"And where were you born?"
"Crawford, Idaho."
"What is your father's name?"
Daniel thought he saw Fairweather flinch.
"Herman Garlock," she answered, her voice dropping again.
"And your mother?"
"Linda Garlock."
"If your parents are both named Garlock, why are you named Fairweather?"
"I changed my name legally five years ago."
"What was your given name?"
"Florence Garlock."
"When is the last time you spoke to either of your parents?"
"I don't know the exact date. It would have been around 1978."
"You haven't had any contact with them for more than twenty years?"
"That's correct."
"Can you tell me why?"
"I did not wish to contact them."
"Wouldn't you agree it's rather unusual for a daughter to have no contact with her parents for twenty years?"
"Objection, relevance," Mike Greene said.
"Is the witness's relationship to her parents relevant to this case, Ms. Jaffe?" Judge Opton asked.
"It is, Your Honor, but I'll withdraw the question for now."
Amanda turned her attention back to the witness.
"Do you have any siblings?"
"I have a younger sister, Dorothy."
"Has your sister maintained a relationship with your parents?"
"Yes."
Amanda made a few notes, then switched to another subject.
"I'd like to talk to you about your educational background. What school or schools awarded you your master's and Ph.D.?"
"Templeton University."
"Where did you receive your undergraduate degree?"
"I don't have one."
Amanda looked surprised. "I'm a little confused," she said. "Before you can get a master's and a doctorate, don't you have to graduate from college?"
"That was not a requirement at Templeton."
"Is Templeton University a regular school with a campus and a football team?"
"Templeton is a correspondence university. I attended by mail."
"How long did it take you to get a master's degree and a Ph.D. by mail?"
"About three years."
"Each?"
"Total."
Amanda had Judge Opton's attention and Daniel noticed that Mike Greene was starting to look nervous.
"What major are your degrees in?"
"Theocentric counseling."
"I don't believe I've heard of that. Could you explain theocentric counseling to Judge Opton?"
"Theocentric is God-centered. There's no specific religious connection," Fairweather said without turning to the judge. Daniel had the impression that she was not speaking to anyone in particular, as if she was distancing herself from what was happening in the courtroom.
"Dr. Fairweather, is Templeton an accredited university like Oregon State?"
"I don't believe so."
"And you're not licensed by any state agency, are you?"
"No."
"Let's go back to your parents. Was your father abusive to you when you were a child?"
"Objection. This is totally irrelevant."
Amanda stood. "To the contrary, Your Honor. If you will give me a little leeway here, you will see that this line of questioning goes directly to the issue of this witness's credibility and competence."
Judge Opton took a moment to decide what to do. He did not look happy.
"I'm going to let you continue based solely on your assertion that you can prove relevance. If I'm not convinced pretty quickly, I'll uphold Mr. Greene's objection."
"Thank you, Your Honor. Dr. Fairweather, was your father abusive?"
"Yes."
"In what way?"
"Sexually, physically, and emotionally."
"Since what age?"
"I don't know exactly. My earliest memory would be somewhere around four or five."
"When you say `physical abuse' what do you mean?"
"Hitting, choking, being locked in closets," she answered in a flat, emotionless tone that reminded Daniel of the way he might describe something he saw on the evening news.
"And `sexual abuse'?"
"Touching, intercourse."
"He had intercourse with you at four?"
"Yes."
"Anything else?"
"Sodomy, oral sex. He . . . he used objects. Bottles, other things."
"How long did this go on?"
"Until I left the family."
"How old were you then?"
"Twenty-one."
"So this went on for 17 years?"
"Yes."
"Every year?"
"Every week."
"Did you report this physical and sexual abuse to anyone?"
"I . . . I may have tried to report it to my teachers. I can't remember."
"Would it surprise you to learn that my investigator has spoken to several of your teachers and they have no memory of your making any such complaint?"
"Like I said, I can't remember if I did or not."
"Did your mother know what was going on?"
"She participated."
"How?"
"She performed oral sex on me, inserted objects in my vagina, my rectal area."
"What kind of objects?"
"A broom handle, a gun."
"A gun?"
"Yes."
"What kind of gun?"
"I don't know."
"Was it a rifle or a pistol?"
"I can't remember."
"Was your sister also molested?"
"I think so."
"Did she ever complain about this abuse?"
"She has no memory of it."
"But you think she was abused sexually?"
"We shared a bedroom from six to seventeen or eighteen and I believe my father came into the bedroom and had sex with my sister."
"How often?"
"Two to three times a week."
"And she doesn't remember this?"
"She denies it."
"Ms. Jaffe," Judge Opton interrupted. He was obviously upset. "Where are you going with this?"
"A few more questions and it will all be clear, Your Honor. I promise."
"It better be, because I am this close to ending this examination."
Amanda turned her full attention to the witness and went for the kill.
"Other than your parents, were you ever sexually abused by anyone else?"
"Yes."
"How many people molested you?"
"I'm not exactly certain."
"Can you give the judge a ballpark figure?"
"Maybe fifteen. Maybe as many as thirty-five."
Judge Opton frowned.
"Can you identify any of the other people who sexually molested you, these fifteen to thirty-five people?"
"No."
"Were they men or women?"
"It's hard to say."
"Why is that?"
"They were wearing robes with hoods. They wore masks."
The judge leaned forward.
"Can you describe these costumes?"
"They were black-hooded robes, they reached the floor. When I was little it seemed to me that the people could fly, that they floated instead of walking. Now I realize that it just seemed that way because the robes covered their feet."
"Can you remember anything else about the costumes?"
"They had circular medallions."
"Did the medallions symbolize something?"
"They symbolized the fact that these people worshiped Satan."
"So you were molested by Satan worshipers?"
"Yes."
Amanda now had the judge's full attention. Mike Greene struggled to appear nonchalant, as if mass molestations by devil worshipers were a commonplace occurrence in his life.
"Where did these attacks take place?"
"Sometimes in a barn. I also remember the basement of a church."
"Can you give the judge some idea of what happened at these meetings? For instance, why don't you tell him the worst experience you can remember."
"One time I was taken to the barn and tied down to a table and an abortion was performed on me . . ."
"An abortion? You were pregnant?"
"Yes."
"How old were you?"
"Thirteen."