Dialogues
Page 24
“Isn’t what? Speak up, willya?”
“Isn’t life in prison without the chance of ever getting out enough?”
“Enough what?”
“Enough punishment?”
“I think you know how any of us would answer that question.”
“Yes. I suppose I do.”
“Well, then, you should also know that no one is going to change their mind—again—and that all you’ll be doing is dragging out the time we have to spend in this room.”
“Which smells.”
“You might as well accept it. She killed six people, we’ve found her guilty, and eleven of us feel she should be executed.”
“Fine. I give up. Do what you want.”
“Okay. Let’s take another vote. All those in favor of death by lethal injection, raise your hand. By unanimous vote, we the jury find the defendant guilty as charged, and we will make a sentencing recommendation to the judge of death by lethal injection. Ladies and gentlemen, our business here is concluded. Thank you for your service.”
“I’ll tell the bailiff.”
51
Court Transcript:
Tory Troy
Defense Counsel Carolyn Payne
District Attorney Brawley Loren
Judge Gerard Becker
Court Personnel
The Visitors’ Gallery
The Jury
“Ladies and gentlemen of the jury. Have you reached a verdict?”
“We have, Your Honor.”
“Proceed.”
“We, the jury, in the matter of Victoria Abigail Troy, find the defendant guilty in each of the six cases of felony murder with which she is charged.”
“Attorney Payne, would you like the jury polled?”
“Not necessary, Judge.”
“Mr. Loren?”
“No, Your Honor.”
“The verdict is hereby accepted. Jury Foreperson, do you have a sentencing recommendation?”
“We do, Your Honor.”
“And what is it?”
“Considering the gravity of the defendant’s crimes, we have decided, after careful consideration and in unanimous agreement, to recommend to the court that she receive the death penalty.”
“So noted. The court thanks you for your conscientiousness in arriving at a reasoned, thoughtful, and very prompt determination, and the court expresses its appreciation for your service. The jury is hereby discharged. Ms. Payne? Motion to appeal?”
“No, Your Honor. The defendant waives her right to an appeal.”
“You are aware that all capital sentences are automatically appealed, Ms. Payne?”
“Yes, Your Honor, unless the defendant waives that right. And she does, Judge.”
“Ms. Troy, do you waive your right to an appeal?”
“Yes, Your Honor.”
“May I ask why?”
“You may ask, Your Honor, but I choose not to answer the question. All due respect, sir.”
“Are you aware that you are sealing your death warrant, ma’am?”
“Yes, sir, I am.”
“Very well. The defendant will be remanded to the security wing of the Woodward Knolls Psychiatric Institute until she is transferred to the prison facility where the sentence will be carried out. This court is adjourned.”
52
Tory Troy
Viviana Troy
“You shouldn’t have come to see me, Mom.”
“I had to.”
“You’re going to get upset, which is going to make me upset.”
“No, I’ll be fine.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“Actually, I was going to write you a letter about a few things. There are some details I want you to know for … after.”
“Oh, my.”
“See what I mean?”
“No. I’m sorry. I’m okay.”
“We can go over it now … if you’re up to it.…”
“Okay. What do I have to do? Should I write this down?”
“That’s probably a good idea.”
“All right.”
“First, everything that’s mine is yours. Everything. I’m not going to tell you how to pay my remaining bills, or what to do with my clothes. That’s completely up to you.”
“Oh, Tory.”
“Please don’t cry, Mom? This is hard enough for me.”
“All right. I’m sorry.”
“There’s only one special thing I want you to do for me.”
“Anything.”
“Inside my jewelry box is a small cloisonné box. It’s got a painting of a medieval lute player on it. Inside this box is the starter pearl necklace you began for me when I was born. We never finished it. It’s got, I think, twelve pearls on it now, and they taper from a couple of large ones in the center to smaller ones at the end. It’s on a gold chain and it’s about sixteen inches long. What I’d like you to do is have one big pearl strung onto it right in the center, and then give it to Carolyn Payne, my attorney. You can give it to her as it is now, I suppose, but if you’ll add the single pearl for me, it would mean a lot to me.”
“All right. I will. This is so sad.”
“Yes, I know, Mom, but it has to be done.”
“I know … I know.”
“There’s only one more thing. My funeral.”
“No.”
“Mom—”
“No. I will not talk about your funeral.”
“You don’t have to. What I was going to say is that I don’t want one.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t want a ceremony. Or calling hours. I want to be cremated, and I want you to scatter my ashes.”
“I can’t do that.”
“Of course you can.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“Where do you want them … I can’t believe I’m asking you this … where do you want the ashes … your ashes scattered, Tory?”
“You’ll have to drive out here.”
“To Old Saybrook?”
“Yes.”
“That’s all right. I’m used to the ride by now.”
“You should take someone with you.”
“I will.”
“There’s a tiny private beach at the end of … I think it’s Donnelly Road.… You just take a right off Route One and drive until you hit the water.”
“I’ll find it.”
“There’s a long rock promontory jutting out into the water. You can walk out on this quite a ways into Long Island Sound. When it’s high tide, the water comes up onto its sides, but the top is never covered.”
“All right.”
“Years ago … remember my friend Gail Ravine?”
“No.”
“It doesn’t matter. The two of us took a ride out there one day and walked out onto this rock. Almost to the end. When we were out there, I picked up a rock about the size of my head and threw it into the water. I remember trying to throw it as high into the air as I could. And I still remember the loud kerplunk sound it made when it hit the water.”
“When was this, Tory? You never told me about going to Old Saybrook.”
“I was in high school. Senior year, I think. There are a lot of things I never told you about, Mom.”
“Okay.”
“Well, that rock is still there, in the water. And it will be there for ages. It’ll probably never move from the spot where it landed. I think about that rock a lot.”
“What about the ashes?”
“I want you to scatter them in the water near where I threw that rock.”
“How will I know exactly where it is?”
“You don’t have to know exactly where it is, Mom. All you have to do is walk out onto the promontory as far as you can go—be careful!—and then turn and face the direction where the sun will set. Then just scatter my ashes into the water.”
“I don’t know if I can do that, Tory.”
“Sure you can … su
re you can. And you don’t have to do it right away. You can wait, say, a year if you want to. You’ll know when the time is right.”
“How will I know?”
“You’ll just know, Mom. Trust me. And promise me you’ll do it.”
“All right. I promise.”
“Thanks.”
“Well, that’s it. That’s everything I wanted to tell you. Can you stay a little longer?”
“I can stay.”
“Good. We’ll have coffee.”
“Yes. We’ll have coffee.”
“I love you, Mom.”
“I know, Tory. I know. And I love you too. More than you will ever know.”
“I …”
“You don’t have to say anything. Let’s just have coffee.”
“Okay. Okay.”
“It’s all right, Tory.”
“I know.”
53
Tory Troy
Father David North
“How nice of you to come, Father!”
“Of course.”
“How’s everything at St. Fran’s?”
“Everything’s fine, Tory. The church needs a new roof, and the organ needs a reed job, but all in all, the parish is okay.”
“That’s good. Can I ask you a question?”
“Of course.”
“What do you think, Père? Am I going to hell?”
“God sends souls to hell only as a last resort, Tory. You can be joined with Him if you only repent and make a sincere Act of Contrition.”
“I’ve done that.”
“Well, then, as soon as your life here is ended, you will be called home, and then spend all of eternity in God’s love.”
“Do you really believe that, Father?”
“With all my heart.”
“Really? The whole ‘salvation through crucifixion’ thing?”
“Yes, Tory. The whole ‘salvation through crucifixion’ thing, as you so piously put it.”
“I suppose I can be honest now and admit that Catholicism just never made any sense to me.”
“What about it doesn’t make sense to you?”
“Well, the whole notion that God would demand a horrible blood sacrifice—and from his son, no less—to atone for ‘sins’ committed by creatures he created.”
“That’s a bit simplistic, Tory. There’s more to the dogma of redemption than that.”
“Maybe I wasn’t paying close enough attention in grammar school, then, but I still have to say it just doesn’t make sense to me.”
“It’s one of the basic tenets of Catholicism, Tory. That, the Virgin Birth, and the Resurrection.”
“Yes, I know. But—and don’t get mad at me—I think Jesus was one of many christs who have come to earth.”
“One of many? Oh, no, my dear. He was the only one, and He is the only way to salvation.”
“An awful lot of Hindus and Buddhists would argue with you on that point, Padre.”
“I know. But that doesn’t change ultimate truth.”
“How can you be so sure it is, in fact, ultimate truth, Father?”
“Faith.”
“Sorry, but that’s a whole lot to accept solely on faith, Father.”
“My dear, dear Tory. Isn’t that the whole point?”
54
Corrections Officer Miranda Wiater
Corrections Officer Jesus Moralés
“Testing line three.”
“Line three.”
“Flushing saline.”
“Saline flow confirmed.”
“Voiding line three.”
“Line three voiding confirmed. Three lines tested and confirmed.”
“Ready for the chamber tests?”
“Let’s check inventory first.”
“Okay.”
“Sodium thiopental?”
“Fifty thousand milligrams in stock. Not expired.”
“Pancuronium bromide?”
“One thousand milligrams in stock. Not expired.”
“Potassium chloride?”
“One hundred grams. Not expired.”
“Okay. We’re all set in here. Let’s go check the chamber, and then we’re done. I’ll file the readiness report this afternoon, and then the only thing left on the agenda is her six P.M. execution.”
“I hate it when they’re this young.”
“I know.”
“Have you seen her?”
“Yeah. She sort of looks like Bridget Fonda. Or maybe Jennifer Aniston. A combination of Bridget Fonda and Jennifer Aniston. I saw her mother too. She looks like Stockard Channing. And her lawyer looks like Téa Leoni.”
“You like to describe everybody by what actor or actress they look like, don’t you?”
“You’ve got to admit it works, doesn’t it?”
“I suppose. How would you describe me?”
“Seriously?”
“Yes.”
“A short Julia Roberts.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“She’s pretty.”
“I know.”
“Well, thanks for that, Jesus. Are you on tonight?”
“Escort. You driving?”
“Yeah. I’ll be the one who turns the key.”
“Part of the job, right?”
“Part of the job. Okay. Here we go. General condition of gurney?”
“Good.”
“Cleanliness of gurney?”
“Clean.”
“Condition of sheets?”
“Clean.”
“Arm restraints?”
“In good condition. In working order.”
“Leg restraints?”
“Ditto.”
“Torso straps?”
“Same.”
“IV couplers?”
“Tight and clean.”
“Line ports?”
“Secure.”
“Floor?”
“Clean. Linoleum worn in several spots.”
“Windows?”
“Clean.”
“Vertical blinds?”
“Clean and functioning.”
“Microphone?”
“In position and functional.”
“Clock?”
“Working and on time.”
“Telephone?”
“Working.”
“That’s it, then.”
“How about the post details?”
“Jerry’s on them. He already confirmed the disposition funeral parlor.”
“Okay. Anything else you need me for? I’m off in ten minutes.”
“No, we’re done. Thanks, Jesus.”
“Call me if you need me.”
55
Tory Troy
Dr. Baraku Bexley
“I admit I was surprised to hear from you, Tory.”
“Really? Why’s that?”
“ I wasn’t sure how you felt about my declaring you fit to stand trial—or testifying for the prosecution, for that matter … albeit reluctantly.”
“Oh, I was fine with that. Let’s face it. We both knew that my standing trial was a foregone conclusion.”
“Perhaps. But why did you want to see me now?”
“My days are numbered, Doc. You don’t have to respond to that. They are. I’ve accepted it. So I thought I’d have a last chat with you as an acquaintance rather than a patient.”
“I’m flattered.”
“Really? Thank you. But did you notice that I used the word acquaintance instead of friend?”
“Yes, I noticed. So?”
“That’s because I did not want to be presumptuous about our relationship. I’ll tell you this, though. If I had used the word friend and it didn’t offend you, then I would be very pleased and grateful.”
“I have very warm feelings for you, Tory. Always have.”
“Do you? I’ve always wondered what you really thought of me, Dr. Bexley. I knew you thought I was sane enough to stand trial. But I’ve also wondered what you thought of me personally.
Do you like me? Did you mind spending all that time with me? Do you think I’m a despicable person for what I did? Do you ever think of me? I think of you often.”
“Do you want answers to those questions, Tory?”
“Absolutely not.”
“Ignorance is bliss?”
“I suppose.”
“Then why did you ask to see me?”
“Just to talk, I guess.”
“About what?”
“I …”
“Animals, perhaps?”
“Always the shrink, right, Doc?”
“Comes with the diploma.”
“I talked about animals on the stand.”
“I know. I was there. Anything else on your mind?”
“I don’t know. Yeah, I guess. I suppose we can talk about it.”
“What’s that?”
“It recently occurred to me that it’s quite possible that the real purpose of animals is to humanize people.”
“How so?”
“They bring down barriers.”
“Yes, that’s true.”
“Did you ever see how people act when they run into somebody—like in the park—with a dog?”
“Yes.”
“They start chatting with the person like they’ve known them for years.”
“Yes, I’ve seen that happen. Actually, I’ve done it myself.”
“So have I. This happens sometimes with babies too, but people are more reserved when they talk to strangers about their babies. They’re careful as to how personal they get. How ‘loose’ they get.”
“You’re right.”
“But with animals, people crouch down, they talk to them, they put their faces right up to the animal’s face … they let down all barriers, it seems.”
“And what do you think this means?”
“What does it mean?”
“Yes, in the scheme of things. This insight must have struck some kind of chord in you for you to not only remember it but to bring it up.”
“Not to mention asking to see you.”
“Not to mention asking to see me.”
“I don’t really know, Doc. But it just seems … unseemly to me that we take for granted that we own animals.”
“You know what Scripture says about this, don’t you?”
“Enlighten me.”
“Genesis. And God said, Let us make man in our image … and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle.… Dominion. That’s a pretty strong word.”
“I’m impressed.”
“Don’t be. It’s one of the few passages I’ve somehow managed to remember over the years.”
“But don’t you find that passage … arrogant?”
“I don’t want to discuss Scriptural apologetics, Tory. I want to know why you felt so strongly about this that you asked to see me.”