His fists clenched.
“Unfortunately, I’m not,” the prosecutor said more gently. “I’m sorry for your loss, but it’s the truth. Your wife jumped out of a window and died on the scene.”
He covered his face with both hands and howled. He screamed like a madman. The moment they tried to calm him, the nurse injected him again, and everything faded to black.
“I’m your attorney. My name is Dmitry,” the man introduced himself, pulling a folder from his briefcase.
Spartacus looked at him blankly, then lowered his eyes.
“Your late wife's father has pressed charges against you,” the lawyer began as he took a seat across from the accused in the empty interrogation room.
“How much time am I facing?” Spartacus asked in a lifeless voice.
“A lot. More than fifteen years. But thanks to Valeria Igorevna, you won’t serve a day.”
“She a magician?” Spartacus muttered bitterly.
“You shouldn’t be sarcastic. She spared no expense to prove the evidence against you was fabricated.”
He sighed and looked at the lawyer. “What kind of evidence did Nadya’s father bring?”
“He brought in people who claimed you hired them to kidnap her, intending to use her for blackmail.”
Spartacus shook his head and groaned, burying his face in his hands.
“These people are now on our side. Don’t worry. They’re going to retract their statements.”
“Is my stepfather among them?” Spartacus asked.
“Yes, he is.”
Spartacus raised his head, stunned.
“You’re serious?”
“Unfortunately,” Dmitry replied grimly. “I’ll tell you more—he was the one who called your father-in-law the day after you got married.”
Spartacus’s mouth fell open in disbelief.
“That can’t be…”
“I even found out what motivated him. Want to hear?”
Spartacus nodded silently, too stunned to speak.
“There’s a woman in your village—Klavdia Dyankova.”
At once, Spartacus recalled the young woman he’d had several heated nights with.
“What does she have to do with anything?”
“Don’t you get it?”
“No.”
“Your stepfather was in love with her. It’s all very simple.”
“So how was I getting in the way of a man who was married and in love?” Spartacus asked, incredulous.
“He wasn’t married. But as long as you were single—or divorced—you were a threat.”
Spartacus covered his face with both hands, pressing his fingers against his eyes, and let out a muffled groan.