Chapter 6 - Serena Starts Talking
Serena’s first proffer lasted five hours.
I did not attend.
Victims do not sit in negotiation room watching suspects bargain.
Detective Reed summarized after.
Serena admitted affair.
Policy impersonation.
Luring me to overlook.
Knowing Victor intended “an accident” during Aspen trip.
She denied knowing he would physically shove me.
She claimed Victor told her:
“Elena will go over because trail is unstable.”
Meaning he planned to manipulate location and let accident happen?
That distinction sounded thin.
Then she admitted blocking my path.
“He told me not to let her get back to car until he finished talking.”
Finished.
Then after fall:
She looked down.
Saw me move?
Her first proffer:
“No.”
Second, after confronted with messages:
“Maybe.”
Finally:
“Yes. I thought I saw her arm.”
My stomach turned.
She saw.
“Why not call?”
“Victor said if she survived, we were both going to prison.”
Not answer.
She chose herself.
Then Martin.
Did Serena know?
“Yes.”
She met him once.
Dinner.
Victor introduced Martin as “the man making paperwork possible.”
Martin told Serena:
“Remote verification needs to look clean.”
That implicated him in impersonation directly.
Did Martin know murder?
Serena claimed:
“I don’t know.”
At dinner Victor joked:
“Aspen is going to solve several problems.”
Martin responded:
“Keep me out of whatever you mean.”
That could support plausible deniability of murder while knowing insurance fraud.
Important.
No evidence Martin ordered killing.
He facilitated fraudulent policy and claim, perhaps expecting staged accident but not necessarily murder? Later messages might show he suspected. We need not overcharge homicide if not provable.
Then Serena produced voice recording.
Why record?
Insurance for herself.
She had secretly recorded Victor in hotel week before trip.
Victor:
After Saturday, you and I wait. You do not touch claim money directly.
Serena:
What if she doesn’t go near edge?
Victor:
She will.
Serena:
And if she doesn’t?
Victor:
Then I make sure.
There.
Premeditation.
Then:
Serena:
I don’t want to see.
Victor:
Then close your eyes.
No ambiguity.
She knew.
Her lawyer argued she tried back out.
Did she?
Messages:
SERENA:
Maybe we should stop.
VICTOR:
You already committed fraud.
SERENA:
That doesn’t mean murder.
VICTOR:
You want six million or not?
SERENA:
Yes.
That ended.
Then prosecutor offered provisional cooperation deal contingent truthful testimony and corroboration.
No immunity.
Potential plea to conspiracy to commit murder, insurance fraud, identity theft, with substantial prison but lower than trial.
She accepted proffer, not final.
Then arrest.
Serena surrendered.
Victor next.
Investigators now had enough:
My statement.
Scene.
Video.
Messages.
Serena recording.
Insurance fraud.
Victor was arrested at his Denver office.
Not funeral.
He was wearing navy suit.
Local news filmed.
He did not resist.
Then he asked:
“Is Elena alive?”
Detective Reed did not answer immediately.
His attorney arrived.
Then during booking he was served with charging affidavit that identified surviving victim.
He learned.
According to Reed, Victor sat completely still.
Then:
“The baby?”
Alive.
Victor closed eyes.
Not relief.
Maybe fear.
Then he said one sentence before lawyer stopped him:
“That’s impossible.”
Impossible.
Not thank God.
Not my son.
Impossible.
That was the response of a man whose plan failed.
Then bond hearing.
Charges included attempted first-degree murder, conspiracy, assault, and insurance-related offenses to be coordinated with federal authorities later.
Serena held too.
Victor’s attorney argued strong community ties.
Prosecution argued extreme flight risk given resources, severity, witness concerns.
Judge ordered high secured bond and restrictive conditions; because he could possibly post? Prosecutor sought detention. In Colorado, bail rules complex. Let's keep: he remained detained after court found conditions insufficient under applicable detention proceedings given violent charge and evidence. No need exact.
Then Victor’s company.
Employees.
Not all villains.
The company appointed receiver due debts.
Projects continued under lenders.
No Ariana? I'm Elena. Adrian not involved except policy.
Then divorce.
I told my attorney:
“File.”
She did.
Emergency orders.
Sole temporary custody of Lucas to me.
Victor could not contact except through counsel.
No parental visitation while attempted murder case.
His lawyer did not contest temporary.
Then my surname.
I was Elena Hale legally.
Did I want Marlowe?
Not yet.
Names can wait.
Then Victor sent no letter.
He sent through attorney request for photograph of Lucas.
I said no.
Would court later allow? Criminal/no-contact and child welfare. His parentage exists but attempted murder of pregnant mother. Court could restrict.
I did not make lifetime decision in hospital.
Then Adrian.
He received DNA result.
99.99 percent probability of paternity.
He brought paper but did not hand until I asked.
“So it’s true.”
“Yes.”
I looked at him.
“What do you want from me?”
His face changed.
“Nothing you don’t want to give.”
“That sounds rehearsed.”
“It was.”
I laughed.
Then he said:
“I would like to know you.”
I looked at Lucas.
“I don’t know what to call you.”
“Adrian works.”
“Good.”
He smiled.
“Grandpa?”
I glared.
“Too fast.”
“Understood.”
Then Lucas sneezed.
Adrian whispered:
May you like
“I can wait.”
That was perhaps first reason I believed he might deserve chance.
