Chapter 13 - The Witness Nobody Could Buy
Alina met Ruth at her office on Wednesday.
I joined by video from my apartment, where I'd been discharged with strict instructions to protect my knee and return for neurological follow-up.
June had stocked my refrigerator and moved everything I needed onto reachable shelves.
Alina appeared on the screen wearing a navy sweater.
She looked nervous.
Ruth greeted her warmly.
“Thank you for coming. I understand you've brought the original recording.”
Alina placed her phone on the table.
“Yes. It has the complete video, not just the clip I sent Merritt.”
“Why were you recording?”
“Our florist wanted footage of the staircase installation. We were photographing the arrangements before guests entered.”
“Did anyone ask you to delete the recording afterward?”
Alina nodded.
“Mrs. Vale did.”
“Did she offer you money?”
“No. She threatened to complain to my employer.”
“Did you personally see Sloan push Merritt?”
“Yes.”
“Did you hear Sloan say she intended to hurt her sister?”
“No. I heard her say she'd handle the brace. I didn't know she meant to push anybody until it happened.”
I appreciated the distinction.
Alina wasn't trying to make her testimony more dramatic.
She was telling the truth.
Ruth continued asking questions about where Alina had stood, whether anyone obstructed her view, and what happened after the fall.
Alina described my mother's attempt to pull me upright.
She described the security guard receiving instructions from Dad.
Then her voice cracked.
“I kept thinking somebody would tell them to stop.”
I knew exactly what she meant.
Ruth finished her notes.
“We may ask you to provide a formal statement later.”
“Okay.”
“You should also preserve any communications from the wedding party or the venue.”
Alina nodded.
Then she looked at me through the screen.
“I'm sorry I didn't step in sooner.”
“You sent me the truth,” I said. “That mattered.”
After the meeting, Ruth stayed on the call.
“The venue has confirmed through its counsel that the staircase security recording was preserved.”
“Can we get it?”
“We've requested it through the appropriate process. It may become available in litigation.”
“Will it prove Sloan planned the whole thing?”
“We'll see what it shows. We already have strong evidence that she pushed you deliberately. But intent, the extent of planning, and liability are separate questions.”
I leaned back against my pillows.
For once, I didn't need the most dramatic answer.
I needed the most reliable one.
Then Ruth added, “Your sister's attorney contacted my office this morning.”
My chest tightened.
May you like
“What does Sloan want?”
“She wants us to stop contacting witnesses.”
