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

But, I still would enjoy TVwatching, sleeping/snuggling, riding the bike, etc… all the thingswe used to do but without the LOVE… just friendship. Or not…doesn’t really take too much of my heart or head any more.

To Royce, January 13, 2008: While we werestill happily married.

When you return… You’ll find me in theprocess of being:

120 pounds of totally toned (legs/stomach)& tanned, 100% of a loving and compassionate mother / daughter/ partner / friend who chooses to be completely complaint free,honest and enjoys sharing healthy comfort cooking. I shall provethat “we” CAN change (if “we” WANT).

I beg you to return “in the process ofmaking” these much needed “similar” changes. We were put togetherfor good reasons.

We ARE soul mates … an unexplainable specialgift!

I’m NOT going to let you RUN any more.

It’s our destiny to be together “‘til deathdo us part.” Please help me make our journey a peaceful, free lifetogether.

February 5, 2008: Still happily married (orso I thought).

After an hour or so ofreading email after email, I read the last message and turned offthe computer. My eyes were tired, my back hurt, and the weight of aburdening reality would not let me stand from my seat. It struck methat Royce treated Audrey exactly as Audrey treated me. He kept herat a distance. I saw no love emails from Royce to Audrey. Audreybegged Royce the same way I begged Audrey to keep our marriagetogether. Her willingness to excuse all and put up with anythingalso had been like me. And it became clear to me that Royce wasusing her for the money she made him just as Audrey had used me. Igot a kind of cold satisfaction realizing that Audrey's love forRoyce was intense, emotional, complete... and completelyunrequited. He was using her simply to pad his bank account, andfor recreational sex, when she came up in the rotation of Royce's“other girls.”

I wanted to burn these emails. Instead, Iread them again, and emotionally used them to fuel mydetermination. The words of Winston Churchill echoed in my ears.“Never give up. Never quit,” he said, when things looked thedarkest. I felt he was talking to me. I would not rest until Audreyand her associates were brought to justice.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

A Question of Custody

January 28 – 30, 2010

I was sitting quietly in the cold courtroom,my eyes tracing the lines of the mahogany bench standing at theforefront of the room, commanding respect and imposing authority.The judge had yet to enter, but the room was abuzz with variouspeople bustling in and out through the heavy double doors. Therewere complainants waiting to air their grievances, there were theindicted considering every possible approach, there were attorneyssizing each other up while also attempting to appear indifferent,and then there was me. I was there to make sure Audrey got her justdesserts, and though our own divorce trial was still months away, Ihad come in support of Bob and his attempt to secure full custodyof Tommy.

My eyes moved from the outline of the benchto the outline of Bob’s head. Seated just a few feet away with hisattorney, I watched him slowly nod in agreement while his lawyerwhispered in his ear. His hair was thinning and gray, his ears weresmall and symmetrical, and his neck appeared to be bursting out ofhis collar, tightly secured with a conservative blue tie. Iwondered if Bob and I would ever have become acquaintances were itnot for Audrey. We were both hardworking, honest men who lovedtheir sons. We were also two men who had loved Audrey, and two menwho had made a horrible decision in marrying her.

At that moment the largedouble doors swung open and in stormed Audrey with an annoyedexpression on her face and her equally annoyed lawyer, determinedto keep up with her. I stared at her as they maneuvered into thefront seats, and I watched with disgust while she adjusted herdress and smoothed her hair in hurried preparation. The sound ofthe bailiff declaring, “All rise!” diverted my attention back tothe front of the courtroom where Judge Richard L. Wilkersonsauntered in and took his position behind the bench.

The trial was scheduledfor three days. Audrey had no witnesses. Bob had many. Among themore important was Dr. Templeton, a court-ordered socialinvestigator and psychologist. Her report, already filed with thecourt, diagnosed Audrey as a sociopath, a habitual liar, and anunfit mother who was incapable of co-parenting. According to Dr.Templeton, Audrey was harmful to the emotional well-being of herchildren and she was prepared to state exactly that on the firstday of the trial. Dr. Templeton’s testimony would be the mostimportant, and the most damning for Audrey.

For the second day, I was scheduled totestify about Audrey’s inability to care for Tommy based on what Isaw firsthand during our courtship and marriage. In addition, thejudge would also hear testimony from Miles, Bob’s privateinvestigator, Joe Munson, Audrey’s first husband, and threeex-boyfriends. Each of the boyfriend's stories were similar. Afteronly a brief acquaintance, sometimes as little as one week, theywould make the fateful decision to allow Audrey to move in withthem. In each case, after getting to know her, usually within amonth, she was asked to leave. She would indeed go, but on her wayout of their house, would steal anything that wasn't nailed down,and then try to defraud them by asking for money to abort theimaginary fetus of her fake pregnancy.

On the third day, the judge would hear fromboth Audrey and Bob.

Unfortunately, the testimonies did not unfoldas scheduled. Dr. Templeton’s testimony took two full days, duringwhich she recommended that Bob be given sole custody, Audrey’svisitations be supervised, and, due to her promiscuous lifestyle,Audrey not be allowed to have Tommy overnight. Dr. Templeton alsotestified that this was the first time in her entire career thatshe made such strong recommendations.

By the time Peter Waltongot set to cross examine her, I was sure he’d want to dismiss herand her analysis as quickly as possible. He did the opposite.Walton forced Dr. Templeton to explain her report line by line inan increasingly obvious attempt to drag out her testimony. Thisresulted in only one day left for witnesses, instead of theexpected two.

So, the third day