PART 14:

What else did they discuss? Aaron detailed the rest of the conversation. Dr. Web’s objections, Marcus’ manipulation, the discussion of burial timing, the references to insurance money, and controlling Helix technologies. He spoke clearly without embellishment, sticking to exactly what he’d heard. Mr.

Cole, what did you do after hearing this conversation? I waited until they left, maybe 20 minutes later, and then I finished my shift. I went home and I spent 2 days trying to figure out what to do. Why didn’t you call the police immediately? This was the vulnerable moment. Aaron met Rachel’s eyes and told the truth because 7 years ago, I called the police about a domestic violence situation multiple times and nothing happened.

The abuser had connections, money, friends in the right places. And eventually, he killed his wife and my daughter. I learned that sometimes the system fails and calling for help doesn’t guarantee anyone will listen. So, what did you do instead? I researched. I tried to figure out what drug could mimic death well enough to fool a doctor.

I found references to compounds that slow metabolic function to near-death levels. I contacted a former colleague who works in veterinary medicine and asked hypothetically what could counteract severe brady cardia. He told me about atropene. I bought some from him and I went to that funeral planning to stop them from burying her alive.

Were you certain you’d heard correctly that this wasn’t a misunderstanding? I was certain because when I looked at Marcus Cross’s face as that casket was being lowered, I didn’t see grief. I saw a man watching a plan succeed. And when I shouted for them to stop, when I said she wasn’t dead, his first reaction wasn’t relief or hope. It was rage.

That told me everything I needed to know. No further questions, Rachel said. Vincent Caruso approached like a sharking blood. He smiled at Aaron. Friendly, grandfatherly, completely false. Mr. Cole, you testified that you have PTSD from the death of your daughter. Is that correct? I have trauma from losing my daughter and wife. Yes.

And you’ve been on medication for anxiety and depression for 7 years. Yes. Have you ever experienced hallucinations as a side effect of that medication? Aaron paused. Rachel had warned him this was coming. I’ve had intrusive thoughts and flashbacks to traumatic memories. I wouldn’t characterize them as hallucinations, but your medical records indicate that you reported to your psychiatrist that you sometimes hear your daughter’s voice.

Is that correct? The courtroom tensed. Aaron felt his face flush, but he kept his voice steady. In the first year after Maya died, yes. I sometimes thought I heard her calling me. That’s a common grief response, not a psychotic break. But you heard voices that weren’t there. Voices of people who weren’t present. Isn’t that the definition of an auditory hallucination? I was grieving. Please answer yes or no.

Did you experience auditory hallucinations? Aaron’s jaw clenched. By technical definition, yes, but that was 7 years ago, and it was my daughter’s voice in my memory, not random voices. So, you admit you’ve had issues distinguishing between real sounds and imagined ones. Rachel objected. Argumentative and mischaracterizing testimony.

Sustained. Judge Thornton said, “Rephrase, Mr. Caruso.” Caruso shifted tactics smoothly. Mr. Cole, you claim you overheard this conversation from 6 ft away through a cracked door at 1:30 in the morning. Correct. Yes. Were you tired? I’d been working for 2 hours. I was alert. But you work nights regularly.

Doesn’t that disrupt your natural sleep cycle? I’m used to it. Have you ever fallen asleep during a shift? Aaron hesitated. Once or twice over four years? Yes. During slow periods? So, it’s possible you were drowsy that night and dreamed or imagined this conversation. No, I know what I heard. You know what you think you heard. But, Mr.

Cole, isn’t it true that you have a documented history of seeing patterns of abuse and violence where others don’t? You reported your daughter’s killer to police multiple times before he acted, but officers who investigated found no evidence of imminent danger. You saw something others didn’t see, or you imagined something that wasn’t there.

Rachel was on her feet. Objection. Council is deliberately distorting Mr. Cole’s heroic attempts to prevent. Withdrawn, Caruso said smoothly. Mr. Cole, let me ask you this. If you truly believed you’d overheard a murder plot, why not record it? Why not get proof? I didn’t have my phone on me, and by the time I realized what I was hearing, they were already mid-con conversation.

How convenient. No recording, no other witnesses, just your word. My word and Dr. Webb’s confession, which corroborates everything I said. Caruso’s smile widened. Ah, yes, Dr. Webb. a man facing criminal charges who has every reason to support your story to minimize his sentence. Tell me, did you and Dr. Webb coordinate your testimony? No, I’ve never spoken to Dr.

Webb outside of that night. Really? Never? Not even after the arrest? We were both questioned by police separately. We’ve never had a private conversation. Caruso walked to the defense table retrieving a document. Mr. Cole, you testified that you bought atropene from a veterinary colleague. Isn’t it true that purchasing prescription medication without proper authorization is illegal? Aaron felt the trap closing.

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