Chapter 6 - CELESTE'S DEFENSE
Celeste hired one of the best criminal-defense attorneys in the state.
Her defense was simple.
Evelyn poisoned herself.
The empty vial was the centerpiece.
Celeste claimed Evelyn staged the entire scene because she wanted to remove Celeste before gaining full trust control at thirty.
She pointed to Evelyn’s words:
You should be more careful about what you drink.
Why say that unless Evelyn tampered with Celeste’s tea?
The prosecution had an answer.
Nothing harmful was found in Celeste’s cup.
Nothing.
Evelyn had bluffed.
That helped.
But Celeste’s lawyers kept going.
Evelyn found the vial before the incident.
Could she have placed it there herself?
Possible.
Could the substance in Evelyn’s system have come from medication?
Doctors said inconsistent with ordinary use, but defense attacked certainty.
Could Celeste’s comments have been panic rather than confession?
Possible.
Again, possible mattered.
Then security audio changed the case.
The mansion system had stored portions of the emergency event.
Not video.
Audio.
Celeste:
You drank first.
Then later:
You weren’t supposed to still be awake.
Everyone in the courtroom went still when they heard that sentence.
May you like
Evelyn had forgotten it.
Celeste had not.
