saying sorry—that it’s okay for us to be just friends.
“Yeah,” she agreed after considering the gesture.
As promised, Humphrey stopped by later that night. He had a card. A Hallmark. He stood in the doorway. Sandee wasn’t about to allow him inside. Trust was something she valued in friendship. He had severed that bond. It would be a while before she ever trusted him again.
“Read it on the plane, okay?” Humphrey said, pointing to the card.
Sandee looked down. “Yeah, I will.”
“When you come back, let’s go out somewhere and talk things through.” Humphrey said he wanted a chance to explain himself. Sandee was a sweet person; she deserved that much.
“Sure,” Sandee said.
(“The visit lasted two minutes,” Sandee said later during her deposition, describing her life and relationship she had with Tracey Humphrey in vivid detail.)
20
Sandee Rozzo had a pleasant, relaxing time in Vegas. She had needed the break. If not from Humphrey, then from a life of constant running—sometimes, it seemed, on a treadmill, going nowhere. She was always working and wondering where her life was headed. The past few years had been bad ones, at least in the relationship department. Sandee needed time off from everyone—especially men.
Now she was back in Florida after the five-day getaway when Humphrey called. He wanted that opportunity to meet and explain himself. After all, she had promised.
Oh, yeah… that.
Sandee suggested a restaurant where her girlfriend worked, a neutral location. Safety zone. Someplace with people around.
What could Humphrey do but agree?
“So we went to a restaurant,” Sandee later explained, “…where my girlfriend worked…and there was another altercation with he and I. And I took him home.”
A dog…his spots.
Sandee never went into detail about what happened, but it was clear that after she dropped Humphrey off at home, he went back to the same restaurant and got into it with Sandee’s girlfriend and her boyfriend, a man Sandee later described as a “high-profile person in Tampa.” The guy was at the restaurant visiting his girlfriend. Humphrey made his presence known and words flew. There was some indication that Sandee’s girlfriend and her boyfriend had not wanted Sandee to associate herself with Humphrey after he left those messages. They were upset that she was even meeting him in a public place. Humphrey got wind of the resentment. It turned into one of those “mind your own damn business” arguments that Humphrey could never let go of, or allow someone else to have the final word.
The girlfriend called Sandee from the restaurant. “Hey, Tracey’s back here threatening [us]. We just had him escorted out and we had to call the cops….”
A few days later, Humphrey buzzed Sandee’s apartment from the gate out front. Sandee lived in one of those semi-gated communities, the ones where you had to buzz someone who lived there in order to get into the parking lot. Humphrey, in turn, couldn’t get into the compound unless Sandee allowed him. There was some talk later that he was actually waiting for people who lived there to come home and would sneak in while in their wake. But on this night, close to one in the morning, shortly after Sandee and Humphrey had just gotten home from work, Sandee said she buzzed him in herself, thinking, How many chances does the guy deserve?
Only to the door, Sandee decided. Like the last time they had talked. No farther. She decided to give him his few minutes there on the stoop again, but this was getting beyond ridiculous. The guy obviously had anger issues and Sandee wanted no part of him. She’d had her share of vicious, abusive men throughout her life, according to family and friends. There was no room for another one.
Humphrey showed up with his sad, tired puppy dog look that he could put on like an actor. He stood, Sandee said, with a face that promised, Hey, none of this will ever happen again. I screwed up, I know.
“Yeah,” she agreed after considering the gesture.
As promised, Humphrey stopped by later that night. He had a card. A Hallmark. He stood in the doorway. Sandee wasn’t about to allow him inside. Trust was something she valued in friendship. He had severed that bond. It would be a while before she ever trusted him again.
“Read it on the plane, okay?” Humphrey said, pointing to the card.
Sandee looked down. “Yeah, I will.”
“When you come back, let’s go out somewhere and talk things through.” Humphrey said he wanted a chance to explain himself. Sandee was a sweet person; she deserved that much.
“Sure,” Sandee said.
(“The visit lasted two minutes,” Sandee said later during her deposition, describing her life and relationship she had with Tracey Humphrey in vivid detail.)
20
Sandee Rozzo had a pleasant, relaxing time in Vegas. She had needed the break. If not from Humphrey, then from a life of constant running—sometimes, it seemed, on a treadmill, going nowhere. She was always working and wondering where her life was headed. The past few years had been bad ones, at least in the relationship department. Sandee needed time off from everyone—especially men.
Now she was back in Florida after the five-day getaway when Humphrey called. He wanted that opportunity to meet and explain himself. After all, she had promised.
Oh, yeah… that.
Sandee suggested a restaurant where her girlfriend worked, a neutral location. Safety zone. Someplace with people around.
What could Humphrey do but agree?
“So we went to a restaurant,” Sandee later explained, “…where my girlfriend worked…and there was another altercation with he and I. And I took him home.”
A dog…his spots.
Sandee never went into detail about what happened, but it was clear that after she dropped Humphrey off at home, he went back to the same restaurant and got into it with Sandee’s girlfriend and her boyfriend, a man Sandee later described as a “high-profile person in Tampa.” The guy was at the restaurant visiting his girlfriend. Humphrey made his presence known and words flew. There was some indication that Sandee’s girlfriend and her boyfriend had not wanted Sandee to associate herself with Humphrey after he left those messages. They were upset that she was even meeting him in a public place. Humphrey got wind of the resentment. It turned into one of those “mind your own damn business” arguments that Humphrey could never let go of, or allow someone else to have the final word.
The girlfriend called Sandee from the restaurant. “Hey, Tracey’s back here threatening [us]. We just had him escorted out and we had to call the cops….”
A few days later, Humphrey buzzed Sandee’s apartment from the gate out front. Sandee lived in one of those semi-gated communities, the ones where you had to buzz someone who lived there in order to get into the parking lot. Humphrey, in turn, couldn’t get into the compound unless Sandee allowed him. There was some talk later that he was actually waiting for people who lived there to come home and would sneak in while in their wake. But on this night, close to one in the morning, shortly after Sandee and Humphrey had just gotten home from work, Sandee said she buzzed him in herself, thinking, How many chances does the guy deserve?
Only to the door, Sandee decided. Like the last time they had talked. No farther. She decided to give him his few minutes there on the stoop again, but this was getting beyond ridiculous. The guy obviously had anger issues and Sandee wanted no part of him. She’d had her share of vicious, abusive men throughout her life, according to family and friends. There was no room for another one.
Humphrey showed up with his sad, tired puppy dog look that he could put on like an actor. He stood, Sandee said, with a face that promised, Hey, none of this will ever happen again. I screwed up, I know.
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