The Setup

The plan was elegant in its simplicity. Diane would pose as a distant relative of Margaret's — an aunt who had recently inherited a significant sum of money and wanted to ensure it stayed in the family. She would visit the house, meet Richard, and over the course of several days, drop hints about her wealth and her distrust of traditional banking.

Richard, predictably, took the bait. His greed was a constant, reliable force, and the prospect of a new source of income was too tempting to resist. He began asking questions about Diane's inheritance, her financial advisors, her investment strategies. He suggested ways she could protect her assets, avoid taxes, keep her money hidden from prying eyes.

"You seem to know a lot about this," Diane said, playing the role of the naive, wealthy widow.

"I have some experience," Richard said modestly. "Before my accident, I was quite successful. I've had to learn to manage my finances carefully since becoming disabled."

Diane nodded sympathetically, while Margaret — watching from the kitchen — had to turn away to hide her disgust. He was still playing the role, even now, even when he thought he had won.

Over the course of Diane's week-long visit, Richard proposed a "business opportunity" — a way for Diane to invest her inheritance that would provide significant returns while remaining completely off the books. He would manage the investments himself, he said, using his connections and expertise.

Diane expressed interest, asked for details, requested documentation. Richard provided everything — fake investment prospectuses, falsified account statements, references from non-existent clients. He was thorough, professional, and completely oblivious to the trap being laid.

By the end of the week, Diane had enough evidence of fraud to add another ten years to Richard's eventual prison sentence.

"He's even more despicable than you described," Diane told Margaret as she packed to leave. "I wanted to slap him every time he called you 'my devoted wife.'"

"The devotion was real," Margaret said quietly. "Just misplaced."

Wow: this is what Dr. Phil used to look like!