Chapter 12: The Charges
The formal charges came through on a Thursday morning.
Priscilla was arrested on counts of felony assault on an elderly person, financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult, and forgery. Derek was charged as an accessory after the fact and with obstruction for his role in the initial false report to the police.
I was with my father when the detective called to tell us. He listened to the details in silence, then nodded once.
“Will I have to testify?”
“Possibly,” I said. “But not alone.”
He stared at the wall for a while.
“I never wanted this for either of them. But I won’t pretend it didn’t happen.”
“You don’t have to,” I answered. “The evidence will do most of the talking.”
May you like
Later that day I met with the assistant district attorney and the federal prosecutor who had been monitoring the financial side. The case was clean, well-documented, and supported by physical evidence, financial records, and multiple recorded statements. They expected plea negotiations to begin quickly.
I drove back to the hospital that evening and sat with my father while the news played softly on the television. Neither of us mentioned the names of the people who had tried to take everything from him. There was no need. The system was finally doing what it was supposed to do.
