Chapter 20 - Estelle on the Stand
My mother looked small on the witness stand.
Not physically.
In the way people do when their certainty has to survive questions.
She admitted ownership.
Loan to Gwendolyn only for wedding.
No gift.
No permission to Thayer.
Then messages.
Thayer:
Keep jewelry cases up high.
Percy’s curious.
Estelle:
I know.
Then wedding morning:
He’ll probably be around bridal table because of airplane cards. Just watch ring.
The prosecutor asked:
“Did that influence your suspicion?”
“Yes.”
“Did Thayer tell you Percival stole the ring?”
“No.”
“Did he tell you to strike Percival?”
“No.”
Good.
“Who made that choice?”
“I did.”
The courtroom stayed silent.
Then defense.
“You were embarrassed after hitting your grandson.”
“Yes.”
“You pleaded guilty.”
“Yes.”
“You lost unsupervised access to him.”
“For a time, yes.”
“You wanted someone else responsible.”
“No.”
“You blamed Mr. Cole.”
“For some things.”
“Isn’t it true you had already described Percival as a child who pockets things?”
“Yes.”
“So Thayer did not invent the concern.”
“No.”
“Isn’t it true he repeatedly used the word curious rather than thief?”
“Yes.”
Good.
Then:
“Did you ever tell Gwendolyn the ring would someday be hers?”
“Yes.”
“Did Thayer hear that?”
“Probably.”
“So he might have believed he was borrowing against his future wife’s property.”
Estelle looked at him.
Then:
“No.”
The defense attorney smiled.
“That is your interpretation.”
“Yes.”
“Nothing further.”
On redirect, prosecutor showed the group text:
Wear it for ceremony. Give it back before reception gets messy.
Thayer thumbs-up.
That was enough.
My mother stepped down.
As she passed me, our eyes met.
No smile.
But I nodded.
May you like
She had told the truth even when it made her look bad.
That was new.
