Repeat Performance

As Gary said, the ball is rolling.

Solution?

The surprises just keep on coming. Even though she mentioned that she might do it, I didn't expect to get an invitation from Leslie to their "wedding" ceremony. When I didn't respond, she called and told me where to be and when to show up.

"Leslie, get real. You don't expect me to show up to hear you say your vows, do you?"

"Gregg, you and I are the only two people that understand that the ceremony is just the next step in the therapy that I must provide for Hector. I would think that you should be anxious to see that step completed."

"What are you talking about, Leslie? I don't understand that or anything else about this therapy bullshit you keep spouting. Stop hiding behind that word. The word shouldn't be 'therapy.' Call it what it is: 'adultery.' I won't be there."

I broke the connection.

Then I began to analyze how Leslie and I got to this point. She was a different person from the woman I married. As I look back, I think it started with the Linda and Evan fiasco. I didn't know what was wrong at the time, but I knew she wasn't herself anymore. She developed a severe case of insomnia and she would cry at the drop of a hat. All of that led to her retirement. The move to Texas was hard for her. She seemed lost sometimes while trying to find new places to get groceries, clothes, medicine, and everything else. Finding a new family physician and gynecologist was even more challenging. She still enjoyed visiting our kids, but she didn't contribute to the conversations like she used to. She had trouble with words. She would sit there trying to think of the word she wanted to say. None of this was extremely severe, but it all represented a noticeable change that I could see, but didn't understand. The only person she was completely comfortable with was our granddaughter, Jane. The two of them were inseparable. Leslie was her old self with Jane.

After I found out about the trouble with Evan and Linda, it made some sense. That disaster probably triggered her problems. It was like the guilt she felt generated an ever-worsening aberration in her mind and body. Now the things she did and the words she said made no sense to me. I felt for her, but I couldn't reach her.

I'm assuming that she started her own Welcome Wagon for our little community to somehow atone for her perceived failure in Kansas. When she encountered a very similar situation with Molly and Hector, she was determined to make-up for her former failure. She was so dedicated to accomplishing her goal that she lost touch with reality. Her affair, that stupid contract, the wedding, the honeymoon, and all the rest were the physical manifestations of the aberration in her soul.

Later that evening, I received another crazy call from Leslie. "Well, another step has been taken, Gregg. Hector and I have said our vows. We're one step closer to being together again, honey."

"Are you kidding me, Les? Every step you take dissolves what we had together and drives us farther apart. Why did you bother to call me? Are you wanting me to congratulate you? Do you think I should be happy for you? Think again!"

"Yes. I'm very happy. You should be too. You know that this ceremony was a necessary step in the therapy."

"I don't know anything of the kind, Leslie. You are delusional."

"Well, just keep thinking about the prediction that I made. That's what it's all about. It will be over soon and we will return to normal. I just called to see if you would be available to drive Hector and me to the airport tomorrow. We'll have a lot of luggage to take since we're staying a month. I was hoping that you could help us out by taking us there in your truck."

"Leslie, are you serious? Do you actually think that I would take you to the airport so you can go on a 'honeymoon' with Hector?"

"I hope you can, Gregg. You know that it just gets us closer to the ending that I told you was coming. Also, I want to say a proper goodbye to you. This will mark the longest time that we've been apart since we've been together. I'll miss you terribly. I need to kiss you goodbye."

"Leslie, this whole contract thing and this strange honeymoon came from you and Hector. I didn't play any part in any of that. I've opposed it from the beginning."

"I know, and you have played your part very well. You have Hector convinced that you are devastated. You have to admit that it's a brilliant scheme. Only you and I know the ultimate outcome, but of course, it has to be that way. Please take us to the airport, honey. I need to talk to you. I need to make sure that you don't do anything rash."

I'm so confused that I don't even know how to respond to her. I hear myself agreeing to take them to the airport in my truck and asking her what time they want me to pick them up. She tells me to pick them up at about 10 am.

Here I am sitting next to Leslie and Hector in my truck as we speed toward the airport. Leslie's saying that she's never been to Pigeon Forge before. Then she starts remembering many of the places that our little family has gone together on various vacations. She talks about how excited David was when we went to all of those National Parks during his school years. Hearing her talk about those things makes me wonder if we've slipped into another dimension or an alternate reality.

When we arrive at the airport and unload the luggage, Leslie tells Hector to go to the boarding area. She wants to tell me goodbye. Hector reaches for my hand. He shakes it and thanks me for the ride. What? Then he heads to the boarding area.

Leslie kisses me very tenderly on the lips. "Gregg, just remember what I told you. My duties are coming to an end real soon now. I can already feel it coming apart under its own weight, just like I told you it would. I doubt very much if it will last, even for this whole month. Hector is very close to ready. He'll be standing on his own two feet any day now. Then you and I can return to what we had before."

"Leslie, I have a copy of the police report. I have your statement to the detectives. I have those awful words that you said and I cringe every time I read them. You were with Hector in a motel for an hour or more on fourteen occasions. Then there were three times that you spent the night with him. You've had both an emotional and a physical affair with him. You're on your way to spend a full month with him. When your plane takes off, wave goodbye to your marriage. You're dreaming if you think we can return to what we had before.

"Do you think I can ignore hearing you say that while you still have feelings for me, you're in love with Hector?"

"Gregg, you know those words I said were just part of the plan. I have to do whatever it takes to convince Hector that it's real. You've known about the plan from the start. Just don't lose confidence and do something rash. You and I know the beginning from the end. Only we know that I'm doing a duty that must be done. As long as you and I realize that it's just therapy, we'll be OK. The only danger is that you might lose sight of the goal and do something to keep me from accomplishing my God-given assignment."

"Leslie, you talk as if you and I are in this thing together. You seem to think that it's some grand plan from above and that I'm a party to it. Look, I'm not a part of this nor do I understand it in any way. This is all on you, Leslie. You keep trying to convince me that I'm a part of it and that I should see it your way. I'm not a part of it and I'll never see it as you do. I see it as the end of everything that we worked toward and planned for. I see it as a disaster."

She seemed to ignore everything I said. "Just remember how much I love you, honey, and that I don't love Hector in the same way. I just love him as a child of God that needs help. I'm just doing my God-given duty. Any time you're lonely, just call me. I'll keep in touch too. Bye, honey, I'd better be going." And just like that, she was gone.

As I drove back home, I began a return to reality. The reality is that she just left to spend a month "honeymooning" with another man. She expects to return and start living under that stupid contract. That's not going to happen. I'm going to start moving down my check-off list as soon as I get back home.

First, I rent a condo. It's a nice unit that I'd heard about through Gary. It has two bedrooms and a nice office that I can use for writing. Next, I move all of the stuff that I'll need from the house to the condo.

Next, I rent two storage units. I move the rest of my things that I won't need at the condo, such as my tools, into one of the units. Next, I take everything from the house that I think Leslie might want and store it in the other unit.

I make a trip to the bank. I move all of my papers from our shared safe-deposit box to a new one that I've rented. Since Leslie has a key to our old box, she'll be able to get to her stuff, but not mine.

I also drain our joint account down to one thousand dollars. I put one-third of our remaining assets into an escrow account and the rest into my personal account.

Gary's plan calls for me to wait until the middle of the third week of the "honeymoon", at which time I'll use the drop-box to nullify the contract. The next day, the private investigators will serve Leslie with divorce papers and a restraining order stating that she cannot come near me. So now I just do some writing and some waiting.

In the middle of the second week of the "honeymoon", I get a call from Gary. He says that things have changed. He can't tell me anything at this time, but what I need to do is use the drop-box to nullify the contract today. Tomorrow, they'll serve Leslie with divorce papers. He'll let me know the reason for the change in the next day or two.

I immediately log in and leave a message in the drop-box telling Leslie and Hector that I've chosen to nullify the contract. I leave the message at 10:30 am.

That afternoon I get a desperate call from Leslie. "Gregg, what have you done? Things were coming together just as I said they would. Hector has been on two dates with a woman ten years younger than him. He's standing on his own two feet. The whole thing between me and Hector is coming apart, just like I told you it would. He's going to be with her all night tonight. He's cheating on me, Gregg. See, it's all happening just as I said it would. Please go to the drop-box and recant your nullification message. It will just complicate things if you go through with rejecting the contract now. Please don't ruin our plan, Gregg."

"Leslie, I was never a part of your scheme to save Hector. You know that I never approved of it. I've told you that more times than I can enumerate. You just used that as an excuse to break the vows that you swore to me before God some fifty years ago. You have destroyed our marriage. You did it with your eyes wide open."

"Gregg, I was sure that you understood that it was all just part of my duty to make sure that Hector didn't become another Evan. I'm on the very brink of success. Please, if you value our marriage, take action now to recant your nullification message. It will all work out, Gregg, you'll see."

"Leslie, you're the one that didn't value our marriage. You're now seeing just the very beginning of the consequences of your actions." Saying that, I dropped the connection.

The next day at noon, I got a message from Gary saying that Leslie had been served with divorce papers.

Within ten minutes, Leslie called me. "Gregg, I told you not to do anything rash. Look what you've done! You've completely ruined our plan. You've accused me of adultery, even though you know that I was just doing my duty. I've made it plain to you that none of it meant anything. You know that it was all part of the therapy to save Hector.

"By the way, since when can you petition for a divorce citing adultery and abandonment in a 'no-fault' state?"

"Leslie, you and Hector should have done your homework. While Texas allows 'no-fault' divorces, they also provide for divorce due to adultery and/or abandonment. You won't get half of my salary or half of our assets. You'll get considerably less than that. Some judges have been known to give the guilty party only what they originally brought into the marriage. As I said, you should have done your homework before you ran off with that scheming fraud."

"Gregg, now you're just being mean. You know in your heart that I've never loved anyone but you. You know that I was only trying to do my duty. I was just trying to save Hector. I had no choice after what I allowed to happen to Evan. Now everything is destroyed. The restraining order means that I can't even come back home. What did I do to deserve this kind of treatment?"

"Leslie, you know what you did. You know what you said in your statement to the detectives. You know that you were gone all night three times. You know that you were with Hector in a motel on at least fourteen different occasions. How can you blame me for ending our marriage?"

I closed the connection. I told myself that it was all over, but it wasn't!

The next day I got a call from Gary. He told me that a warrant had been issued by Texas and served by Tennessee authorities in Pigeon Forge for the arrest of Hector Greely and Leslie Morton. Hector has been charged with the murder of his wife, Molly Greely. Leslie has been cited as Hector's accomplice.

"Gary, I know that Leslie played no part in hurting Molly. She wasn't even involved in her care. She was mostly involved in caring for Hector. She was caring for the caregiver."

"Here's the problem, Gregg. They have determined that Molly was poisoned. They have identified the poison as coming from a bottle of a controlled garden insecticide. They traced that bottle of insecticide back to Leslie. She was the one that bought it."

"Oh, crap. I know that Leslie did a lot of gardening and she did use some pretty powerful stuff at times, but I'm sure that she would never be a party to murder. What can we do to help her?"

"Gregg, we can do absolutely nothing. You don't want to get involved in any of this. If you even visit Leslie in jail, you would be in violation of your own restraining order. If you want to have any contact with her, you'd better arrange to do it through your son. He can visit her without affecting your divorce petition."

Shortly after I talked to Gary, Leslie called me. She told me that she was under arrest for murdering Molly. She was using her one call to call me. She said that calling me might mean that she was violating her restraining order, but she had nowhere else to turn. She said that she was in so much trouble already that violating a restraining order should not add all that much to her penalties.

I told her that since she was still legally my wife, I was probably already involved anyway. Perhaps the restraining order didn't even apply anymore.

She said that during her questioning, they accused her of wanting to get Molly out of the way so she could have Hector to herself. They told her that they knew that she had purchased the poison that killed Molly. She was in big trouble. They were probably going to cite her as the primary suspect in Molly's murder.

They told her and Hector that they would be held in jail until they could both be extradited to Texas. She assured me that she had nothing to do with Molly's death. She'd brought some insecticide to the Greely house when she noticed a bug infestation on their flowers. She'd even loaned some of it to the neighbors since they had the same insect problem. She must have forgotten to take it home after treating the plants.

She hated to think that Hector had poisoned Molly. She thought it was more likely that the bottle had been inadvertently left where Molly could reach it. If so, she probably consumed it herself. She was always putting random things in her mouth. It went along with her disease.

I told Leslie that I would talk to David and make sure that he visited her in jail when she arrived in Texas. I told her that I would help as much as possible since I was sure she didn't do it.

When Leslie arrived in Texas, David did visit her. I stayed away since the situation was in legal limbo.

A couple of weeks went by with nothing happening until the arraignment of Hector and Leslie.

I was watching television one night when they broke in with an announcement that Hector Greely had committed suicide in his jail cell. He wasn't under a suicide watch since he showed no signs of anything other than proclaiming his innocence loudly and being aggressively combative in his own defense.

I called Gary. He had been in touch with the jail and he gave me some unexpected news. Hector had left a suicide note completely clearing Leslie of any abuse charges. I said, "At least he did one good thing in his miserable life!" Gary said that in all probability, Leslie would be released within a couple of weeks. He said that he was pushing for an expedited hearing of her case.

David went to visit his mom a couple of days after Hector's suicide. Leslie told David that she'd failed God, failed Hector, and failed me. She also said that she'd failed him and his family. She had only herself to blame for all of the terrible things that had happened to everyone that meant anything to her. Then she said something that he didn't understand. She said, "After all that I did, the sacrifices that I made, the chances that I took, and the messages that I followed, the results were exactly the same. All of the people that I wanted to help ended up dead. I failed miserably. I accomplished absolutely nothing. It turned out to be nothing but a repeat performance."

David didn't understand, but I did. Then he told me that he thought Leslie was in desperate need of psychiatric help. He said she was a suicide risk herself. I agreed.

I called detective Clark and asked him if it would be possible to get some psychiatric help for Leslie. I told him what David had said.

Detective Clark told me that he completely agreed with David about Leslie having some serious mental problems. He said that he would arrange for her to get some help immediately. He would also recommend that she be put under a suicide watch if that hadn't already been done.

Two days later, I received word that Leslie had been transferred to a mental health facility. She was being treated by Dr. Steve Henson.

A few weeks later, Dr. Henson called me and asked if I would come in for a report on Leslie's condition. He said we needed to talk in person. I told him that I was eager to do that.

At our appointment, Dr. Henson told me that he'd drawn some conclusions from all of his sessions with Leslie, but he needed some information from me. He asked me if I could identify the first time that I witnessed aberrant behavior by Leslie.

I told him that I thought it was when she decided to retire. The triggering mechanism for that was, of course, the deaths of Evan and Linda

Dr. Henson said that he had also identified those deaths to be a trigger for everything that followed. He said that the move to Texas also was a factor since it meant leaving her comfortable, familiar surroundings and dealing with a completely new environment. Dr. Henson stated that together, those things started Leslie on a path that eventually became actual mental illness.

He said that her reaction to those deaths had been way out of proportion to her responsibility. "For some reason, she thought that she was to blame. She'd seen what a mess the Kansas couple was in and hadn't followed through on her efforts to get help for them; thus, it was her fault.

"She was living with that when she met Hector and Molly. The resemblance to Evan and Linda was beyond coincidence, as far as she was concerned. She saw it as her chance to make restitution for her former failure. In her diseased mind, it became an assignment from God himself.