Duplicity - A True Story of Crime and Deceit Paul Goldman (the mitten read aloud .txt) đź“–
- Author: Paul Goldman
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PAUL - What do you mean?
TERRI - Maybe she has lots of politicians and business people inher book. I'm being shown that you and I don't know the wholepicture. This is so big.
PAUL - Good idea. Thanks, Terri.
At the conclusion of our reading, I felt bothinformed and motivated. This was big and so was my role in it.Recognizing that my findings would do so much more than simplybenefit my divorce proceedings and enhance Bob Thompson’s positionin his custody dispute, I was now determined to prevent Audrey fromusing other men as she had me. I would be a protector of thedeceived and my first order of business would be to contactAudrey’s next victim as identified by Terri: Charlie Watson of PalmBay.
A quick searchusing whitepages.com provided me with a name and address.
Charlie Watson. The guy exists, and in thecity Terri Lynn said. Wow, I thought, that's pretty impressive. So,I immediately picked up the phone and began to dial his number.When I heard the first ring, it suddenly occurred to me that I wasunprepared for what I should say and how Charlie might react. I hadendured months of suspicions and, when I did come to learn thetruth about Audrey, I did it on my own. In this case, I would justbe dropping a huge bombshell on a man that may have no idea thatanything was amiss. I had to consider the possibility that he mightnot even believe me, or that he might be working with her. Terriwas good, but sometimes names and faces appear with uncertainroles. What if Charlie Watson was actually a trick? Second guessingmy decision to confront him, I began to pull the receiver away frommy ear when a woman’s voice answered the phone.
“Hello?” her voice soundedsoft and sweet, and I could tell she was older.
“Hi, uh, is Charlie Watsonthere?” I asked, wondering if she might hang up thinking it was atelemarketer. No such luck, I would have to do what I’d set outto.
“No, he isn’t. May I helpyou?” she asked, so innocently I considered lying.
“Well, I don’t know how toput this, this is very awkward actually, but do you know a womannamed Audrey Munson?” I asked, pausing after almost everyword.
“No, I’m sorry I don’t,”she replied apologetically. “But wait, Charlie just walked in.” Iwas probably speaking with his wife, which could make this all turnout badly. Very badly. “Charlie, there’s a man on the phone. Do youknow a woman named Audrey Munson?” she called out.
“No, why?” I heard himsay, some distance from the phone.
“Why?” she relayed to me.At this point, I was unsure how to proceed.
“Well, this is hard toexplain,” I began, wishing she would just put Charlie on the phone.I began to run my fingers through my hair and pace as I chose mywords carefully. “Audrey Munson, well, she’s my wife. And, you see,I have some information that she’s having an affair with a man. AllI know is that the man’s name is, uh, Charlie Watson, a CharlieWatson who lives in Palm Bay.” There, it was out. I took a deepbreath and braced myself for the fury, until something far moreunexpected happened. The woman started laughing.
“I’m sorry,” she said, inbetween chuckles. “It’s not my Charlie. You’ve been misinformed.Charlie and I have been happily married for fifteen years and,well, you don’t know Charlie,” she explained. I blushed a bit in myembarrassment.
“Oh, right,” I replied,wondering whether I had the wrong man or if he was really that goodin his deception. “I’m sorry, it’s just that, well, could I ask youone more thing?”
“Sure. What is it?” thewoman asked, still enjoying the amusement of my call.
“Is your husband rich? Imean, this woman, she only goes after rich men.” Apparently, thisquestion was even funnier than the first. Charlie Watson’s wife wasnow laughing outright, unable to respond right away.
“Rich?” she said,regaining her composure between peals of laughter. “Hardly. MyCharlie works in construction and makes about fifty thousand ayear.”
“Oh, well, my informationis wrong. I’m sorry to have bothered you,” I said, anxious to endthe call. I had intended to save a man from Audrey’s web of deceit,but instead I ended up spinning quite a yarn. The woman was stillgiggling.
“Well, hold on a second,”she said, more collected. “Let me give you to Charlie.”
Confronted with complete regret over makingthe call, I prepared myself for more laughter at my expense.
“What’s this I’m hearing?”Charlie began, more serious than his wife. “Your wife is having anaffair with a man named Charlie Watson?”
“Yes, that’s myinformation,” I confirmed as I slowly slumped into my chair. “Ithink it’s someone else though because she only goes after reallywealthy men.”
“Well, it sure ain't me.I’m a fifty-five year old biker with long gray hair down to mybutt!” he said, with a chuckle.
“I guess not. Any chanceyou might know of another Charlie Watson in Palm Bay?” I askedhopefully, slowly spinning in my chair.
“I don’t think so. PalmBay is a pretty small town. But I can certainly check around andget back to you,” he offered, and his kindness went a long way ineasing my initial embarrassment. I gave him my name and number andthanked him for his time.
“Thanks so much and I’msorry to have bothered you with this.”
“No bother at all,” hereassured me, and I hung up the phone wondering how Terri hadgotten this one so wrong. Fifteen minutes later, my phonerang.
“Hi Paul. This is CharlieWatson. We just spoke.”
“Yes, Charlie. What’s up?”I asked, curious by his quick call-back.
“You know, my wife and Iwere thinking and we may have come up with the name of someonewho's been using my name.” Now, this was gettinginteresting.
“Someone using yourname?”
“About two years ago, Iwas a partner in a construction company called Double CConstruction. The owner of the company is a man named BillTownsend. Now Bill, he’s very wealthy. Drives a Porsche, wears allthose fancy clothes, and I know he’s down in your area a lot,drinking and going out to bars despite being married withchildren.” I was beginning to feel excited. Could this explainTerri’s reading?
“Audrey goes to Palm Beachbars to seek out victims,” I confirmed,
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