clara stepped forward, her chin lifted high. "You tell Margaret Hamilton that I am going to look her in the eye when the jury speaks. Keep your dirty money."
Vance’s face darkened with genuine rage. He snatched the envelope back. "You will regret this day, Miss Thomas. By the time I’m done with you, you won't even be able to get a job sweeping streets."
May you like
Clara pushed past him and walked out into the sunlight. Her hands were shaking violently, but her soul was lighter than it had been in weeks. She knew the truth. And for the first time, she believed it was enough.
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