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

too much income. Audrey had not included as incomeher child support payments from Bob Thompson (also forgetting tomention the average $3,000 monthly cash deposit income). AfterWelfare made their decision, drastically cutting down her benefits,Audrey, true to form, appealed, and when her appeal was denied,exhibiting the sociopathic quality of believing she is invincibleand everyone else is an idiot, Audrey appealed yet again. Thistime, as part of her appeal she created an Affidavit of Indigency, declaringunder oath that she had no assets of any kind.

“Ms. Munson, I have herean application for Welfare that you filed on December 18, 2009. Isthat your signature?”

“Yes,” Audreynodded.

“Ms. Munson, would youplease read the highlighted items to the court?” Again, Audreysquinted and read the damning evidence before her:

I have $0 in assets. No cash. No real estate. Nomotor vehicles.

She sat back in her chair and stared insolently atAdam.

“Ms. Munson, please take a look atthis vehicle registration of a 2001 Honda Accord with your name. Isthis your car?” Adam held up the registration for her to see beforeshowing it to everyone in the courtroom.

“Yes.”

“Ms. Munson, please take a look atthis deed from the California townhouse, the one you are claiming a50% ownership in. Is this your name on the deed along with Mr.Goldman’s?”

“Yes.”

“Then why did you lie on yourapplication for Welfare and state that you had no real estate ormotor vehicles? Did you realize that if you did claim these you,probably would not qualify for Welfare?” Audrey looked straightahead, and said nothing. I looked over at Judge Andrews, curious toknow how he’d react to Audrey defrauding a system that he was apart of. I expected the judge to instruct Audrey to answer thequestion, but he let it pass.

After that, court was dismissed for lunch. In thehallway, Mia O’Shea, the TV news person, was interviewing Walton,her attorney, when Adam and I entered the hallway. Standing just afew feet away, I watched as Walton called me delusional forimplying his client was a prostitute. “But even if she is,” hecontinued, “it's irrelevant to the legal matter in front of thecourt, which is the division of marital assets.” Audrey refused tosay a word to Mia, instead choosing to cross her arms and glare atthe wall.

When they finished their interview, Mia O’Shea saidshe wanted better lighting, so Adam and I walked outside with herand her cameraman, where Mia interviewed both of us. I said Ibelieved that Audrey Munson was the madam of, and a workingprostitute in, a huge multi-state prostitution ring. I told herabout emails and phone logs. Mia then asked Adam if he also thoughtAudrey was a prostitute. Adam agreed, saying, “Look at all theemails and the one-time phone calls to hundreds of men. And thecash deposits, the calls to hotels, and the trips to Vegas andChicago. Ms. Munson is definitely not a stay-at-home mom. If itlooks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, myexperience as a lawyer leads me to believe that it's probably aduck.”

Over lunch, I decided I had to ask Adam about hislack of follow-up questions. “What the hell were you doing? You hadher on the ropes, and didn’t go in for the kill!” All my pent upemotion during the trial now came bursting out, with Adam theunfortunate recipient.

“Calm down, Paul,” Adam said. “Iknow what I’m doing. This is a very smart judge. He’ll easily beable to fill in the blanks. Less is more. I know you want it, butwe don’t need ‘overkill.’ I’ve done this long enough to know thatwe’re doing the right amount of questioning. By her silence and herlies, she’s hanging herself. Trust me.”

I thought about what Adam said, and decided to trusthim completely. He had been right about almost everything up untilthis point, and he had no personal emotions about the case tointerfere with his strategy and techniques. I, on the other hand,was too emotionally involved and too inexperienced in legal mattersto fight him on that, so I apologized and promised to trust him. Wewalked back to the courtroom where it was time to confront Audreywith more damning emails, including the love letter emails from herto Royce.

Eager to continue the point bypoint dismantling of Audrey’s credibility, Adam wasted no time inpresenting those love emails, beginning with the one she wrote tohim the day before ourmarriage.

“Ms. Munson, would you please readto the court this email, written by you to Royce Rocco one daybefore your wedding to Mr. Goldman?” Audrey seemed to stifle asigh, before picking up the paper and reciting itscontents:

We could spend as many seconds of our livestogether or apart. It’s always been YOUR choice. Isn’t life forlove? Can you lock up the demons in your head and release the lovein your heart? Will you love light shine or die like everythingelse? Will your next 50 years chime of continued self-imposedstruggle, suffering and pain? Or, can you surrender to the factthat you have met the love of your life, your soul mate, your lifepartner.

“Ms. Munson, did you write thisemail?”

“No,” she repliedflatly.

“Ms. Munson, would you please readthis email to the court, dated October 8, 2007, just twenty daysafter your marriage to Mr. Goldman?” This time Audrey grabbed thepaper hostilely:

I will never move on. I will justcry and cry ‘til death do us part.’ Don’t you get that? You canchoose to continue & make both of us miserable, that’s yourchoice. I think we are a good team and feed off each other becausewe are meant to be together, but you fight it. You have no ideawhat you’re doing and understand why you can do this. You can be ina very loving and happy relationship. I love you and always will.You can’t tell me who to choose in life to be my partner and Ican’t either. It’s just meant to be and we are meant to be. Someday you’ll get that and surrender to the forces that are over usand put us together for life. Until wehold each other again, Your Princess.

“Ms. Munson, did you writethis email?”

“No.” She did it again,denied the obvious. Straight-faced, without emotion, lying. She wasreal good at this lying, I