drug trials that I need to stay on top of. And when I’m not actually at work, I’m reading the latest journal articles, and trying to catch up with my dictations, my own writing.
Samantha Adams: Didn’t you miss him when you weren’t together?
Helen Richter: Obviously. On some level. But what you don’t seem to get—what no one seems to get—is that I didn’t have much room in my life for more than John was willing or able to give me. Until I met him I expected to remain single, and very happily so. He didn’t fill a void; there was no emptiness in my life. I even felt uncomfortable at first, shoehorning him in. Yet I wanted it, wanted him. Surprised myself by the urgency of the wanting.
Samantha Adams: Whose idea was it to get married?
Helen Richter: John was the one who demanded marriage. I resisted—especially since no children would be involved. I saw little need to formalize the relationship. He was insistent, even told me that without marriage he didn’t feel our . . . liaison . . . could continue. We completed the paperwork and one Friday morning went down to the courthouse and did the deed.
Samantha Adams: Strange. I mean, why?
Helen Richter: Yes. He could have had an affair with me; I’d have been no wiser. I’m not the suspicious kind. The marriage certificate was important to him. The day of the ceremony, we went back to my condo and drank wine and sat on the sofa. Just sat, not touching. He asked me, “Do you feel any different?” I had to admit I didn’t, although I was certainly very happy, was deeply happy. John said he felt like a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders. “I feel so free,” he said. An odd thing to say, once you know the facts. Shouldering yet more responsibility, and complicating his life with more intrigue and lies. So free. What was he thinking?
Samantha Adams: After the wedding, what happened?
Helen Richter: Little changed. He moved some clothes and personal effects into my condo. We redid our wills. Otherwise, we carried on as before. We made no announcement. I informed my small circle of friends, and that was that. I don’t think most people at the medical center where I taught and where John was an adjunct knew. Although they might have realized we were attached in some way.
But all this is making our relationship sound . . . uncaring. Tepid. It wasn’t. I’m not good at talking about such things. I’m a very private person. Insular, even. So this is hard. I will say that what happened after the marriage was official took me by surprise. I hadn’t foreseen how much it would matter. I hadn’t anticipated the absolute happiness. And what could arguably be called passion . Yes, physical. Yet also more than that. Before, I knew what we had between us was good. I knew we had a reasonable shot at making each other happy. But I hadn’t anticipated bliss. I’d never before encountered ecstasy .
Samantha Adams: [long pause] Strong words.
Helen Richter: Yes. Still, inadequate for describing how I felt about John Taylor.
11
Excerpt from Transcript
Police interview with Deborah Taylor,
May 20, 2013
[Preliminary introductions, explanations of police processes and procedures, notification that the session would be videotaped]
Samantha Adams: So did you know that your husband had taken two other wives?
Deborah Taylor: Of course I knew. How could I not? I made it all possible. Did you think John capable of scheming on this level with any degree of success? Nonsense.
Samantha Adams: Why on earth would you help him?
Deborah Taylor: Simple. To keep him.
Samantha Adams: [pause] I’m sorry?
Deborah Taylor: It was the only way.
Samantha Adams: Can you explain that, please?
Deborah Taylor: John started his . . . wandering . . . precisely eight years ago. Cynthia, our youngest daughter, had just left for her freshman year at Berkeley. There we were, John and I, alone together in the house for the first time in nearly twenty-five years. Our days consisted
Samantha Adams: Didn’t you miss him when you weren’t together?
Helen Richter: Obviously. On some level. But what you don’t seem to get—what no one seems to get—is that I didn’t have much room in my life for more than John was willing or able to give me. Until I met him I expected to remain single, and very happily so. He didn’t fill a void; there was no emptiness in my life. I even felt uncomfortable at first, shoehorning him in. Yet I wanted it, wanted him. Surprised myself by the urgency of the wanting.
Samantha Adams: Whose idea was it to get married?
Helen Richter: John was the one who demanded marriage. I resisted—especially since no children would be involved. I saw little need to formalize the relationship. He was insistent, even told me that without marriage he didn’t feel our . . . liaison . . . could continue. We completed the paperwork and one Friday morning went down to the courthouse and did the deed.
Samantha Adams: Strange. I mean, why?
Helen Richter: Yes. He could have had an affair with me; I’d have been no wiser. I’m not the suspicious kind. The marriage certificate was important to him. The day of the ceremony, we went back to my condo and drank wine and sat on the sofa. Just sat, not touching. He asked me, “Do you feel any different?” I had to admit I didn’t, although I was certainly very happy, was deeply happy. John said he felt like a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders. “I feel so free,” he said. An odd thing to say, once you know the facts. Shouldering yet more responsibility, and complicating his life with more intrigue and lies. So free. What was he thinking?
Samantha Adams: After the wedding, what happened?
Helen Richter: Little changed. He moved some clothes and personal effects into my condo. We redid our wills. Otherwise, we carried on as before. We made no announcement. I informed my small circle of friends, and that was that. I don’t think most people at the medical center where I taught and where John was an adjunct knew. Although they might have realized we were attached in some way.
But all this is making our relationship sound . . . uncaring. Tepid. It wasn’t. I’m not good at talking about such things. I’m a very private person. Insular, even. So this is hard. I will say that what happened after the marriage was official took me by surprise. I hadn’t foreseen how much it would matter. I hadn’t anticipated the absolute happiness. And what could arguably be called passion . Yes, physical. Yet also more than that. Before, I knew what we had between us was good. I knew we had a reasonable shot at making each other happy. But I hadn’t anticipated bliss. I’d never before encountered ecstasy .
Samantha Adams: [long pause] Strong words.
Helen Richter: Yes. Still, inadequate for describing how I felt about John Taylor.
11
Excerpt from Transcript
Police interview with Deborah Taylor,
May 20, 2013
[Preliminary introductions, explanations of police processes and procedures, notification that the session would be videotaped]
Samantha Adams: So did you know that your husband had taken two other wives?
Deborah Taylor: Of course I knew. How could I not? I made it all possible. Did you think John capable of scheming on this level with any degree of success? Nonsense.
Samantha Adams: Why on earth would you help him?
Deborah Taylor: Simple. To keep him.
Samantha Adams: [pause] I’m sorry?
Deborah Taylor: It was the only way.
Samantha Adams: Can you explain that, please?
Deborah Taylor: John started his . . . wandering . . . precisely eight years ago. Cynthia, our youngest daughter, had just left for her freshman year at Berkeley. There we were, John and I, alone together in the house for the first time in nearly twenty-five years. Our days consisted
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