Chapter 4 - RICHARD HALE’S FIRST MISTAKE
Richard’s first public statement said I had suffered:
“A tragic domestic misunderstanding.”
Second:
“An unfortunate conflict between household members.”
Third:
“My wife is emotionally unstable due unresolved family grief.”
That one angered Andrew.
I found it almost funny.
Richard had benefited from my grief for three years.
Now he wanted it admitted into evidence.
Nathan’s testimony destroyed the “misunderstanding.”
He told police:
Richard was informed I was badly injured.
Richard specifically ordered:
“No doctors.”
He ordered the basement locked.
Nathan admitted he initially obeyed.
That was important.
He did not paint himself as hero.
“I should have called immediately.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“I was afraid of losing my job.”
“And what changed?”
Nathan answered:
“She stopped asking me to save her and asked me to retrieve an object.”
“That made me realize she believed she might die.”
He called emergency services.
Richard’s attorneys attacked Nathan as disgruntled.
Then the household security logs confirmed the basement door had been electronically restricted using Richard’s authorization code.
That was difficult to explain away.
The assault itself had been carried out by two private “disciplinary contractors” Richard sometimes used for off-book intimidation.
They were arrested.
One cooperated.
He said Richard’s instruction was:
“Make her admit she attacked Vanessa.”
No killing.
No hospitalization intended.
That did not make it better.
Richard had wanted coercion.
Violence became worse than he expected.
Then he denied medical care.
Separate decision.
Separate evidence.
Vanessa claimed no role in the assault.
Mostly true.
She created the staircase lie.
Richard ordered the punishment.
Her greater exposure was financial.
And potentially the plane.
Investigators separated the cases.
Good.
No giant conspiracy blob where everyone is guilty of everything.
May you like
Reality is usually divided into documents.
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