Michelle flipped through the pages of the magazine and turned her thoughts to the baby, the reason for her two-hour flight north.
What will become of Audrey? she asked herself.
It was to be the perfect baptism of Audrey Lokelani. Nothing short of perfect would do, because Mary Kay Letourneau expected nothing less for any of her children. She had instructed both Kate and Michelle from her prison cell to be sure the details were just so. The ceremony was set for the chapel at Seattle University. Officials from Seattle's St. James Cathedral had refused to allow the baptism to take place there because of concerns over publicity. Mary Kay was disappointed, but that the Jesuit priest who had worked with her and Steve on their “peaceful coexistence” contract was officiating lessened the blow. She had ordered a beautiful lace christening gown from an exclusive boutique in Redmond, Washington, during her weeks out with Vili in January.
She thought, of course, that she 'd be able to be there.
That morning, Mary Kay looked out the window from the prison clinic where she was being monitored for some spotting during her ninth pregnancy and held the image of the spring sky in her mind. She wrote of the day in a journal that she kept for Audrey. Though she wasn't there, she wanted her daughter to know that she was a part of the sacred day in her heart, and spirit. She made out a list so that Audrey would know who had been present. She made special mention of Michelle, of course, as her baby's godmother; Favaae Fualaau, Vili's older brother, was the godfather.
The ceremony was lovely; Kate had seen to it. Mary Kay saw her friend as a stand-in for her taste and sensibilities.
“She is me as far as aesthetics go,” Mary Kay later said. “Making sure the crown for Audrey was perfect, the roses for the top of the cake, the details at the brunch.”
It was the brunch at the Marriott Hotel near SeaTac, however, that was not so perfect. Mary Kay had selected the venue because she thought that the garden theme of the dining area would be pretty, given the time of year and the love she had for flowers. Had she been there, she would have cringed at the scene.
It was not a typical baptism brunch, nor could it be. But the way the Fualaaus and representatives of their lawyers were acting, it was clear that the focus was not on the baby, but on the business deal that had become Audrey, Vili, and Mary Kay. Attendees had been sworn to secrecy so the media wouldn't intrude. A different name was used for the reservations at the Marriott.
Bodyguards in dark glasses ran around looking in bushes, setting ground rules for photography, reminding people to keep their mouths shut to protect the Fualaaus' reported $50,000 deal with the Globe. It was assumed that the whole world would converge on the hotel if someone leaked news of it. And with all the money beginning to change hands, there was the incentive to keep a lid on it.
What is this? Kate Stewart thought, put off by the whole attitude. This is like having lunch with the Mafia.
Kate brought her camera and had only needed one good shot. She had promised Mary Kay that she would get one to James Kent, the BBC producer. She ended up taking fourteen rolls of film.
“Soona took the negatives from me,” she said later. “So in fear that they might get out somehow and jeopardize her deal, or to protect the baby, I don't know.”
A bodyguard took the film to a nearby photo processor and waited in the back while the prints were being made to make sure that nobody stole any pictures.
Michelle was dumbfounded by the whole thing as she watched a few attendees knock back drinks in the bar. This is a baptism, for God's sake. When their eyes met, she could see that Kate was feeling the same way. What was going on here?
“It's all about money,” Michelle concluded later. “When it comes down to it, nothing else mattered in this whole scenario. Not the kids, not Mary Kay, not Vili, nothing, but for the money that could be made.”
Oddly—considering their roles in the case—the lawyers had not been invited. Susan Gehrke, David's wife, however, was present. When she saw Michelle Jarvis she went up to her to tell her that she and her husband had admired the way she stood her ground during an appearance on the Sally Jessy Raphael show.
“David and I were impressed with how well you did,” the schoolteacher said.
Michelle turned her back on Susan. “Well, if your husband hadn't done such a bad job that wouldn't have been necessary.”
“It almost reduced her to tears,” David Gehrke said later of his wife's reaction to the remark.
Paranoia and blame had settled in and a baby's baptism was somehow lost in the mire.
As David Gehrke saw it later: “The Globe article had just come out and the Globe representative was birddogging Soona to protect her and protect Globe's rights. BBC was around and there was talk that they had been invited in by the Chicago faction to surreptitiously videotape it. The Boston attorney was in town and was talking that it [the fact Mary Kay was in prison] was all my fault.”