Chapter 25 - LORETTA EXPLAINS THE HEIR
Loretta testified.
Her lawyer advised against it.
She wanted the family to understand her.
That desire outweighed legal caution.
“Why did you call Isolde a weak heir?”
“Because the Corsetti family has survived by strength.”
The prosecutor asked:
“Is a medical brace weakness?”
“It can become dependency.”
“According to which doctor?”
Silence.
Then:
“Why move her room?”
“Claudia had returned home after a divorce.”
“Why not another suite?”
“She is an adult daughter of the house.”
“Is Isolde not a daughter of the house?”
“My granddaughter.”
There.
Rank.
Then the rehab school.
“I wanted Isolde to become independent.”
“By making her more dependent at home?”
Loretta stiffened.
“I wanted Valentino to stop coddling her.”
“Did you cancel therapy?”
“Yes.”
“Did you tell Dr. Mallory?”
“No.”
“Did you remove the brace?”
“Yes.”
“Did you know he required it for walking?”
“Yes.”
“Then why?”
Loretta looked toward me.
“Because Valentino would never see she could function without it unless someone made her try.”
The prosecutor paused.
“She fell.”
Loretta looked down.
“That was not supposed to happen.”
There.
Intent narrowed.
Risk remained.
Then my mother said:
“My son has forgotten what this family requires.”
The prosecutor asked:
May you like
“What does it require from a six-year-old?”
Loretta had no answer that sounded sane.
