Chapter 5 - The sidewalk video
The tower had cameras.
Of course.
The first video showed the collapse.
No audio.
I came out near the limousine.
Spoke to sons.
Collapsed.
Reached.
Daniel’s foot came down over my hand.
He stepped across me.
Marcus remained by the car.
Then entered.
Limousine left.
Thomas appeared twenty-seven seconds later.
Twenty-seven seconds is not long unless you are on concrete wondering whether your chest will stop.
A second camera captured audio from the building canopy.
Poor quality.
Enough.
My:
“Daniel… help me…”
Then Daniel:
“Don’t touch my tailored suit, you bankrupt embarrassment.”
Evelyn watched once.
Then closed the laptop.
“I’m sorry.”
I said:
“Don’t be.”
“Arthur.”
“Use it.”
“For what?”
“Everything.”
She shook her head.
“We use evidence where appropriate. Not as a grenade.”
“You’re boring.”
“Alive clients often find me boring.”
Police interviewed me.
I told the truth.
Daniel’s lawyer said the foot contact was accidental.
Video made that difficult but not impossible.
Did he intentionally crush my hand?
No serious injury.
The larger issue was abandoning a person in apparent medical distress after acknowledging the collapse.
Illinois law did not magically transform bad sons into attempted murder defendants.
Prosecutors evaluated.
No immediate major criminal charge.
The company board had a different question:
Did the CEO’s conduct create a governance and reputational problem?
Daniel said the video was:
“A private family matter.”
That phrase has buried more accountability than bad lawyers ever could.
Marcus issued a statement through counsel:
“I believed emergency personnel had been called and my father was receiving assistance.”
Video showed Thomas had not yet arrived when Marcus entered the limousine.
Could someone inside the tower have been calling?
Yes.
Marcus saw employees.
He claimed he believed they would help.
Morally weak.
May you like
Legally complicated.
Reality.
