Chapter 13 - Victor’s Version
Victor testified.
Against advice, according to later reporting.
He wore dark suit.
He looked thinner.
Still handsome.
That fact felt offensive.
He began with marriage.
He said he loved me.
Then affair.
Admitted.
Policy fraud.
Partly admitted.
He claimed he increased insurance without informed consent because he was “desperate to secure financing.”
Why would insurance help before death?
Some lenders could consider policy as collateral, but beneficiary policy not necessarily. He claimed he wanted personal liquidity protection. Weak.
Then Serena impersonation.
He admitted arranging.
“I never intended Elena to know.”
Obviously.
Then mountain.
He said confrontation became chaotic.
“Elena screamed.”
“I tried calm.”
“She said she would destroy me.”
Then she walked toward overlook.
“I grabbed her.”
She twisted.
He claims she lost footing.
“What did you do?”
“I froze.”
Why say fifty million worth more?
He said:
“I was angry before fall.”
Audio line appears just before scream.
Could be coincidentally.
Then “storm will finish”?
He cried.
“I thought she was already dying. I said horrible thing because I panicked.”
Then why no rescue?
“I believed going down would kill Serena and me. I intended call after reaching car.”
He did not call immediately.
Why?
“Shock.”
He called sheriff around thirty minutes later.
He did report missing/fall eventually.
Not nothing.
But he lied on Serena location, circumstances.
Then insurance claim less than hour after?
“My broker told me notification important.”
Broker denied.
He said Martin told.
Martin admitted urging open? Could.
Then memorial.
“Worthless woman got what deserved.”
He said grief, anger.
No.
Then motive.
Debts.
He admitted.
But not murder.
Then his attorney asked about Lucas.
Victor cried.
“I love my son.”
I looked away.
Maybe he believed now.
He had still planned death.
Then cross.
Prosecutor Dana Whitfield began:
“You forged your wife’s consent.”
“Yes.”
“Used mistress to impersonate.”
“Yes.”
“Paid Cross executive’s related company.”
“Yes.”
“Promised six million to mistress.”
“Yes.”
“Expected fifty million if Elena died.”
“Yes.”
“Chose Aspen weekend based on storm forecast.”
“We had trip planned.”
Text:
Forecast whiteout Saturday. Perfect.
“What was perfect?”
“Ski conditions.”
No skiing planned for nine-month pregnant wife.
Then:
“You asked Serena to lure Elena to overlook.”
“To discuss affair privately.”
“In blizzard.”
“Yes.”
“You wrote ‘if she doesn’t go near edge, I make sure.’”
He paused.
“I meant make sure conversation happened.”
Prosecutor played audio:
Worth more than you.
Scream.
“What happened between sentence and scream?”
“She slipped.”
“Your hands on shoulders?”
“Yes.”
“You pushed?”
“No.”
Then Serena:
What if fall didn’t kill her?
“You answered storm will.”
“Yes.”
“Why not say ‘I hope she’s alive’?”
“I was in shock.”
“Why not call?”
“I did.”
“Thirty minutes later.”
“Yes.”
“Why tell sheriff Serena was not there?”
“To protect affair.”
“Why tell insurer she was independent witness?”
“She was.”
“She was your mistress and co-conspirator in policy fraud.”
“Yes.”
Then claim.
“Why report baby dead without confirmation?”
“I assumed.”
“You hoped.”
“No.”
Then spreadsheet:
CLAIM 50.
Debt.
Serena.
Martin.
Restart.
“Your handwriting?”
“Yes.”
“When made?”
“Financial planning.”
“For wife’s hypothetical death?”
“Yes.”
“How long before Aspen?”
Five weeks.
Silence.
Then:
“You budgeted your wife’s death five weeks before she fell.”
“I was planning worst case.”
Prosecutor:
“Your worst case?”
Objection.
Sustained.
Jury understood.
Then Lucas.
“Did you know Elena’s trust changed if child survived?”
“Yes.”
“Did you write ‘IF NO ISSUE’?”
“Yes.
“What did issue mean?”
“Heir.”
“Your son.”
“Yes.”
That was brutal.
Then cross ended.
Victor stepped down looking older.
I realized I no longer needed him to confess.
Evidence was enough.
Yet part of me wanted one sentence:
I did it.
Not for court.
For reality.
Maybe I would never get.
Then closing.
Defense separated moral guilt from murder.
“Victor Hale is adulterer, liar, fraudster. Those crimes do not answer whether Elena slipped during struggle.”
That was correct legal framing.
Prosecution:
“Sometimes defendants hide murder inside things they are willing to admit. You do not have to choose between fraud and attempted murder when evidence proves both.”
Then audio once more.
No graphic.
Just words.
Jury left.
Two days.
Three.
I stayed with Lucas and did not sit courthouse hallway.
Adrian came over.
We made terrible pancakes.
May you like
On fourth day, call.
Verdict.
