Chapter 23 - The Unexpected Witness
On the third day of the trial, Prosecutor Miller called a surprise witness whose name was kept secret until the last moment.
The double doors of the courtroom swung open, and an elderly woman in a wheelchair was wheeled down the center aisle.
It was Rose Henderson, Eleanor's personal housekeeper who had disappeared mysteriously three years prior.
Rose took the witness stand, her voice trembling but clear as she adjusted her microphone under the judge's direction.
"I saw Mrs. Vance put chemical drops into Clara's tea every morning before her accident," Rose testified under oath.
"And I heard her tell Dr. Vance that she would lock Lily in the freezer until the child signed over the estate," Rose added.
Eleanor stood up violently from her chair, screaming obscenities at the witness until three federal marshals forced her down.
"Order in the court! Sit down, Mrs. Vance, or you will be removed!" Judge Brooks shouted, slamming her gavel repeatedly.
The defense attorney put his head in his hands, realizing that no legal argument could save his client from total ruin.
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The jury deliberated for less than forty-five minutes before returning to the courtroom with a unanimous verdict.
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