Chapter 8 - THE WOMAN WHO SAID IT WAS AN ACCIDENT
Vanessa Kensington was arrested before sunset.
Her attorney arrived within an hour.
By midnight, she was telling police the fall had been an accident.
"Khloe became aggressive."
Detective Ruiz stared across the interview table.
"She's eight months pregnant."
"Pregnant women can still be aggressive."
"Did you touch her?"
"I tried to stop her from falling."
"Multiple witnesses saw your hands on her."
Vanessa swallowed.
"Because I was trying to catch her."
Ruiz placed a photograph on the table.
It showed Vanessa standing at the top of the stairs moments after Khloe fell.
Both arms were extended.
Vanessa looked away.
Meanwhile, Richard released a statement through his public relations team.
My family has suffered a terrible accident today.
We are praying for Khloe and our daughter.
Harrison read it outside intensive care.
Then he called Richard.
Richard answered after five rings.
"Harrison."
"You called it an accident."
"My lawyers told me not to speculate."
"You were standing beside Vanessa."
"I arrived after Khloe fell."
Harrison closed his eyes.
Another lie.
"I heard you."
Silence.
"You told Vanessa not to say anything."
Richard lowered his voice.
"You're emotional."
Harrison almost smiled.
"I've been called many things."
"Emotional is rarely one of them."
"Stay away from the hospital."
"She's my wife."
"Not for long."
"You don't control that."
"No."
Harrison looked through the glass toward Khloe's room.
"But Khloe does."
Richard's voice hardened.
"Don't turn this into war."
Harrison disconnected.
Then Detective Ruiz called.
"We have a problem."
"What?"
"The courthouse surveillance footage is incomplete."
Harrison said nothing.
Ruiz continued.
"The camera covering the upper staircase jumps forward eleven seconds."
"When?"
"Exactly when your sister fell."
Harrison's face became still.
"Technical failure?"
"The courthouse technician says the system hasn't skipped footage in four years."
"Who accessed it?"
"We're checking."
Harrison looked toward the neonatal intensive care unit.
His newborn niece was inside an incubator.
His sister was unconscious.
Vanessa was claiming self-defense.
Richard was lying publicly.
And eleven seconds had disappeared from government surveillance.
For the first time, Harrison understood the scale of what they were facing.
This was no longer an affair.
May you like
It was no longer fraud.
Someone was cleaning the scene.
