Chapter 9 - FALCO’S LAST PLAN USED AVA’S FATHER AS BAIT, BUT DEREK CHOSE TO TESTIFY KNOWING SOPHIE MIGHT NEVER FORGIVE HIM
Vincent Falco was arrested four months after the night at Callaway’s.
He was taken outside a private club at 6:12 in the morning.
No shootout.
No bodyguards dying.
Federal agents walked him into an SUV while cameras recorded.
Reed watched news from his office.
Tommy watched.
I watched from my apartment while feeding Ava banana.
She spit most of it onto tray.
History.
Falco faced conspiracy charges tied to attempted kidnapping, witness tampering, assault, narcotics-related administration conspiracy regarding Ava’s bottle, poisoning conspiracy involving Mrs. Perez, racketeering, financial offenses, and older crimes strengthened by Michael’s archive.
The government did not charge every murder in ledger immediately.
Some witnesses dead.
Some evidence too old.
Some cases separate.
The world did not become neat because a villain was arrested.
Good.
Derek became central witness.
That made him target.
Falco’s lawyers attacked him as liar trying to reduce his own sentence.
True motive existed.
They also attacked me.
They suggested I knew Derek’s work.
That I carried key knowingly.
That Callaway family had staged parts to destroy Falco.
Absurd.
Still.
Defense gets to attack credibility.
I prepared.
Hannah Cole asked whether I wanted to attend hearings.
“No.”
Then:
“Yes.”
I hated that answer pattern.
At a pretrial evidentiary hearing, Derek testified about his assignment.
I sat behind prosecutors.
He did not look at me until lawyer asked:
“When did your relationship with Sophie Harper become genuine?”
Objection.
Relevance.
Judge narrowed.
Still, defense wanted show Derek acted independently.
He answered:
“I don’t know exact date.”
“Did Falco order you to have child?”
“No.”
“Did Falco order you to remain with Ms. Harper three years?”
“No.”
“So you chose.”
“Yes.”
“Did you lie to her daily?”
“Yes.”
“Did you accept Falco money while living with her?”
“Yes.”
“Did you report on her?”
“Yes.”
“Did you help arrange toxic exposure to her babysitter?”
“Yes.”
“Did you participate in plan to sedate your own daughter?”
His face broke.
“Yes.”
The courtroom went quiet.
“Why should anyone believe you now?”
Derek looked toward jury? No trial yet, judge/hearing. He answered:
“They shouldn’t because I’m sorry.”
“They should believe records that match what I’m saying.”
That was good.
Evidence.
Then defense asked:
“Do you love Sophie?”
Prosecutor objected.
Sustained.
Thank God.
I did not need courtroom romance.
Later Derek’s plea agreement was announced.
He pleaded guilty to conspiracy, identity-related fraud, witness interference, and participation in the toxic exposure and attempted child-abduction scheme, plus other offenses tied to Falco organization.
His cooperation reduced sentence.
It did not erase.
He would serve years.
Not months.
I felt relief.
Then guilt.
Then relief again.
Derek requested no contact with Ava until legally permitted and until I determined with child professionals what was appropriate.
That mattered.
He could have fought.
He did not.
Before sentencing, he wrote a letter to Ava.
Not sent.
Held by my attorney until she was older and I decided.
He wrote another to me.
I returned unopened.
I did not need.
At sentencing, I spoke.
“I do not believe Derek Vance entered my life intending to love me.”
“He entered under instruction.”
“He later loved me in whatever way he was capable of.”
“That did not stop him from taking my choices.”
I looked toward him.
“He lied because he feared truth would make me leave.”
“He left because he feared telling truth.”
“He participated in hurting people because he believed his version of danger was safer than Falco’s.”
Then:
“I am not asking the court to punish him for breaking my heart.”
“I am asking the court to consider that he used trust to gain access to my life and later participated in crimes that endangered my child and Mrs. Perez.”
I sat.
Derek spoke.
He apologized to Mrs. Perez by name.
To Elena? Elena was co-defendant not victim. No.
To Ava.
To me.
He did not say he protected.
Good.
He said:
“I confused reducing harm with not causing harm.”
That was perhaps the most accurate sentence he ever gave me.
The judge imposed a substantial sentence reflecting cooperation and crimes.
I cried afterward.
Reed found me outside.
“You okay?”
“No.”
“Good.”
I laughed through tears.
“Everyone ruined that.”
He handed tissues.
“Why are you crying?”
“I don’t know.”
“You loved him.”
“Yes.”
“He hurt you.”
“Yes.”
“He is Ava’s father.”
“Yes.”
“He did one decent thing by testifying.”
“Yes.”
“None cancel.”
I looked.
“When did you become emotionally competent?”
“Probation attorney.”
I laughed.
Reed’s own case had advanced.
He was not detained.
He had entered a cooperation and plea negotiation concerning financial crimes.
His attorneys expected a combination of forfeiture, fines, supervised release, and possibly limited custodial or home-confinement time depending charges.
Reed did not ask me to testify about his character.
Good.
Tommy entered separate agreement too.
He surrendered certain licenses and stepped away from security operations.
He remained Reed’s friend.
Not right-hand criminal operator.
Then Falco’s trial began.
The most dramatic evidence was not Michael’s ledger.
It was Derek’s recording of Falco ordering the Callaway’s operation.
Falco’s voice:
Get child asleep. Take medal. No bodies unless Callaway escalates.
Derek:
That is my daughter.
Falco:
Then you should have kept business out of your bed.
The courtroom went silent.
Derek:
Leave Ava out.
Falco:
Ava is already in because you made her.
There.
The man had treated a baby as consequence of Derek’s disobedience.
Then:
Vance, you think fatherhood makes you different?
It makes you predictable.
That sentence stayed with me.
Falco believed love created leverage.
Michael believed love required disappearance.
Margaret believed love justified death without body.
Derek believed love justified lies.
Reed had spent years believing protecting family required control.
All of them had turned love into strategy.
I was determined Ava would learn something else.
Love could include information.
Boundaries.
No.
Leaving.
Returning.
Truth.
Falco was convicted on major current conspiracy and racketeering counts and several older crimes where evidence met burden.
Not every allegation.
Good.
He received a sentence likely keeping him imprisoned for rest of his life.
Chicago did not become safe overnight.
Other men existed.
Other organizations.
But one war ended without Reed sending anyone to kill anyone.
That mattered.
After conviction, reporters surrounded us.
One shouted:
“Sophie, do you forgive Derek?”
I kept walking.
Another:
“Is Reed Callaway your protector now?”
That stopped me.
I turned.
“No.”
Reed froze beside me.
The reporter leaned.
“No?”
“He is my uncle.”
“And?”
“I protect my daughter.”
“The police protected witnesses.”
“Prosecutors built case.”
“My mother told truth late.”
“Derek cooperated after committing crimes.”
“Reed handed over records.”
“No single man saved us.”
Then I left.
Reed caught up.
“You enjoy humiliating me.”
“Yes.”
He smiled.
May you like
“Good.”
This time the word felt right.
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