It was day ten of Alistair's trail. Gwen and Rebecca got ten years,
respectfully in federal prison, upon testifying against Alistair. Julian
was sentenced to just five, due to his help from the beginning. Today,
Rebecca and Michelle would testify, along with the accused himself,
Alistair. Rebecca was sworn in first, and got to the stand.
Shana approached her first, and began to question her.
"Mrs. Hotchkiss.."
"That's Mrs. Crane".
"Not by law, it's Mrs. Hotchkiss, or Ms. Osborn, which ever you prefer?"
"Fine, Mrs. Hotchkiss".
"Okay, Mrs. Hotchkiss, when did you meet the defendant?"
"I met him at the lunch - in the Cranes have every summer to show off their heir. Ivy Winthrop and I were there, along with Alistair, and other friends of ours".
"When did you and he begin your friendship?"
"When I was told by Jonathon that Gwen and Ethan were to marry, after I gave birth to Gwen".
"Didn't you think it was a little weird to match people up, without their consent?"
"No, it's what rich people do, we keep are families rich, it was a business merger".
"But it didn't happen did it?"
"No, due to that slut Theresa".
"Mrs. Hotchkiss, if you can't answer the question without disrespecting my courtroom, then you will be held in contempt of court, you understand?", the Judge ordered.
"I'm sorry, first it was Ethan and then my ex, then Fox, and now Chad, since he is a Crane".
She looked at Theresa, and her blood was boiling. Michelle was sitting next to her, and she tapped her shoulder.
"Remember, you have everything she thought she had, and she's in jail, she's bitter, and jealous. Just let her be", she whispered.
Theresa grinned, and waived at her.
"So, you feel Theresa ruined the Cranes, but if I'm correct she wasn't the only female to have Ethan, right?"
"Right", she whispered.
"Speak up".
"Yes, it wasn't".
"There was Michelle Bradford, a young lady in law school that was very found of Ethan Crane, now Winthrop".
"Yes".
"You and Alistair, and your ex made sure they were very uncomfortable, right?"
"Yes, she didn't deserve him, and she doesn't now".
"But you and Gwen knew of their dealings, after getting rid of her right?"
"Yes, and I was afraid to say anything to anyone, cause of him".
"Right, that is the worse lie I ever heard in my life, really, why are you here today?"
"Frankly, if my Gwennie and I go down, so does he".
Thank you, no more questions your honor".
They escorted her out, and called Michelle to the stand.
"Ms. Bradford, how are you today?", Mr. Greenwich asked.
"Good, thanks".
"Why are you here, besides being the lead F.B.I. investigator on this case".
"I'm not going to lie, part of this was personal, the defendant took.....".
"So it's personal, all this evidence could have been doctored, right?"
"No, I got this evidence lawfully, and so did my team, my superior saw over everything. He knew what was going on".
"He knew about you and Ethan, and now you two are engaged?"
"Yes, I tell him everything".
"Still even after it was all said and done, you admit this was personal. A personal vendetta against my client".
"Mr. Greenwich, to be honest, to every person that has testified, it was personal. His man made it personal to everyone involved. He wanted this town to suffer, and some of witnesses suffered over a long period of time, longer than I was born. The evidence was there before I got into this case".
Your witness".
"Michelle, you were involved with Ethan Winthrop a long time ago, right?"
"Yes, in law school, and after we graduated".
"And what happened?"
"I was taken away, and forced to marry someone else".
"Who was the cause of this?"
"Alistair, and Julian Crane, along with my father".
"Wow, it's personal, but you learned of the case after this happened, right?"
"Yes, I was questioned, because I was told I was being investigated, for being involved with the family. After being interviewed, I was brought on as an informant, along with some other people in the house, and in my family".
"How much evidence was there when you got to the office?"
"Enough to build a case on murder, but they had other charges, and now other people were involved at that point".
The testimony went on, and he decided not to testify. The court room took a break for the jury to deliberate. It was a matter of two hours, and frankly everyone was worried, but whatever happened, it was time to close this chapter.
"As the jury reached a verdict?"
"We have".
"Will the defendant please rise".
"What say you".
"We the jury, in the matter of U.S. Supreme Court vs. Alistair Crane, find him guilty on all counts. Murder in the first degree, attempted murder in the first degree, bribery, fraud, and blackmail".
"Mr. Crane, I just want to say, it has taken a long time to get you, and the fact you have acted as if you were God, disgusts me. I put into place that you will serve life without parole in a federal maximum facility", the judge slammed her gavel, and ordered.
Two months passed, and it was the night of Pilar and Sam's date. He drove up to the mansion, and waited for her in the living room. Theresa and Michelle walked in, and he grinned.
"I know, I'm getting a little pouch, Pilar noticed too".
"Theresa, can I talk to Michelle alone".
"Sure, Michelle, I'll be at home if you need me, okay?"
"Alright, I'll see you in a few".
Theresa left, and she sat with him on the couch.
"Michelle, I wasn't around for a lot of Ethan's life, and frankly, I used to think Gwen was the one for him. Something was missing with them, though. I know it was that fire, something I thought Grace and I had. It wasn't there. I also thought Ivy and I had it, but she was an obsession. To get to the point, I want to thank you for the eye opener. I mean Pilar are going out. At first I thought it was weird, but to be honest, she is the most honest person I ever met, and her outlook on life was changed me forever. I just want to say, that you are what my son was missing, and I want to wish you all the happiness that you and he plan on".
She teared up, "Oh thank you, sorry it's the hormones, and I have been doing this for a while now".
"I know, it's okay, trust me. Ethan said you and Chad and Theresa were moving in together tonight? Who's idea was that?"
"Mine, Little Ethan needs his father and his mother. I didn't want to separate him. He's had enough traumas done to him, and frankly, Ethan can take care of him, and he and Ethan can bond".
"Wow, what does Theresa think?"
"She loves it, I thought she would hate me for it, but she loves it, we hang out all the time anyway, so this was better for her, since she is planning the wedding, and helping me with my mother skills", she joked.
Pilar made her way down the stairs, and she dressed casual, as did Sam. They planned to just take a walk around town, and talk".
"You look great", he said standing up.
"Well, I'll leave you two alone, my troops may come looking for me if I'm out too late".
She left as soon as Sam and Pilar left.
~Winthrop Residence~
"Can you believe you two are marrying in less than a week?", Theresa said to Ethan.
"I know, it's something I fantasized about every night".
"Ethan, can I ask you something?"
"Sure?"
"Was I a replacement for her? I mean did you love me?"
"I did, and still do. Theresa, how you felt about me, I felt about Michelle, and still do. I was furious about when she married Steven. It wasn't until she came back I found out she was forced".
"I want you to know, I love you, always will, just I know that we could never be together, but the life we created is enough for me".
"Thanks, and I never wanted to hurt you".
"Same here".
"So, what did my fiancée pick out for the colors, the designs were great, but they were lacking color".
"She wants to go with a sandy look. So she picked tan and white. She said she wanted it to represent the place she was starting her new life with you. She almost made me cry", she joked.
"Why?"
"Michelle is a passionate person, and you can hear it when she expresses herself".
~On the wharf~
Sam and Pilar walked, and talked, as Ivy approached them.
"YOU TURNED MY SON AGAINST ME! YOU ARE TRYING TO TAKE MY CHILE AWAY FROM ME, AND THEN YOU START DATING MY FRIEND? WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!", she screamed.
"Ivy, you're emotional, I'm doing what is best for this child. I may never see this child, and I would have done the same with Ethan had I known I was his father. He is doing this because he effected by what you did, you need to learn, it isn't always about you", he said annoyed.
"Pilar, he only with you because of your new money, which doesn't say much".
"You know something, I always defended you to everyone, but now, I can't even begin to answer that, but I will say this, I suggest you keep your mouth shut, because what you do will effect this custody case".
She marched off, in a huff, and Sam was furious.
"Why can't she understand I don't want her anymore. She lied one too many times, and about very important things", he said.
"She'll understand with time, just forget it, and we'll go to the Chinese restaurant, okay?"
"That sounds good, come on!", he said pulling her.
These two never felt so young before, and alive. It was a birth for this relationship, and they both wanted that.
~Book Café~
"I want to thank you Whit, I mean we we're just trying to start a new life, and frankly, I was reluctant to ask you about borrowing money", Simone said.
"You are my sister, and I'll help anyway I can, okay?"
"Alright, I'm just sorry about the lost time".
"It was over Chad, who is our brother, so don't worry, trust me, nothing is going to come between us again".
Fox and John sat looking on at the happy sisters, and were happy for them. These dinners and lunches were building a new friendship, and bond for them.
"Hey you two, we have to get going, the parties start at midnight", Fox said.
"Oh yeah! You're going right?"
"Are we invited?"
"Oh course, we are going to the mansion, and the guys are going to Ethan's house, just meet us there, okay?"
"Alright".
The foursome left in good spirits, and ready you the parties!
Spoilers~
They have the parties for Ethan and Michelle!
The wedding starts, but someone shows up, who they never thought they would see!
The case of Miguel vs. Kay begins, along with the case of Sam vs. Ivy!
And
There will be three characters coming into the story to start the sequel off, two you know of, and one who will be involved in Michelle's past.
STAY TUNED (I'm just getting started!)
Shana approached her first, and began to question her.
"Mrs. Hotchkiss.."
"That's Mrs. Crane".
"Not by law, it's Mrs. Hotchkiss, or Ms. Osborn, which ever you prefer?"
"Fine, Mrs. Hotchkiss".
"Okay, Mrs. Hotchkiss, when did you meet the defendant?"
"I met him at the lunch - in the Cranes have every summer to show off their heir. Ivy Winthrop and I were there, along with Alistair, and other friends of ours".
"When did you and he begin your friendship?"
"When I was told by Jonathon that Gwen and Ethan were to marry, after I gave birth to Gwen".
"Didn't you think it was a little weird to match people up, without their consent?"
"No, it's what rich people do, we keep are families rich, it was a business merger".
"But it didn't happen did it?"
"No, due to that slut Theresa".
"Mrs. Hotchkiss, if you can't answer the question without disrespecting my courtroom, then you will be held in contempt of court, you understand?", the Judge ordered.
"I'm sorry, first it was Ethan and then my ex, then Fox, and now Chad, since he is a Crane".
She looked at Theresa, and her blood was boiling. Michelle was sitting next to her, and she tapped her shoulder.
"Remember, you have everything she thought she had, and she's in jail, she's bitter, and jealous. Just let her be", she whispered.
Theresa grinned, and waived at her.
"So, you feel Theresa ruined the Cranes, but if I'm correct she wasn't the only female to have Ethan, right?"
"Right", she whispered.
"Speak up".
"Yes, it wasn't".
"There was Michelle Bradford, a young lady in law school that was very found of Ethan Crane, now Winthrop".
"Yes".
"You and Alistair, and your ex made sure they were very uncomfortable, right?"
"Yes, she didn't deserve him, and she doesn't now".
"But you and Gwen knew of their dealings, after getting rid of her right?"
"Yes, and I was afraid to say anything to anyone, cause of him".
"Right, that is the worse lie I ever heard in my life, really, why are you here today?"
"Frankly, if my Gwennie and I go down, so does he".
Thank you, no more questions your honor".
They escorted her out, and called Michelle to the stand.
"Ms. Bradford, how are you today?", Mr. Greenwich asked.
"Good, thanks".
"Why are you here, besides being the lead F.B.I. investigator on this case".
"I'm not going to lie, part of this was personal, the defendant took.....".
"So it's personal, all this evidence could have been doctored, right?"
"No, I got this evidence lawfully, and so did my team, my superior saw over everything. He knew what was going on".
"He knew about you and Ethan, and now you two are engaged?"
"Yes, I tell him everything".
"Still even after it was all said and done, you admit this was personal. A personal vendetta against my client".
"Mr. Greenwich, to be honest, to every person that has testified, it was personal. His man made it personal to everyone involved. He wanted this town to suffer, and some of witnesses suffered over a long period of time, longer than I was born. The evidence was there before I got into this case".
Your witness".
"Michelle, you were involved with Ethan Winthrop a long time ago, right?"
"Yes, in law school, and after we graduated".
"And what happened?"
"I was taken away, and forced to marry someone else".
"Who was the cause of this?"
"Alistair, and Julian Crane, along with my father".
"Wow, it's personal, but you learned of the case after this happened, right?"
"Yes, I was questioned, because I was told I was being investigated, for being involved with the family. After being interviewed, I was brought on as an informant, along with some other people in the house, and in my family".
"How much evidence was there when you got to the office?"
"Enough to build a case on murder, but they had other charges, and now other people were involved at that point".
The testimony went on, and he decided not to testify. The court room took a break for the jury to deliberate. It was a matter of two hours, and frankly everyone was worried, but whatever happened, it was time to close this chapter.
"As the jury reached a verdict?"
"We have".
"Will the defendant please rise".
"What say you".
"We the jury, in the matter of U.S. Supreme Court vs. Alistair Crane, find him guilty on all counts. Murder in the first degree, attempted murder in the first degree, bribery, fraud, and blackmail".
"Mr. Crane, I just want to say, it has taken a long time to get you, and the fact you have acted as if you were God, disgusts me. I put into place that you will serve life without parole in a federal maximum facility", the judge slammed her gavel, and ordered.
Two months passed, and it was the night of Pilar and Sam's date. He drove up to the mansion, and waited for her in the living room. Theresa and Michelle walked in, and he grinned.
"I know, I'm getting a little pouch, Pilar noticed too".
"Theresa, can I talk to Michelle alone".
"Sure, Michelle, I'll be at home if you need me, okay?"
"Alright, I'll see you in a few".
Theresa left, and she sat with him on the couch.
"Michelle, I wasn't around for a lot of Ethan's life, and frankly, I used to think Gwen was the one for him. Something was missing with them, though. I know it was that fire, something I thought Grace and I had. It wasn't there. I also thought Ivy and I had it, but she was an obsession. To get to the point, I want to thank you for the eye opener. I mean Pilar are going out. At first I thought it was weird, but to be honest, she is the most honest person I ever met, and her outlook on life was changed me forever. I just want to say, that you are what my son was missing, and I want to wish you all the happiness that you and he plan on".
She teared up, "Oh thank you, sorry it's the hormones, and I have been doing this for a while now".
"I know, it's okay, trust me. Ethan said you and Chad and Theresa were moving in together tonight? Who's idea was that?"
"Mine, Little Ethan needs his father and his mother. I didn't want to separate him. He's had enough traumas done to him, and frankly, Ethan can take care of him, and he and Ethan can bond".
"Wow, what does Theresa think?"
"She loves it, I thought she would hate me for it, but she loves it, we hang out all the time anyway, so this was better for her, since she is planning the wedding, and helping me with my mother skills", she joked.
Pilar made her way down the stairs, and she dressed casual, as did Sam. They planned to just take a walk around town, and talk".
"You look great", he said standing up.
"Well, I'll leave you two alone, my troops may come looking for me if I'm out too late".
She left as soon as Sam and Pilar left.
~Winthrop Residence~
"Can you believe you two are marrying in less than a week?", Theresa said to Ethan.
"I know, it's something I fantasized about every night".
"Ethan, can I ask you something?"
"Sure?"
"Was I a replacement for her? I mean did you love me?"
"I did, and still do. Theresa, how you felt about me, I felt about Michelle, and still do. I was furious about when she married Steven. It wasn't until she came back I found out she was forced".
"I want you to know, I love you, always will, just I know that we could never be together, but the life we created is enough for me".
"Thanks, and I never wanted to hurt you".
"Same here".
"So, what did my fiancée pick out for the colors, the designs were great, but they were lacking color".
"She wants to go with a sandy look. So she picked tan and white. She said she wanted it to represent the place she was starting her new life with you. She almost made me cry", she joked.
"Why?"
"Michelle is a passionate person, and you can hear it when she expresses herself".
~On the wharf~
Sam and Pilar walked, and talked, as Ivy approached them.
"YOU TURNED MY SON AGAINST ME! YOU ARE TRYING TO TAKE MY CHILE AWAY FROM ME, AND THEN YOU START DATING MY FRIEND? WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!", she screamed.
"Ivy, you're emotional, I'm doing what is best for this child. I may never see this child, and I would have done the same with Ethan had I known I was his father. He is doing this because he effected by what you did, you need to learn, it isn't always about you", he said annoyed.
"Pilar, he only with you because of your new money, which doesn't say much".
"You know something, I always defended you to everyone, but now, I can't even begin to answer that, but I will say this, I suggest you keep your mouth shut, because what you do will effect this custody case".
She marched off, in a huff, and Sam was furious.
"Why can't she understand I don't want her anymore. She lied one too many times, and about very important things", he said.
"She'll understand with time, just forget it, and we'll go to the Chinese restaurant, okay?"
"That sounds good, come on!", he said pulling her.
These two never felt so young before, and alive. It was a birth for this relationship, and they both wanted that.
~Book Café~
"I want to thank you Whit, I mean we we're just trying to start a new life, and frankly, I was reluctant to ask you about borrowing money", Simone said.
"You are my sister, and I'll help anyway I can, okay?"
"Alright, I'm just sorry about the lost time".
"It was over Chad, who is our brother, so don't worry, trust me, nothing is going to come between us again".
Fox and John sat looking on at the happy sisters, and were happy for them. These dinners and lunches were building a new friendship, and bond for them.
"Hey you two, we have to get going, the parties start at midnight", Fox said.
"Oh yeah! You're going right?"
"Are we invited?"
"Oh course, we are going to the mansion, and the guys are going to Ethan's house, just meet us there, okay?"
"Alright".
The foursome left in good spirits, and ready you the parties!
Spoilers~
They have the parties for Ethan and Michelle!
The wedding starts, but someone shows up, who they never thought they would see!
The case of Miguel vs. Kay begins, along with the case of Sam vs. Ivy!
And
There will be three characters coming into the story to start the sequel off, two you know of, and one who will be involved in Michelle's past.
STAY TUNED (I'm just getting started!)