Consequences(238)

She straightened her neck and met his eyes. No longer did tears flow—her eyes sparked with anger. “Yes, Tony, I’m so thankful. Would you like me to show you how thankful I am?” Her insincerity and sudden animosity came through loud and clear.


Tony stood, straightened his jacket. “Utilize the time you have to think this over. Don’t make another poor impulsive decision. This is your best offer.” He knocked on the door. “Goodbye, Claire.”

She didn’t respond. The attorneys re-entered the room. Claire had new resolve. If he planned to leave her, she was going to start talking.

Mr. Evergreen spoke first, “Mr. Task, if your client plans to plead insanity, the prosecution will need psychological evaluations.”

“Mr. Evergreen, I do not plan to plead insanity.” Everyone turned to Claire; the last five days she’d hardly spoken. She continued in a determined tone—one none of them had heard before. “I can assure you, I’m not the person that’s insane, although I have cause. I am innocent. Now, if you’ll excuse me again, I need to speak to my counsel.”

She had entered this preexamination willing to sit passively and wait for Tony to rescue her. Turning to Jane, the only counsel willing to confront her husband, she said, “Ms. Allyson, if we could postpone this preexamination, I believe I have some evidence to share with you and Mr. Task.”





Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one’s definition of your life. Define yourself



—Harvey Fierstein





Chapter Forty-Nine


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They only had three days to prepare for the new preexamination. Claire spent hours with her attorneys uncompartmentalizing everything. She recounted everything she could remember from the last twenty-two months. Tony wouldn’t approve—nonetheless, she was brutally honest, recounting details she’d tried to suppress. She explained the initial contact and contract. She said she suspected he’d used the date rape drug Rohypnol to get her to Iowa, because she had no memory of traveling from Atlanta. This recount could have been demoralizing, but somehow it proved therapeutic—a catharsis.

Claire described the respected, adored businessman, Anthony Rawlings, as a cruel, vindictive, masochistic, and controlling human being. She did leave their home in a hurry. Justifiably, she did it to get a break from him—his rules, restrictions, and consequences. If he knew she’d left the property without his permission, she would’ve been punished. She explained his punishments ranged from verbal—to mental—to physical—abuse. On one occasion, approximately six months after she arrived on his estate, he nearly killed her. She told about the isolation. She also told about the sexual exploits, video recording, controlling nature, domineering manipulation, and constant mental, and—on again—off again—physical abuse.

At times, her attorneys would stop taking notes and just listen. This was much bigger than anything they expected. Together, Paul and Jane worked to build a case—not of a woman trying to gain financially from the death of her wealthy husband, but of an abused woman—wanting only to flee the situation.

Paul believed Claire had been living in hell, but there were points and events she would need to explain. She stated she was kidnapped, yet did she ever try to call for help? Didn’t she live in a multimillion dollar mansion? Did she expect people to believe she had no access to telephone, Internet, or anything? Didn’t she marry this man she described as a monster? Didn’t she accept gifts: clothing, money, jewelry, etc.? Didn’t she accompany him on multiple extravagant trips? Didn’t she sit with a reporter from Vanity Fair and give an interview about her wonderful husband and their amazing life together?