Chapter 17 - THE TRIAL OF HOWARD SLOANE
Howard Sloane’s defense was sophisticated.
He never wrote:
Cut Emily’s brakes.
He wrote:
Handle it.
Recover documents.
Stop the meeting.
His attorneys argued Caleb Dunn acted independently.
Dunn was unreliable.
A criminal seeking reduced sentence.
True.
So prosecutors built around him.
Payment timing.
Phone geolocation.
Private investigator testimony.
Sloane’s surveillance of Emily’s hospital condition.
Deleted messages.
Pressure on EnviroCore.
Historic financial interests in Riverstone.
Rebecca Carter’s old case.
Emily testified by video because she still fatigued easily.
She did not exaggerate.
When asked whether Sloane said he would kill her—
“No.”
Whether she saw him sabotage her car—
“No.”
Whether she believed he wanted her investigation stopped—
“Yes.”
The defense attacked that as opinion.
Fair.
Then Dunn testified.
He admitted cutting the line.
Admitted payment.
Admitted instruction came through Sloane’s investigator.
The investigator, facing his own charges, confirmed Sloane told him:
“She cannot get to the state meeting with those samples.”
Sloane was convicted of conspiracy, evidence-related offenses, and charges tied to the sabotage.
Not every count.
The jury acquitted on one theory requiring proof of specific intent they did not find beyond reasonable doubt.
Daniel initially hated that.
Emily did not.
“Truth doesn’t get cleaner because we want it cleaner.”
He looked at her.
“You’ve been awake six months and you’re already unbearable.”
She smiled.
May you like
“Missed me?”
“Yes.”
