Consequences(242)

“Yes. He told me we didn’t need one—if I ever tried to leave him, there would be unpleasant consequences.”

“Mrs. Rawlings, I’m asking the questions. Did you know that his legal consul wanted him to have a prenuptial agreement?”

“Yes, he told me that the decision was solely his.”

“Did or do you understand—without a prenuptial agreement if you and Mr. Rawlings were to divorce you would have claim to half of his fortune?”

“I hadn’t given it any thought.”


“And, I suppose you hadn’t given any thought to the fact that if Mr. Rawlings died, you would have sole claim to his entire fortune.”

“Honestly, no.”

He then showed Claire a picture of an apartment house in Atlanta. “Do you recognize this building?”

“Yes.”

“I would assume you would. It’s the apartment in which you lived prior to moving into Mr. Rawlings’ mansion. How big was your apartment?”

Claire hadn’t thought about that apartment in almost two years. “It was a one-bedroom with an eat-in kitchen.”

“Now, Mrs. Rawlings, do you recognize this residence?” It was an aerial photograph of the estate. It showed the sprawling mansion, the various patios, the pool, the gardens, the long drive, and the massive expenditure of surrounding land.

“Yes.”

“Yes, it’s the home you and Mr. Rawlings shared. Is that correct?”

Claire wanted to be done with this. “Yes, it is”

“Mrs. Rawlings, how big is this house?”

“I don’t know. Do you mean in square feet?” She was becoming irritated.

“All right then. How many bedrooms?” Mr. Evergreen was smiling. Claire thought about it for a minute. “Honestly, I don’t know. Do you want the staffs’ rooms counted too? I don’t know.”

“So, let me get this straight. You’ve been held captive in this home for nearly two years and you don’t know how many bedrooms are there? Or perhaps you were enjoying the life of luxury too much to worry about such things?” Mr. Evergreen tapped his computer screen. “Well, let’s shift gears. Do you recognize yourself in this photo?”

Claire nodded.

“Can you please tell me where you are and what you’re doing?”

“I’m in Davenport—shopping.”

“You are shopping, but I thought you didn’t have any money?”

“Tony gave me a credit card.”

“Was this before or after you were married?”

“I believe that this picture was before, but seriously, you don’t—”

Mr. Evergreen interrupted her. “Mrs. Rawlings, allow me to ask the questions”—he paused—“So, Mr. Rawlings gave you a credit card before you were married. Who paid the bill?”

“He did.”

“Who is with you on this shopping trip?”

“Eric, Tony’s driver was there—in the car.”

“So, if you were a prisoner, wouldn’t this have been an excellent opportunity to escape? After all, you were all by yourself in Davenport—Mrs. Rawlings, did you try to escape?”

“No. I was afraid.”

“Stick to the yes and no answers”—Mr. Evergreen looked at his notes on the screen—“Did you only use your credit card in Davenport?”

“No.”

Mr. Evergreen showed some more pictures—Claire on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan—shopping at Saks Fifth Avenue in Chicago. He continued, “Mrs. Rawlings, did you use your credit card on these occasions?”