White
NY, NY 10021
Alias Name(s): None
Date: 05/22/95 Manhattan Docket #6656 CR952387
Criminal
Offense: Operating to Endanger Lives and Safety
Disposition: Dismissed
Date: 05/22/95 Manhattan Docket #6656 CR952388
Criminal
Offense: Operating Under the Influence of Alcohol
Disposition: Dismissed
Date: 09/06/81 Manhattan Docket #7513 CR811116
Criminal
Offense: Domestic Assault
Disposition: Convicted (Probation)
Date: 07/23/80 Manhattan Docket #4912 CR800034
Criminal
Offense: Violation of Restraining Order, Abuse Prevention Act
Disposition: Convicted (Probation)
Nothing about the rap sheet gave me any comfort. Bishop’s 1981 conviction for assault obviously had been for smacking his first wife, Lauren, around. And that episode had apparently followed another worrisome event during 1980 — something threatening enough that the court had issued a restraining order against Bishop, an order he then violated. So much for the ‘I couldn’t have a better friend’ line that Bishop had fed the New York magazine writer who asked about his and Lauren’s divorce.
For all his Manhattan and Nantucket cachet, Bishop was starting to look like a garden variety alcoholic and domestic abuser — something I knew more than a little bit about, firsthand. I’d grown up with one. It didn’t seem like much of a reach to think Bishop could be beating Billy, or that he could have killed little Brooke.
I called North Anderson’s mobile phone from the lobby. He answered right away.
"I just picked up a copy of Darwin Bishop’s criminal record in New York," I told him.
"What criminal record?" he asked.
"I found a newspaper article that referenced an old assault charge against him during the early eighties, so I pulled his whole sheet."
"And?"
"Not good. He was convicted of a domestic assault on his wife Lauren during 1981. He also violated a restraining order the prior year. That’s on top of charges of driving to endanger and driving under the influence during the mid-nineties that he managed to get dismissed, with the help of F. Lee Bailey."
"That puts Bishop in a whole new light," he said. "How about Billy? What did you learn from him?"
"He says he’s innocent."
"What do you think?"
"I’m not sure what to think. Billy says his father’s been beating him, badly. He has welts all over his back to prove it. He also seems convinced that his father is the one who killed the baby. He even suggested a motive: according to him, Darwin never wanted twins. He pressured Julia to get an abortion. Ranted and raved about it, all hours of the night. But she wouldn’t give in."
"And Bishop’s used to getting his way," Anderson said.
"Probably in any way he has to," I said. I took a deep breath and let it out. "We’ve got to remember, though: Billy’s no saint. He’s a sociopath, whether he murdered Brooke or not. He may be lying about his father’s feelings toward the twins. The wounds he showed me could even have been self-inflicted."
"This case keeps getting more complicated," Anderson said. "There’s another wrinkle."
"What’s that?"
"My friend Sal Ferraro, a private eye out of Brooklyn, did a little research for me. Turns out Claire Buckley’s job description must be something more than the traditional nanny. She and Darwin traveled together to San Francisco, Chicago, Palm Beach, London, and Buenos Aires, just this year. No other family members had reservations on any major airline for any of the dates they were away."
"She could be an executive assistant type," I said, even though I didn’t really believe it.
"According to Sal, they only booked one room at each of the hotels where
NY, NY 10021
Alias Name(s): None
Date: 05/22/95 Manhattan Docket #6656 CR952387
Criminal
Offense: Operating to Endanger Lives and Safety
Disposition: Dismissed
Date: 05/22/95 Manhattan Docket #6656 CR952388
Criminal
Offense: Operating Under the Influence of Alcohol
Disposition: Dismissed
Date: 09/06/81 Manhattan Docket #7513 CR811116
Criminal
Offense: Domestic Assault
Disposition: Convicted (Probation)
Date: 07/23/80 Manhattan Docket #4912 CR800034
Criminal
Offense: Violation of Restraining Order, Abuse Prevention Act
Disposition: Convicted (Probation)
Nothing about the rap sheet gave me any comfort. Bishop’s 1981 conviction for assault obviously had been for smacking his first wife, Lauren, around. And that episode had apparently followed another worrisome event during 1980 — something threatening enough that the court had issued a restraining order against Bishop, an order he then violated. So much for the ‘I couldn’t have a better friend’ line that Bishop had fed the New York magazine writer who asked about his and Lauren’s divorce.
For all his Manhattan and Nantucket cachet, Bishop was starting to look like a garden variety alcoholic and domestic abuser — something I knew more than a little bit about, firsthand. I’d grown up with one. It didn’t seem like much of a reach to think Bishop could be beating Billy, or that he could have killed little Brooke.
I called North Anderson’s mobile phone from the lobby. He answered right away.
"I just picked up a copy of Darwin Bishop’s criminal record in New York," I told him.
"What criminal record?" he asked.
"I found a newspaper article that referenced an old assault charge against him during the early eighties, so I pulled his whole sheet."
"And?"
"Not good. He was convicted of a domestic assault on his wife Lauren during 1981. He also violated a restraining order the prior year. That’s on top of charges of driving to endanger and driving under the influence during the mid-nineties that he managed to get dismissed, with the help of F. Lee Bailey."
"That puts Bishop in a whole new light," he said. "How about Billy? What did you learn from him?"
"He says he’s innocent."
"What do you think?"
"I’m not sure what to think. Billy says his father’s been beating him, badly. He has welts all over his back to prove it. He also seems convinced that his father is the one who killed the baby. He even suggested a motive: according to him, Darwin never wanted twins. He pressured Julia to get an abortion. Ranted and raved about it, all hours of the night. But she wouldn’t give in."
"And Bishop’s used to getting his way," Anderson said.
"Probably in any way he has to," I said. I took a deep breath and let it out. "We’ve got to remember, though: Billy’s no saint. He’s a sociopath, whether he murdered Brooke or not. He may be lying about his father’s feelings toward the twins. The wounds he showed me could even have been self-inflicted."
"This case keeps getting more complicated," Anderson said. "There’s another wrinkle."
"What’s that?"
"My friend Sal Ferraro, a private eye out of Brooklyn, did a little research for me. Turns out Claire Buckley’s job description must be something more than the traditional nanny. She and Darwin traveled together to San Francisco, Chicago, Palm Beach, London, and Buenos Aires, just this year. No other family members had reservations on any major airline for any of the dates they were away."
"She could be an executive assistant type," I said, even though I didn’t really believe it.
"According to Sal, they only booked one room at each of the hotels where
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