Frank De Felitta - Audrey Rose

QAnd what greater significance did you place in this, other than your daughter had suffered a slight cold?

AWell, I saw the whole tiling as a ploy to get Ivy back to the city. The coughing spasms and fever were meant to frighten us into taking Ivy down to see Dr., Kaplan. And it almost worked.

QYou say, “a ploy to get Ivy back to the city,” Mrs. Templeton. Who was behind this ploy?

AAudrey Rose, of course.

MR. VELIE: Objection. The witness’ answer is unbelievable. Her reference to a mythical Audrey Rose is compelling proof that she is under such an emotional strain as to be incapable of giving competent testimony.

THE COURT: Objection sustained.

Qby MR. MACK: Did anything else happen?

AThat same night, Sunday night, I remained in Westport with Ivy while Bill returned to the city. Well, that night I was awakened by a noise coming from Ivy’s room. When I went to investigate, I found Ivy in the bathroom, standing naked in front of the mirror, looking at herself and giggling and whispering, “Audrey Rose,” as if she were calling to her, as if Audrey Rose were hiding somewhere inside her body and Ivy were trying to reach her.

QDid your daughter know about Audrey Rose at this time?

AOh, yes, we had told her everything the night before. Some of the girls at the school found out what was going on down here and quickly spread the word around, so we thought it best to tell Ivy everything.

QHow did your daughter accept the news?

AAmazement. Disbelief. But all in all, she took it pretty well. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more romantic and appealing she found the whole notion. She particularly loved the idea of living on and on and never dying.

QAnd what significance did you place in her behavior in front of the mirror?

AAt first, I thought it was simply little girl curiosity, but the nakedness seemed to suggest something more.

QWhat was that?

AShe was displaying herself, showing her body, it seemed to me, on someone else’s command.

QOn whose command?

AAudrey Rose’s.

MR. VELIE: Objection, Your Honor. Move to strike the answer as referring to a mythical person. There has been no evidence that such a person exists.

THE COURT: Objection sustained.

Qby MR. MACK: Did anything else happen that night?

AThat night Ivy packed her suitcase and in the morning didn’t realize she had done it. Sometime during the night she arose in her sleep and quietly, neatly packed all her things. It was a clear sign to me of Audrey Rose’s desperate need to get back to the city; however, I didn’t know how she hoped to accomplish it, since Ivy had no money and knew nothing about train travel. Later that day, however, I found a train schedule and a ten-dollar bill in Ivy’s tote bag. Both had been stolen from my purse.

QStolen by Ivy?

AOf course not. By Audrey Rose.

MR. VELIE: Objection on the grounds that there has been no evidence that Audrey Rose is a living person.

THE COURT: Sustained.

Qby MR. MACK: Do you know why Audrey Rose was so desperate to get back to the city?

MR. VELIE: Objection, Your Honor. The question assumes a fact not in evidence; that there is such a person named Audrey Rose.

THE COURT: Objection sustained.

Qby Mr. Mack: Do you know why your daughter was so desperate to get back to the city?

ATo be close to her father.

QHer father being?

AMr. Hoover.

QYou mean Mr. Templeton, don’t you?

ANo, I mean Ivy was being driven to reach Mr. Hoover.

QDid anything else happen?

AYes, she tried to kill Ivy.

QWho tried to kill her?

AAudrey Rose.

MR. VELIE: Objection on the same grounds previously stated, Your Honor. There has been no evidence that such a person as Audrey Rose exists.

THE COURT: Objection sustained.

Qby MR. MACK: When was there an attempt to kill Ivy?

AYesterday afternoon. All the girls at the school had built this huge snowman and they were having what they call a crowning and melting ceremony. That is, they had built a fire around it and were melting it down, destroying it; it’s a ritual they do every year. And while it was burning, Ivy, Ivy started to walk into the fire. It wasn’t accidental; she did it purposely; Mother Superior told me that. She said that Ivy literally walked and then crawled into the fire, and if it hadn’t been for the custodian, Mr. Calitri, who rushed in after her and pulled her out, she would have been killed.

QYou mean, your daughter purposely tried to kill herself?

A Oh, no! It wasn’t Ivy. It was Audrey Rose who tried to kill her. Don’t you see, she was thwarted? Unable to get back to the city, she was seeking to escape this earth life by forcing Ivy to walk into the fire. (Witness overcome by tears)

MR. VELIE: Your Honor, I have refrained from objecting to the last two answers given by Mrs. Templeton, although I believe there are ample grounds to have her answers stricken from the record as hearsay, because I believed that it would soon become apparent to this court that Mrs. Templeton is so distraught, because of the near miss that her daughter had with death yesterday, that she cannot possibly be responsible for the answers that she’s giving and I, again, most urgently, suggest that it would be appropriate to recess this court until such time as the witness has been able to calm and collect herself.

THE COURT: Do you feel able to continue, Mrs. Templeton?

MRS. TEMPLETON: Yes, yes. I want to continue. I want to tell it all.

THE COURT: There seems no reason, in my opinion, to grant a recess at this time, Mr. Velie. Mrs. Templeton seems to have recovered sufficiently to continue. However, I will strike the witness’ last two answers from the record and direct the jury to disregard them.

Qby MR. MACK: Mrs. Templeton, do you believe in reincarnation?

AYes. I do.

QMrs. Templeton, do you believe that your daughter, Ivy, is the reincarnation of Mr. Hoover’s daughter, Audrey Rose?

AYes, I do.

QMrs. Templeton, do you believe that Mr. Hoover kidnapped your daughter?

ANo, I do not. I believe he was doing a humanitarian thing and had every right to go to her bedroom that night to help her, to see to her, to take care of her, because I believe that what he says is true. I believe that the only help my child will ever get on this earth will be through Mr. Hoover. The only chance she has of living is if this man is released from jail. (Witness overcome by tears)

MR. VELIE: I object to the question, Your Honor, as calling for a conclusion of law, and I move that the witness’ answer be stricken in its entirety. It’s for the jury to make that judgment.

THE COURT: Sustained. Strike the entire answer of the witness from the record, and the jury is instructed to disregard the witness’ answer. Continue, Mr. Mack.

MR. MACK: Your Honor, I have no further questions.

THE COURT: Mr. Velie, you may cross-examine.

MR. VELIE: Your Honor, this woman is in such a highly charged and emotional state, in my opinion, I do not believe that the answers she has given to the questions addressed to her by defense counsel bear any relation to the truth in the matter, and I would feel that any cross-examination I might subject her to at this point would also elicit answers that would be based on her highly distraught condition. Therefore, I will not ask her any questions.