Duplicity - A True Story of Crime and Deceit by Paul Goldman (surface ebook reader txt) 📗

was with her the entire time, can you imagine theconversations he heard? Disgusting.” My heart felt heavy for Boband little Tommy, knowing what Audrey was exposing his small sonto. I knew my findings would not only help me, but also Bob’scustody trial. “Let’s follow her this Friday, again starting ateight when the kids get dropped off at school. Only this time,let’s have two guys follow her so they won’t lose her.”

“Absolutely, Paul,” sheagreed, and again a plan was set in motion.

The phone rang at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. “Thatwas quite a day,” Joyce began, clearly happy to report somesubstantial findings. “We’re really beginning to learn herM.O.”

“How did it go?” I asked,my pen poised in anticipation.

“Samescenario to start the day: dropping the kids off at school and backon the highway to drive twenty miles north this time. She drove to a parknear Port Salerno, where she was joined by two young women, ablonde and a brunette, who were both driving Lexus cars. The threewomen sat on a bench, and Audrey began to speak to them as if shewere conducting some sort of meeting. They brought out what lookedlike accounting journals, which they worked on for about two hours.Then, something very strange happened: they started to pray.” Ofall the things Joyce might have actually found strange, the idea ofAudrey praying would be among the most unbelievable. I wasn’t surewhat to make of it.

“Pray? Hookerspraying?”

“That’s what it lookedlike,” replied Joyce, with a chuckle, also appreciating the irony.“I’ll check the video to confirm.”

“Then what happened?” Iurged.

“After the meeting, Audreymet Royce for lunch. That's when we thought we might really startto see something. Unexpectedly however, after lunch she went andpicked up one of her children, just her daughter, at school andthey returned to her apartment, only to once again return to theschool around 5:30. There were a lot of cars and it looked likesome parent-student event was taking place. So, we ended thesurveillance.”

“Interesting,” I said,surprised by both the praying and parental involvement during hertypical time off. “I’ll check with Bob Thompson for Audrey’sschedule next weekend and let you know. Thanks, Joyce.”

“You’re welcome, Paul.Talk to you soon.” Our phone conversation left me with some answersbut also with more questions. What could she be doing with thosewomen? What kind of conversations was she having with Tony andRoyce? I was tempted to begin following her myself, but I knew thatwas quite illegal. Plus, I was intent on staying positive andmoving forward, something that surreptitious stakeouts and too muchalone time in a car would certainly hinder. I decided that I wouldinstead seek out Terri Lynn for further direction in thisincreasingly confusing investigation, which so far had yielded solittle.

September 12, 2009: The Third Reading

TERRI - Audrey split from her true self at a very young age, due tosexual molestation.

PAUL - Really? Who did this? Her father? Her brother?

TERRI - Neither, it was an outsider, perhaps a caregiver, and shewas so young that she probably wouldn't consciously remember it.It's important to make contact with a vice cop in Palm Beach. Lawenforcement has to get involved, for your protectiontoo.

PAUL - Next question. On the night of our wedding, Audrey madethree calls to Royce when I was asleep. What did she talk to Royceabout?

TERRI - Tricks.

PAUL - Oh, then it wasn't about me, it was about futurebusiness.

TERRI - Business. I am also getting that she's trying to cheatRoyce.

PAUL - What is Tony Sawgrass's role in this?

TERRI - Front man. He provides the men, and takes a percentage. No,not a percentage, a gratuity. He gets money from both sides. He'stipped by the men he gets, and also gets a referral fee fromAudrey.

PAUL - From the phone logs, there's a guy in New York, a VinnyRivera, who Audrey calls every month. What's his role in thering?

TERRI - Local distribution. He sets up the clients, and Audreysends her girls to New York. You know, I'm getting that this isbig. Bigger than the Washington DC madam thing. Again, Paul, Ican't tell you how strong the feeling is for you to get local lawenforcement involved. Also, I'm getting that you should contact aninvestigative journalist. Understand that your purpose here isbigger than you, because you're the only one strong enough to standup to her and stop what she's doing. She looked at you as if youwere weak and wimpy.

PAUL - She was living a double life.

TERRI - I wouldn't call it a double life. I would call it living100% duplicitous. I would call it lying and scamming and scheming.Saying she was living a double life isn't significant enough. She'sa con artist. So, saying that she was living a double life, thisassumes that the life with you was a normal life, and that's anincorrect assumption.

PAUL - I see. She's living only one life, stealing and lying toeveryone.

TERRI - Yes, thank you. You can't say that she was living a doublelife. She was being 100% duplicitous.

PAUL - Right. Who’s Audrey’s next victim?Is victim #4 a man by the name of Mark Rogers? Or is it someoneelse who we don’t know about?

TERRI - Where are you getting that name?

PAUL - Audrey made eighty-four calls to one particular number inMay and June, so I called the number. A man answered, and Audreywas with him and so were Audrey’s three children. I concluded thatthe man was not a trick, but a boyfriend.

TERRI - Both.

PAUL - Both? Is there another person? What’s his name?

TERRI - Charlie Watson

PAUL - Where does he live?

TERRI - North, an hour north of Palm Beach, in a town with the word“bay” in it.

PAUL - Could it be Palm Bay? Has she been seeing him at the sametime as Mark Rogers, and she simply can’t decide whom she willmarry? I mean, she can't marry two guys at the sametime.

TERRI - No, but one, then the other. One will be #4 and one will be#5. She is long-term planning. Now, let me tell you.The bigger picture is most important atthis time. What you're doing to stop her is critically important,more than you know.

PAUL - What bigger picture?

TERRI - If she gets arrested,