Chapter 7 - The Trial of Greed
Six months later. Maricopa County Superior Court.
The trial of The State of Arizona v. Kristina Finch and Edgar Finch had captured the attention of the entire state. News cameras lined the courtroom hallways as prosecutors laid out the terrifying case of greed, betrayal, and attempted murder.
Nora took the witness stand on the fourth day of the trial.
She wore a tailored navy blue suit, her hair styled neatly, her posture erect and commanding. Across the courtroom, Edgar sat in a wheelchair, his right leg severely scarred and withered from the venom, looking broken and haggard. Kristina sat beside her public defender, her face bitter, old, and defeated.
For three hours, Nora delivered calm, bulletproof testimony. She presented the audio recordings, the financial audits showing $850,000 in stolen funds, and the timeline of events from that fateful night.
Under cross-examination, Edgar’s lawyer tried to argue that Edgar was an unwitting participant manipulated by his mother.
"Mrs. Preston," the defense attorney asked, "isn't it true that your husband was under immense psychological pressure from both you and his mother?"
"My husband was under no pressure," Nora responded, her voice echoing clearly across the courtroom. "He enjoyed a multi-million-dollar lifestyle funded entirely by my labor. When that wasn't enough, he stole from my company. And when stealing wasn't fast enough, he plotted with his mother to end my life so he could collect $25 million. That isn't pressure, counselor. That is pure, unadulterated evil."
The jury took less than two hours to deliberate.
The verdict was unanimous: Guilty on all counts.
Kristina Finch was sentenced to 22 years in state prison for attempted first-degree murder and conspiracy. Given her age, it was effectively a life sentence.
Edgar Finch was sentenced to 15 years in maximum-security prison for conspiracy to commit murder, grand larceny, and corporate fraud.
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As the bailiffs cuffed Edgar and led him toward the holding cell, he turned back, his eyes searching frantically for Nora. "Nora! Please! Look at me! I still love you!"
Nora didn't even turn her head. She walked out of the courtroom surrounded by her legal team, her head held high, stepping out into the brilliant Arizona sunshine without ever looking back.
