CHAPTER 7 Mary: March 2005 Still, a friend. “Nothing,” says Mary. “You got your period? “Shut the fuck up,” M: There have been run Rumors started by a girl v “Whore,” her rival sho “You’re the whore,” M: Mary rushes the girl, w twisting and tugging. Son bell rings for next period, N She shakes her head i feeling humiliated. Then, in her wallet, th I f there’s no traffic, Mary’s hometown is less than thirty minutes away from the island of Palm Beach. But in economic terms it’s a world away. Her high school is run by the county. Most of Mary’s classmates are black. Thirty percent are Hispanic, as she is. The rest are white. The school has a C rating, and lots of students receive free or discounted lunches. Mary is one of those students. But inch by inch, she’s working her way out of the crab barrel. A good kid, her teachers think. A kid with a future in front of her. Weeks have gone by since her meeting with Epstein. She hasn’t told anyone about the visit. Still, other kids at the high school have noticed a change. “Yo, Mary,” a friend says. “What’s up with you anyway?” This is a kid who veers from nice to mean, depending on who else is around. Mary’s too young and too are all twenties, not single ents, her teachers sugges Mary do drugs or deal the Mary’s father knows be chologist is called in. And Once she does, she can It’s a wild story. Highly A powerful man. This is al It’s definitely a matter for th recommending a transfer, troubled kids-ones with Mary’s a good girl, it’s t high school will not be tole 20¶
FILTHY RICH CHAPTER 7 Still, a friend. “Nothing,” says Mary. “You got your period?” “Shut the fuck up,” Mary whispers. There have been rumors going around, she knows that. Rumors started by a girl who has eyes for Joe. “Whore,” her rival shouts in the hallway one day. “You’re the whore,” Mary shouts back. Mary rushes the girl, who shoves back, grabbing at Mary’s hair, twisting and tugging. Someone yells, “Catfight!” By the time the bell rings for next period, Mary’s sitting in the principal’s office. She shakes her head in reply to the questions, stays silent, feeling humiliated. Then, in her wallet, they find the three hundred dollars. getown is less than thirty min- Palm Beach. But in economic igh school is run by the county. ck. Thirty percent are Hispanic, school has a C rating, and lots unted lunches. Mary is one of 1, she’s working her way out of r teachers think. A kid with a her meeting with Epstein. She sit. Still, other kids at the high ‘hat’s up with you anyway?” m nice to mean, depending on 20 Mary’s too young and too small to be stripping. Besides, the bills are all twenties, not singles or fives. When they call Mary’s parents, her teachers suggest a more obvious explanation: Does Mary do drugs or deal them? Mary’s father knows better than that. “No,” he insists. A psychologist is called in. And then, Mary does start talking. Once she does, she can’t stop. It’s a wild story. Highly disturbing. A mansion in Palm Beach. A powerful man. This is all far from the principal’s wheelhouse. It’s definitely a matter for the police. In the meantime, the school’s recommending a transfer, purely temporarily, to a facility for troubled kids—ones with “issues.” Mary’s a good girl, it’s true. But further confrontations at the high school will not be tolerated. 21 HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_009170¶
Officer Pagan’s startin uncharted waters. She’s yo this have been minor. Ro used to the Gold Coast. Sl to her, the less affluent to well be somewhere in Gec know that in the back . whispering. What’s a guy with that out west? The women arou Extortion? The kid’s fourteen. Wha Have you seen the sho things we’ve never dreamed No, Pagan thinks. This She’s the one who’s goi CHAPTER 8 Michele Pagan: March 2005 O n March 15, Palm Beach police officer Michele Pagan takes the first call from Mary’s stepmother. “Ma’am,” she says, “I’m going to have to ask you to come down to the station.” “I don’t want to say anything more until I speak with my husband.” “Ma’am, I appreciate that. But I’d urge you to come in. Let us find out what happened. Please.” “I’ll get back to you.” “Please, ma’am. I’m here for the rest of the day. We’re on South County Road.” At the station, Mary’s father does most of the talking. “There was an incident,” he says. “At school. A fight between Mary and another girl. But please understand, our Mary’s not like that.” 22 HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_009171¶
FILTHY RICH Officer Pagan’s starting to feel as though she’s swimming in uncharted waters. She’s young, and the cases she’s worked before this have been minor. Robberies, that sort of thing. Pagan’s not used to the Gold Coast. She was educated in New York City, and, to her, the less affluent towns further in from the Coast might as well be somewhere in Georgia. Then again, she knows enough to know that in the back of the station, detectives are already whispering. What’s a guy with that kind of money need with some girl from out west? The women around here could make a man cry. Extortion? The kid’s fourteen. What would she know from extortion? Have you seen the shows these kids watch? They know about things we’ve never dreamed about. No, Pagan thinks. This is her case. She’s the one who’s going to work it. CHAPTER 8 a police officer Michele Pagan fary’s stepmother. ’m going to have to ask you to ng more until I speak with my it I’d urge you to come in. Let us ,r the rest of the day. We’re on does most of the talking. says. “At school. A fight between ease understand, our Mary’s not 22 23 HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_009172¶
She removed her par writes in her incident re She straddled his ba touching Epstein’s exposec Epstein then turned to up-and-down motion. Eps to massage Mary’s vagina. Mary’s sure that Epst himself down as he got c That week, Pagan’s as tives. Five men, two won say. “This is different fro tor is a smart person, anc Within days, another a similar story. It’s a tricky case, accordi investigation, because th as bait in an attempt to cat even if they were willin strings that Chief Reiter’s Two weeks later, on N a controlled call to Wend The first attempt goes The next time Mary c On the recordings m tiny and tentative, whil grown, like the femme fat “Hey, what’s up?” she CHAPTER 9 Mary: March 2005 M ary’s father and stepmother believe their girl. Officer Pagan believes Mary’s parents. Ergo, Mary must be telling the truth. The girl’s got a sweet, high, halting voice. Pagan interviews her twice, and both times, she speaks with her chin buried deep in her chest. “Tell me, honey,” says Pagan. “What happened?” In her notepad, Michele Pagan writes: While speaking to me, Mary became upset and started to cry. “This white-haired guy came into the room,” Mary says. “Wearing only a towel around his waist. He took off the towel. And then he was all naked, and he lay down on a massage table. “He was a really built guy. But his wee-wee was very tiny.” Mary tells Pagan that Epstein spoke only to give her instructions, which he did in a stern voice. She tells Pagan that she was alone and didn’t know what to do. 24 HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_009173¶
FILTHY RICH She removed her pants, leaving her thong panties on, Pagan writes in her incident report. She straddled his back, whereby her exposed buttocks were touching Epstein’s exposed buttocks. Epstein then turned to his side and started to rub his penis in an up-and-down motion. Epstein pulled out a purple vibrator and began to massage Mary’s vaginal area. Mary’s sure that Epstein ejaculated. “He used a towel to wipe himself down as he got off the table,” she says. That week, Pagan’s assigned to the case, along with six detectives. Five men, two women. “A predator case,” one of them will say. “This is different from someone who is stealing. This predator is a smart person, and that’s his desire. He can’t stop.” Within days, another victim comes into the station. She’s got a similar story. CHAPTER 9 ther believe their girl. Officer arents. Ergo, Mary must be tellgot a sweet, high, halting voice. both times, she speaks with her “What happened?” n writes: While speaking to me, cry. e into the room,” Mary says. is waist. He took off the towel. he lay down on a massage table. it his wee-wee was very tiny. n spoke only to give her instrucice. She tells Pagan that she was lo. 24 It’s a tricky case, according to a source closely involved with the investigation, because the girls involved are far too young to use as bait in an attempt to catch Epstein committing another crimeeven if they were willing to play along. Still, there are other strings that Chief Reiter’s team can start pulling. Two weeks later, on March 31, Officer Pagan has Mary make a controlled call to Wendy Dobbs. The first attempt goes straight to voice mail. The next time Mary calls, Wendy picks up. On the recordings made by Officer Pagan, Mary’s voice is tiny and tentative, while Wendy sounds mature, gruff, fully grown, like the femme fatale in some old black-and-white movie. “Hey, what’s up?” she says impatiently. 25 HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_009174¶
JAMES PATTERSON “Nothing,” says Mary. “I talked to Jeffrey, and I’m going to his house tomorrow morning,” says Wendy. “I’m going to set something up for you.” “Cool. Like, what do you think?” “I don’t know. I’m going to talk to him tomorrow morning when I go to his house about it.” “Um, how much would I get paid?” “Talk to him. I’ll talk to him tomorrow, and then I’ll bring you in the next day. You can talk to him about it.” So far, so good, thinks Officer Pagan. But she needs more. She looks at Mary expectantly, but not too expectantly, she hopes. She can imagine how hard it must be for the girl. Or maybe she can’t imagine it at all. But either way, Mary seems to have gotten the message. Straightening up in her chair, she begins to press Wendy. “I don’t know,” Wendy says in response. “I don’t know. You’re going to have to talk to him about it. I mean, I don’t really work for him like that. I just bring girls to him and they work for him…You can ask him, like, ‘What can I do to make more money?’” Mary keeps pressing. “The more you do, the more you get paid,” Wendy says finally. “Want me to bring my sister for you? So that we can get paid more or something?” “Well, yeah. That’s what I’m saying. I’m working tomorrow, and me and him are going to put a schedule together for you and your sister. So I’ll call you tomorrow when I leave Jeffrey with a schedule.” “Okay, well, I don’t have a phone. So if you guys call me, I’d have to know what time so I could get the phone.” “Okay. I’ll leave you a message. That’s fine. I’ll leave you a message.” 26 Noel St. Pierre: Mar N oel St. Pierre* Haiti. His old r jungle border Republic, and some of 1 kids would stay in the [ of them never returned. say too much about it. Most of them didn’t By the time he was those kids. He’d learn prostitutes. This was how Noel really were devils out in * Noel St. Pierre is a compo¶