Page 205 of The Woman Left Behind

Though, both his and his wife’s behavior during his trial probably didn’t help, since it seemed, even while she was testifying, Gerald thought he could snap things at her, and she thought she could snap back. Twice, they got down and dirty into it, to the point the judge told them he’d arrest them for contempt if they didn’t stop it.

So, yeah, the deposed king and queen didn’t know how to behave like mere mortals.

But they were going to learn.

And this didn’t take into account the fact they’d both stand trial for fraud, which Harry shared that theirs was considered a Class C felony and could include restitution, a ten thousand dollar fine and up to fifteen years in prison.

So, yeah.

They were oh-so-totally going to learn.

Gerald Junior pled out. Accessory after the fact was dropped, he pled guilty to obstruction, got a year’s probation and a two thousand dollar fine.

He also lost his lobbyist job.

Evidently, helping your parents evade police and knowing they’d committed felonies and keeping silent after knowing they’d inadvertently caused two people’s murders was frowned on in that profession.

So he had to leave DC, and last I heard, since it was hard to find a job practicing law when you had a felony conviction, he was in Texas, doing what, I didn’t know.

And I didn’t care.

Gerald Junior further sided with his mom and threw his dad right under the bus.

Then again, both his parents came from money, she just came from more.

Why they didn’t ask their parents to help them way back when was another mystery that would never be solved.

They didn’t.

But (understatement of the century) they should have.

I didn’t want to, but I attended the trial, and every day, Ronetta was beside me. Some days, Jenna or Molly or Kay or Janie were with us. Harry also showed occasionally, when he had the time.

I went because I wanted the judge and jury to see me, and if that swayed them in any way, I was all for it.

I went because I wanted the Dietrichs to see me.

Sure, Gerald took pains to avoid looking at me.

But Michelle didn’t, and she flinched every time she laid eyes on me.

Gerald Junior’s face got soft, and he was decent looking (though, I knew he thought he was a lot more), and I suspected he figured for some reason that would move me.

When I just stared him down, he took the route his dad did.

And last, and most importantly, I went to represent my mom and dad.

I didn’t know if me being there held any sway over the judge and jury.

I did know that my victim statement—one that was not directed at any of them, I just told everyone how great my parents were, how much they were loved, how much they loved me, how very, very much they loved each other—left few dry eyes in the courtroom. Even the judge seemed to get choked up.

So I did the last thing I could do for them.

And it was done.

In November, two weeks before Thanksgiving, two hunters in Umatilla County in Oregon called into the police sharing they’d found a body in the woods.

It was the remains of a female, buried in a shallow grave that had since been disturbed by animals.

---