Chapter 11 - The Confession Behind Bars
Three weeks later, Ricardo received a summons from the District Attorney’s office.
Helena had requested an audience through her public defender.
Her private high-powered lawyers had abandoned her once the asset freeze took hold.
Ricardo drove into the city alone, leaving Bia with her trusted nanny at the farm.
The visitation room at the maximum-security prison smelled of bleach and cold iron.
Helena sat behind thick plexiglass, wearing an orange prison jumpsuit.
Without her cosmetics, designer jewelry, and salon styling, she looked twenty years older.
Her hair was streaked with grey, and her eyes were hollow and sunken.
Ricardo picked up the heavy plastic telephone receiver.
Helena lifted hers with trembling, handcuffed wrists.
"Why did you ask to see me, Helena?" Ricardo asked flatly.
Helena let out a dry, rasping breath against the receiver.
"I want you to know something, Ricardo," she whispered bitterly.
"I don't regret trying to save the company from Clara's foolishness."
"She was a saint, Helena," Ricardo said, his voice cold. "And you are a monster."
"She was weak!" Helena snapped, tapping her yellowed nails against the glass.
"She wanted to sell our manufacturing plants! She wanted to put five thousand people out of work!"
"She was restructuring them into employee-owned cooperatives," Ricardo corrected.
"You were the one who wanted to liquidate the pensions and pocket the profit."
Helena stared at him, her lips curling into a bitter, defeated sneer.
"The DA is offering a plea deal," Helena said, her voice dropping.
"Life without parole if I plead guilty to first-degree murder."
"If I don't take it, they will seek the death penalty."
"Take the deal, Helena," Ricardo said calmly.
"Because if you go to trial, I will put Bia on that witness stand."
"And the jury will look at that little girl's eyes and send you to death row before lunchtime."
Helena's jaw tightened.
May you like
A single tear of self-pity rolled down her wrinkled cheek.
She knew she was defeated.
