Chapter 16 - The Deposition
Three weeks later, we gathered in a formal conference room at the county courthouse for the mandatory legal deposition under oath.
Ryan sat across the long conference table wearing a cheap off-the-rack suit he had bought at a discount store. Beside him sat Linda, looking frail, pale, and decades older than she had a month ago. Their aggressive lawyer, Sterling, looked grim and tight-lipped.
I sat beside Arthur Vance, wearing a sharp navy blazer, perfectly composed, with my laptop open in front of me.
Arthur adjusted his glasses, pressed record on the digital video recorder, and looked at Ryan.
"State your name for the record."
"Ryan Thomas Miller," he muttered, looking down at his hands.
For the next four hours, Arthur conducted a flawless, devastating cross-examination.
He laid out every bank transfer, every text message, every frantic voicemail, and the glowing evaluation report from Dr. Thorne.
"Mr. Miller," Arthur asked, holding up a high-resolution photo of Ethan’s torn drawing pulled from the trash. "Did you, or did you not, authorize your mother to throw your son's personal belongings into the waste bin?"
Ryan swallowed hard, sweating profusely under the overhead fluorescent lights. "I... I didn't see her put it in the trash..."
"Answer yes or no, Mr. Miller," Arthur demanded, his voice ringing like a gavel. "Did you state to your wife on the phone, quote: 'It's just stuff, he's eight years old, he can sleep on the couch'?"
Ryan looked at his lawyer, but Sterling just stared at the table, offering no help.
"Yes," Ryan whispered, his head hanging low. "I said that."
"And did you know," Arthur continued, sliding the forensic financial audit toward Linda, "that your mother had accumulated over $180,000 in personal gambling debts prior to moving into the Oakridge home?"
Linda gasped, clutching her chest. "That is private personal information!"
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"It is evidence of financial fraud, Mrs. Miller," Arthur said sharply. "You manipulated your son into stealing from his wife's trust fund to pay off your debts, and when Sarah discovered it, you attempted to push her child out of his own room to solidify your control over the property."
Sterling finally stood up, slapping his folder shut. "We... we need a recess. We want to discuss a settlement."
