Betrayal Ch. 03

"Please read the rest of Miss Mauldin's statement, Mrs. Kelly." She sullenly read that Coach Rodgers also called Sharon at home and arranged for her to babysit on that fateful February Friday, telling Sharon that he and Coach Slaughter would pick her up, take her to the house right after school, and take her home when they returned, which would likely be about midnight.

Her statement also disclosed that Mrs. Kelly was ready to go when she got there on each of the three dates, and that she got into the pickup with Coach Rodgers the first two times, and with Coaches Rodgers and Slaughter the last time.

"So, Ms. Kelly, do you still maintain that you went shopping with female friends on those December dates?" Karen glared at the men, rearranged her dress, straightened her shoulders, and defiantly answered, "Okay, I did leave with them, but they dropped me off and I went shopping with Beth, Coach Slaughter's wife, both times. This is just another misunderstanding!"

Patti stared at Karen with a look of pity, shook her head, told the judge that Ms. Kelly was excused.

Although the PI had not brought the tapes, she called her final witness, Mr. Kelly. After Tim was sworn in, Patti set the stage, going over the events of the Friday in question, and asking what evidence he had that would refute the sworn testimony of so many witnesses.

Tim replied that he did not feel he had to refute their testimony at this time, but rather, he needed to simply show that his wife had been repeatedly negligent toward her children in leaving them with babysitters every time his team played out of town, to pursue God-only-knows-what activities. He then stated, "Your Honor, when I spoke with my wife over breakfast after each away game, she asked me how the game went, and, when I asked how her night was, she would describe a quiet night taking care of our sons. We now know that is not what was happening.

I have reason to doubt the veracity of the story of Friday night's events told by these men and my wife, and I expect to present proof of their untruthfulness in the course of filling for divorce, and in any permanent custody hearing. However, as I understand today's proceedings, all we have to do is prove I am the better person to have custody during the interim. If custody is awarded to my wife, with me not living at home, I fear the negligence will continue unabated, or grow even worse. I fear for the welfare of my sons in her custody."

The judge dismissed Tim, and turned again to the defense team. Benton made an impassioned plea, and then Karen took the stand again to argue that she was a good, caring, and cautious mother who had never before been accused of anything like negligence and custody should remain with her, in their home, while she and her husband worked things out. She stated she was confident "Tim's bad temper and unreasonable suspicions" would abate soon, and he would return to their home.

The judge did not buy it: there were far too many indications that the mother had left their children with underage girls in order to be with the men and had lied to her husband about her activities on that night. The story the men told leaked like a sieve, but that would be addressed in subsequent hearings.

The judge awarded full custody to Tim pending the hearing for permanent custody, which she set for two weeks from today. She looked Karen directly in the eyes when she explained that she remained unconvinced by the testimony presented on Karen's behalf, given that she had used babysitters at least ten times, had failed to advise her husband even though he asked, and had equivocated when confronted with the babysitters' testimonies.

Karen did not take it well: she glared at her co-conspirators, and they glared at Tim. He returned the smirk they gave him when he entered. "If only they knew what I have planned', he thought; 'their time is coming!'

Benton turned to the other six and said quietly, "We underestimated him. It's time we look at other, more permanent options! Meet at my office at 7 tonight, and I don't care what your wives say! Be there!"