Chapter 13: The Arrest Warrant
Lucas was ordered to turn himself in the next morning. We stood beside him as he walked into the station, hands out, ready to answer every question.
The DA laid out the charges: fraud, falsifying records, conspiracy to avoid debts. If convicted, he faced up to fifteen years in prison.
“They twisted everything,” I said to our new lawyer. “He did it to protect us.”
“Juries don’t always see it that way,” she said. “We have to prove he was the victim. That he was running for his life.”
We spent the next two weeks gathering evidence: police reports of threats, text messages, the recording Jude had made the day of the funeral, Marta’s notes, and the files Ethan had saved.
Jude sat beside Lucas every minute he could—testifying, signing statements, telling the truth about how they’d met and what they’d planned.
On the day of the preliminary hearing, the courtroom was packed with reporters and curious onlookers. David sat at the back, free on bail, watching with a smug smile.
When Lucas took the stand, he looked straight at me and Ethan. “I did what I had to do. I’d do it again to keep them safe.”
Then the DA stood up, voice sharp. “You admit you arranged a fake death? You admit you buried an innocent man in your place?”
“I admit I was running for my life,” Lucas said steady. “And I admit I was never given a choice.”
