Chapter 17 - Austin in Court
Austin looked smaller without family around him.
No Amanda beside him.
No Naomi.
No Kathleen.
Button-down replaced by jail uniform.
My knee still required a cane.
I sat behind prosecutor.
He entered guilty pleas under negotiated agreement.
The judge asked directly:
“Did you strike your sister with a tire iron?”
“Yes.”
“Did you intend to injure her?”
Austin hesitated.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
He looked toward me.
I did not help.
“Because I blamed her for losing my engagement and investment.”
There.
Then financial counts.
Did he knowingly use funds from Monica’s trust?
“Yes.”
Did he know beneficiary signature was forged?
“Yes.”
Did he create entities using Monica and Kathleen’s identities without consent?
“Yes.”
Did he submit false billing through WRS?
“Yes.”
Did his mother participate?
“Yes.
No speeches.
Facts.
Then judge asked:
“Did your sister actually cause the Millican investment to fail?”
Austin looked down.
“No.”
“What caused it?”
“My lies.”
That mattered more than I expected.
Then sentencing later.
Prosecutor read victim impact.
Kathleen submitted one.
Pacific Crest.
Bank.
Employees affected.
Amanda’s sentence had already been imposed.
Austin’s was longer due violence and leadership in financial fraud.
Years in prison.
Restitution.
Supervised release.
Professional restrictions.
No instant release.
No life sentence.
He would someday return to society.
I could choose distance then too.
At sentencing, Austin asked to speak.
“I spent my life thinking Monica was the reason I felt like a failure.”
I almost rolled my eyes.
Then:
“Mom made excuses for me. I used them.”
Better.
“I broke her knee when we were kids and again as adults.”
The courtroom was silent.
“I don’t expect her to forgive me.”
Good.
Then:
“I am sorry.”
I believed he meant it in that moment.
Meaning it did not change sentence.
Did not fix knee.
Did not restore trust.
Still real.
Then outside, reporters waited.
I gave no statement.
A journalist shouted:
“Monica, do you forgive your brother?”
I kept walking.
The world loves one-word endings.
Forgiven.
Not forgiven.
Families are harder.
Then physical therapy.
I had surgery hardware removal? Not yet. Maybe later.
I returned to work full-time.
Promoted to Director of Forensic Audit eighteen months later.
Not because scandal.
Because performance.
The board recused anyone connected to WRS review from promotion decision? Good governance. Independent panel.
I accepted.
Then my first major case after return involved a pharmacy vendor.
My team found nothing criminal.
Just sloppy invoicing.
We corrected.
I loved the normality.
Not every anomaly hides a family secret.
Then I started a rule for my team:
“Never fall in love with your theory.”
Rachel would approve.
Evidence first.
Then Amanda sent another letter from custody.
I put it in a drawer.
May you like
Did not read.
Not yet.
