The Trial of Victor Mercer
Chapter 14 - The Trial of Victor Mercer
Victor’s trial began eighteen months after the mansion confrontation.
Prosecutors charged him with murder, conspiracy, fraud, bribery, witness intimidation and attempted theft of trust assets.
The courtroom could not contain everyone affected.
Daniel’s former colleagues sat beside construction workers whose pensions nearly funded Victor’s sale. Emily attended with school officials. Frank Delaney testified from behind a privacy screen after entering witness protection.
Owen Pike described the brake sabotage.
Victor’s attorneys attacked him as a criminal bargaining for leniency. Owen admitted he hoped for a reduced sentence.
Then prosecutors produced the damaged brake line from the company garage, purchase records and location data placing Owen near Daniel’s car.
The financial case was equally precise. Northstar transfers matched the stolen reserve money. Victor’s private accounts received the proceeds. The forged ledger relied on Laura’s stolen notary seal and paper purchased by Victor’s executive office.
Sarah testified for two days.
She described Daniel’s fear, the surveillance and the offer of cash. The defense suggested she invented the inheritance claim after discovering the ledger.
Sarah answered, “I would have traded every share for my husband to come home.”
Noah did not testify in person.
His authenticated upload from the study was played instead. The jury watched Victor approach a child and say Daniel caused his own death because he did not understand power.
Victor took the stand against his attorneys’ advice.
He portrayed himself as the only son capable of saving the company. Jonathan’s trust, he said, would have handed control to an idealistic brother who could not make hard decisions.
The prosecutor asked whether sabotaging brakes was a hard business decision.
Victor denied ordering it.
Then she played a recovered voice message to Owen:
Make sure Daniel cannot reach the board tomorrow. I do not care what the road has to do.
May you like
Victor had deleted the message.
Northstar’s server had not.
