TRANSCRIPT OF TAPED INTERVIEW BETWEEN DETECTIVE BRANDON AND VIVIAN COATES ON WEDNESDAY THE 9TH OF MAY, 2018
LOCATION OF INTERVIEW: THE HOME OF VIVIAN COATES
TIME COMMENCED: 9:12 AM
Vivian: You again?
Detective Brandon: I'm afraid so.
Vivian: What do you want?
Detective Brandon: May I come in?
Vivian: I suppose.
Sit.
Detective Brandon: Thank you.
Vivian: What can I do for you detective?
Detective Brandon: I need to ask you a few more questions about Caitlyn.
Vivian: You mean you haven't come to rub my affair in my face like that little weasel of a partner of yours did.
Detective Brandon: Well, we'll get to that.
Vivian: Oh goody.
Detective Brandon: Let's start with Caitlyn.
Vivian: Ask away.
Detective Brandon: I should warn you that some of this may be difficult to hear, but I feel that I need to be forthright with you if we are going to have a chance of finding your daughter. And I need you to be honest with me.
Vivian: I'll do my best.
Detective Brandon: It'll have to be better than the last time we spoke.
(Silence)
All right then. I'll get straight into it. Information has surfaced that Caitlyn may have been abusing pain medication. Did you ever notice Caitlyn taking drugs?
Vivian: Pain meds? I suppose she could have been, but I think I would have noticed if she had been stealing my pills.
Detective Brandon: Your pills? You have pain pills? Here in the house?
Vivian: Yes, I have Oxycontin, for an old injury that still bothers me. You act as if I'm some sort of criminal. It's not illegal to take pain pills detective.
Detective Brandon: It's not that. I'm just surprised. It seems like it would have been pretty easy then for her to get her hands on pain meds. She wouldn't have had to have gone elsewhere.
Vivian: Perhaps, but I never noticed any pills missing and I think I would have noticed a change in her behavior.
Detective Brandon: With all due respect Vivian, it appears there was an awful lot going on in Caitlyn's life that you were unaware of, which leads me to my next question. The year that Caitlyn interned at the hospital, were you aware that she was visiting Dr. Patrick on your lunch hour?
Vivian: Caitlyn was visiting Terry? Are you sure?
Detective Brandon: Yes. We have video surveillance. She was there quite often.
Vivian: Doing what?
Detective Brandon: Dr. Patrick said it was to ask him questions about his work since she was interested in becoming a surgeon.
Vivian: What are you talking about? Caitlyn was never interested in becoming a surgeon.
Detective Brandon: Are you sure?
Vivian: Positive.
Detective Brandon: Interesting. Then why do you think she was there?
Vivian: I don't know...I suppose...maybe she was looking for me.
Detective Brandon: In his office, every day of every week, during your lunch hour when you were away from your desk? Come on Vivian, we both know that's not what was happening.
Vivian: What are you implying?
Detective Brandon: I know this may be difficult to hear, but we have reason to believe that Terry may have been having a relationship with your daughter.
Vivian: Well it sounds like he was mentoring her. That's harmless.
Detective Brandon: I don't think he was her mentor. I think their relationship was...sexual.
Vivian: Sexual? You think my daughter and Terry were having sex?!
Detective Brandon: That's correct.
Vivian: That's preposterous! How dare you insinuate such a disgusting thing!
Detective Brandon: I know this is probably very difficult for you to hear, especially since he was also having an affair with you. It takes a very sick person to sleep with both a mother and her daughter, not to mention the fact that she was a teenage girl.
Vivian: That's abhorrent! Terry would NEVER do such a thing!
Detective Brandon: Are you sure about that?
(Silence)
I'm afraid there's something else. I also believe that Terry may have...I think that Caitlyn was pregnant with his child.
Vivian: I'm sorry, what?!
Detective Brandon: I think that Caitlyn may have been carrying Terry's child when she went missing.
(Silence)
Vivian? Are you all right?
Vivian: Caitlyn was...pregnant?
Detective Brandon: I'm afraid so. Avery found the positive pregnancy test in the trashcan. Caitlyn also told Colin about the pregnancy.
Vivian: Well, I'm sure it was his then.
Detective Brandon: It most definitely was not.
Vivian: How do you know?
Detective Brandon: I'm not at liberty to share that information.
Vivian: Then maybe I'm not at liberty to share anymore information with you!
Detective Brandon: Well then you would only be punishing Caitlyn, not me. Is that what you wanted, to punish Caitlyn for sleeping with Terry and getting pregnant with his child?
Vivian: What did you just say to me?!
Detective Brandon: You have to imagine how this looks Vivian. You were having an affair with Terry, but then maybe you discovered that you weren't the only Coates woman Terry was sleeping with. And when you discovered, not only the affair, but that your daughter was pregnant with his child, maybe you snapped. Maybe YOU made Caitlyn disappear.
Vivian: Have you lost your fucking mind?! How dare you even suggest such a thing!
Detective Brandon: I didn't. Terry did.
Vivian: What? No, you're lying. He would never...
Detective Brandon: Wouldn't he? It's every man and woman for themselves right now Viv. So you might want to listen to what I have to say because your beloved Dr. Keeps-It-In-The-Family is ready to throw you under the bus.
Vivian: Jesus, I need a drink. This can't be happening.
Detective Brandon: I think it might be best if you keep your head on straight right now. I'm sure you're feeling very betrayed. I can only imagine the pain that you're experiencing in this moment, hearing about Terry's betrayal and what he did to your daughter. But there's time to bring Caitlyn the justice she deserves, however, you'll need to be very candid about your relationship with Terry. This isn't the time for lies. Lying will land you in quite the predicament. Do you understand what I'm saying?
Vivian?
Vivian: Yes. I'll do whatever I need to to make sure that lying sack of shit gets what he deserves.
Detective Brandon: Good, then let's get started. Did Caitlyn know about your affair with Dr. Terry Patrick?
(Silence)
Vivian?
Vivian: Yes. Yes, she knew.
Detective Brandon: When did she find out?
Vivian: A couple of years ago.
Detective Brandon: When she was a sophomore and was interning at the hospital?
Vivian: Yes.
Detective Brandon: What did she do when she found out?
Vivian: She lost it on me. Threatened to tell her father.
Detective Brandon: So you had her sent to private school in St. Louis, didn't you?
Vivian: Not my finest moment as a parent, but yes.
Detective Brandon: But then she returned her senior year. Why?
Vivian: She was different, things were different. The year away seemed to completely change who she was. She said she understood that it was probably difficult to be married to a man who was gone so often. She told me she understood my feelings of abandonment and why I sought out the affection of another man. She said she wouldn't say anything to her father if I ended the affair.
Detective Brandon: And did you? End it, that is?
Vivian: Unfortunately no, but Caitlyn didn't seem to notice. She was too busy with school and her boyfriend seemed to be a good distraction.
Detective Brandon: And did you have any knowledge of her relationship with Terry and the possibility that she was pregnant?
Vivian: No, not at all.
Detective Brandon: Vivian, why do you think Caitlyn would sleep with Terry if she despised you for doing so? Do you think he forced himself on her?
Vivian: I don't know. Given how much time you said she spent with him, I suppose there's the possibility that it was consensual. You don't know Terry. He can be very...charming...very persuasive. He makes you feel like you're special, like you're the most beautiful woman he's ever laid eyes on. I'm sure that act would easily fool an impressionable young woman like Caitlyn. I know it worked on me. Ugh, it's nauseating. I think I'm going to be sick.
Detective Brandon: Well not to make things worse but there's a good chance that Terry will say and do whatever he has to in order to save his own ass, including ruining your reputation. He didn't speak highly of you the last time we spoke and I can only imagine what he will say now that all of this is surfacing.
Vivian: What did he say?
Detective Brandon: I believe his exact words were that you are, "a drunk and your daughter a pill popping princess."
Vivian: That bastard.
Detective Brandon: You realize that you're each other's alibis, right?
Vivian: How so?
Detective Brandon: You were working late together the night Caitlyn went missing.
Vivian: So what are you saying?
Detective Brandon: If he says you weren't with him, then you're back on the list of suspects, at least in the public's eye.
Vivian: And why am I not on your list?
Detective Brandon: I don't think you're a killer Vivian. You might not win the mother of the year award, but you hardly fit the profile of a malicious methodical finger-dicing murderer.
Vivian: And you think Terry is?
(Silence)
I'll fucking kill him if he laid a hand on my daughter!
Detective Brandon: He already did. I just don't know if he killed her in addition to impregnating her, which is why I need your help. We need to find out what happened to Caitlyn so we can end this nightmare your family has been enduring.
Vivian: It's too late for that, but I'll help however I can.
Detective Brandon: I need to know how late you were at the hospital with Terry that evening?
Vivian: I was there until about 8 pm.
Detective Brandon: Did you go straight home after work?
Vivian: No, Terry and I stopped to get a bite to eat.
Detective Brandon: Where?
Vivian: Norton's.
Detective Brandon: And then what?
Vivian: Then I stopped at a convenient store to pick up some...vodka, before heading home.
Detective Brandon: Do you know where Terry went after you ate?
Vivian: I don't know for sure, but I know he often went running in the evenings to blow off steam and to avoid going home. He hated being there.
Detective Brandon: Do you remember him acting oddly that day or the day after?
Vivian: No.
Detective Brandon: What about in the weeks leading up to Caitlyn's disappearance? Was there anything out of the ordinary that you noticed?
Vivian: With Terry? Not that I can think of. Except...
Detective Brandon: Yes?
Vivian: Well, it wasn't Terry. It was his wife.
Detective Brandon: What do you mean?
Vivian: She rarely visited the hospital. Terry said he hated having her there and that she was too busy blowing through all his money to even care what he did all day to provide the money. But she came into the office, about a week before Caitlyn went missing. I remember it distinctly, because she was furious. I was scared shitless that she had found out about our affair and that she was about to confront him in front of the entire office.
Detective Brandon: Did she?
Vivian: No, she went into his office and slammed the door behind her. She was screaming loudly and, Sally, the other administrative assistant, tried to go over by the door to hear what was going on but I shooed her away and indicated that I would do it instead. I didn't want her to hear if Caroline was yelling about our affair, but that wasn't what she was yelling about.
Detective Brandon: What was she angry about?
Vivian: Money. Terry had withdrawn a large sum of money from their account without running it past Caroline and she was irate.
Detective Brandon: Do you know how much?
Vivian: No.
Detective Brandon: So you're telling me that a week before your daughter went missing, the man who was having an affair with her, and was the possible father of her child, suddenly withdrew a large sum of money from his bank account?
Vivian: That's correct.
(Silence)
Oh jesus, you don't think...
Detective Brandon: If Terry didn't do it himself, then it looks like your lover may have paid someone else to take care of Caitlyn.
Vivian: No, no, no , no!
Detective Brandon: I'm afraid so.
Vivian: Caitlyn, my Caitlyn.
Detective Brandon: I'm sorry Vivian. Despite everything you went through with Caitlyn, I'm sure this is incredibly difficult to hear.
Vivian: I know you don't think much of me detective. But the relationship of a mother and her daughter is a complicated one. And no matter my faults or hers, I loved my daughter. I would never have done anything to hurt her. And despite everything we've been through, all I want is for her to be home.
Detective Brandon: I understand.
Vivian: It's odd, since she's been gone I actually miss our fights. They used to drive me crazy, but I'd do anything to hear her yell at me right now. I'd even just stand there and take it. I wouldn't care. She could say whatever she wants to me if it means she's alive and well. Do you understand? You have to find my daughter. You have to find my daughter!
Detective Brandon: Believe me, I'm trying.
Vivian: You have to bring her back!
Detective Brandon: Are you prepared to testify against Terry? It would mean all the details of your affair coming forward.
Vivian: What do you mean? I thought if I helped you then you could keep this whole Terry and I situation under wraps. If you want me to testify against him then you need to protect me. Isn't that usually how these deals work?
Detective Brandon: Deals? So let me get this straight, when you said you loved your daughter, what you really meant was love with an asterisk. Unbelievable. So much for a mother's unconditional love.
Vivian: You don't get it! It's not that simple. If the affair comes out, I'll lose Phillip. And Avery's entire world will be turned upside down if we get a divorce. She's already been through so much. We've all been through so much. I can't lose my family, or at least what's left of it.
Detective Brandon: I guess you should have thought of that before you cheated.
Vivian: That's not fair.
Detective Brandon: No, what happened to Caitlyn isn't fair. What's happening to you is the consequence of the choices you made.
Vivian: It sure must be nice to sit back and judge the decisions of others. Are you married detective?
Detective Brandon: No.
Vivian: Do you have children?
Detective Brandon: No.
Vivian: Then you don't have the slightest inkling of what I've gone through in my life, so get off your high horse and FIND MY DAUGHTER!
END OF INTERVIEW
TIME CONCLUDED: 10:15 AM