Avenge (Abuse Book 3) by Nikki Sex

Author:Nikki Sex [Sex, Nikki & Beans, S. H.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance, Contemporary, Romantic Suspense, Mystery & Suspense, Suspense
Amazon: B01816ZR66
Published: 2015-11-14T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 39.

“…laugh at the things that hurt you just to keep yourself in balance, just to keep the world from running you plumb crazy.”

― Ken Kesey, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

~~~

Grant Wilkinson

My brother enters a plea of ‘not guilty’ at his arraignment.

Mother turns up to support him in a royal blue suit, high heels, strings of pearls, with her brunette hair perfectly coiffured.

“My son is innocent,” she proclaims.

With her soft Southern accent and confident good-looks, (and good breeding) she’s as impressive as Scarlett in ‘Gone with the Wind.’

Lee Brewer, the Dallas D.A., has his hands full with her. Heartbroken widow that she is, Mother can’t understand how, “Mister Brewster, a good Christian, from a good family,” could be so obviously mislead.

I almost feel sorry for the District Attorney. Over six foot tall, with a muscular frame thickened with age, the big man cowers under her biting scorn and condemnation. Between our expensive lawyer’s celebrated debating skills and entreaties by our ‘help-others-fulltime-fundraising’ mother, my brother has every advantage.

The fact mother personally knows the judge doesn’t hurt either.

Eventually, after long discussions, I manage to strong-arm Brewster into lowering Alex’s charge to manslaughter, a second degree felony. I exploit the D.A.’s every weakness, ruthless manipulating him like an unscrupulous politician. I discuss the Wilkinson family's standing in the community, all the while throwing big names around like confetti. I even point out my military career, a card I never use.

Yet, what really clenches the deal for moderation is when my mother leaves and I show the D.A. photos of my father and me.

It shocks the hell out of him.

Brewster immediately sees the necessity of downplaying such a high profile murder. Sexual abuse makes people squeamish. It evokes sympathy for the victim of abuse and vengeful thoughts toward the murdered party. The D.A. hopes to avoid shark-like news coverage as well as a media circus.

Good luck with that.

Alex’s probation bond is set at five hundred thousand—surprisingly cheap really, considering the damning premeditation in evidence. His was no spontaneous, heat of the moment crime of passion—quite the opposite. Murder had been planned in a cold and calculated manner.

I expected the bail to be a few million. For now all he will suffer is home detention, a confiscated passport and the need to wear an ankle monitor.

As far as I can see, legal justice and true justice are NOT related.

Money talks and so does having numerous high-powered associations. Corruption and ‘gentleman’s agreements’ are widespread and acceptable. I can’t help but have contempt for the system. Rich, well-connected white people from good, or more accurately, reputable families tend not to go to jail.

There’s a reason stereotypes hang around—often they’re completely accurate.

It’s a cynical way for me to look at things, particularly when it's working in Alex's favor. I'm unfairly playing the system in the precise manner I detest, but my brother isn’t incarcerated.

Now he’s at home with his family, awaiting trial.

Today, after a troubled night’s sleep, I drive to my brother’s house, dodge the foot and street traffic, and barely manage to navigate into his driveway.

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