"never you call me that name again"

Staci knows she's been caught. The police and my bank are involved; I've called her out on her plagiarism (again). And yet, it's not over. At this point I have no idea what she's going to do next. What I do know is that I don't want her to keep emailing me. So I flip out again. I go so far as to accuse her of not existing. This is as existential as it gets: I'm questioning her very being. Then I have second thoughts and calm down. What was supposed to have been a quick conclusion is becoming... I don't know what. She emails back. Again and again.

And suddenly I realize that Staci isn't altogether stable. The con seems to have disappeared; she's not trying to keep the scam going. Instead she's defending herself -- blaming me for not cashing the check earlier, her friend for giving her a bogus check and her cousin for giving her a plagiarized poem. She makes up bizarre stories and excuses. She launches into the story of her life and the men who've given her kindness and money.

Except she doesn't seem to want money from me. She just wants to talk.

Staci has already proved her stupidity -- there's absolutely no way she's trying to pull some subtle mind game at this point. Without a doubt she's a halfwit in the con world. However, I have no idea what the hell she wants. She drifts from ranting and unintelligible to plaintive and pleading. At this point I begin to get the feeling that she keeps writing because I hurt her feelings and made her feel bad about what she did. It's a crazy idea, I know. It's also the only answer I can think of. My con was a failure. I couldn't trick her into writing me a poem -- in fact, I really believe she would have if she felt she could. Instead, I think I conned her into feeling bad for scaring an old man.

And somehow she made the jump from "old man the rube" to "old man my friend."


6 emails

from staci martin
to ------------ <------------@gmail.com>,
date Tue, Mar 18, 2008 at 11:26 AM
subject NEVER
mailed-by hotmail.com

hey
never you call me that name again ok cos i never lie and i never ceat people in my live i think you am not there when the check was sent to you and you that very
i saw the advert for the room on the site and i9 mthink i like the room and i try to contact my uncle and he said i should give you the address so that he can send the check to you so that i can pay for the room anyway i this is going t6o happen when you have refusd to go and cash it because of one folish poem well that is good you kept my shpper walt all this days so what do you want me to tell him now am really tied of this.
well am going to contact the porson that send the ckeck to and am going to tell him all this ok and am going to let you no what he says and if that ckeck is really fake i dont no anything about it as you no. about the poem i told one of cosin to write poem for me sp that i can send it to you and hr wrote that for me ok and if i have cos you anything am very sorry i no thing about that and i mean noting ok ok ok ok

from ------------ <------------@gmail.com>
to staci martin ,
date Tue, Mar 18, 2008 at 11:45 AM
subject Re: NEVER
mailed-by gmail.com

I have CALLED THE POLICE!!!! I have told them that you have emailed me again. And I have sent them this new eamil from you. You are an internet SCAMMER!!!! The police told me you are not even SOMEONE NAMED STACI!!!!!!
They told you me you SCAMMER have been posting the same ad all over the US. You triy to TRICK!!!! old men like me and steal their money. The check was FAKE!!!!! and I would have lost $3500!
I'll call you all the nmaes I want to. LIAR SCAMMER ASSHOLE THEIF PIECCE OF SHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

from ------------ <------------@gmail.com>
to staci martin ,
date Tue, Mar 18, 2008 at 11:49 AM
subject Re: NEVER
mailed-by gmail.com

I jsut sent you the angriest email I have ever written. I am so CONFUSED and angry and hurt right now.
OK. You say it was a mistake? Prove it to me. Prove it that you are an honest person. If if you don't, then you are what the police say. I wanted to belive you. Prove it to ome that you are what you say and not a THEIF

from staci martin
to ------------ <------------@gmail.com>,
date Fri, Mar 21, 2008 at 6:09 AM
subject AM NOT
mailed-by hotmail.com

well i dont no what to say now i have try all my best to make you belive me but everting is not just working out, but i just want you to no am not what they say but am staci who will never cheat people who will nerver still but is just too bad it has to be this. i call the porson that send the check he cuoldnt give me good reson for doing that but i belive all what the police says about that cos i never trust him for anything i will just want you to no one that i didnt beg money from him but is my money i ask from him after the death of my father he left so much money for me but i was so young to handle it so they ask him to take care of everthing and he did so when i was in school and i needed money he took him so many time to give me some money so i had to live him until i met my exboyfriend so his been so careing and everthing likethat but but when we brokeup i need to get my self a room so that i can liuve on my own that was when i contacted you for the room so i call him and he said i shoud give him your name and add so that he can write a check in your name i told him everthing about my shpper so that is why he decided to write 3550 so that i can pay my shipper too i dont no is going to give you a nbad check pls am sorry when i called him he said is not in the state now am very sory just forget about it ok and the room am going to go on with my live and am not going to to ask him anything aging i lve him fro God
staci

from ------------ <------------@gmail.com>
to staci martin ,
date Sat, Mar 22, 2008 at 12:00 PM
subject Re: AM NOT
mailed-by gmail.com

I don't know what to write. There are so many things that have gone wrong. The POLICE have been involved. I never thougth I would be questioned for having a counterfit check. Never!!
I don't under stand you. You looked and sounded so kind. But then you sent me false poems. Did you think I didn't know how to use the internet?? I am not stupid.
Now there is this illegal check that you sent me. OK you say it wasn't your fault. But how do I trust you?? How do I know you aren't going to do the same thing again if I let you live here???

from staci martin
to ------------ <------------@gmail.com>,
date Mon, Mar 24, 2008 at 7:30 AM
subject good luck
mailed-by hotmail.com

well am sorry about the poem but i dont no i try so hard to get you something on my own but i can just do it is not my fault just dont no how to write that thing. and i told you in my last mail i dont no anything about that fake check am just sorry i gat you involve and is not my fault i dont no his going to send you a fake check and if there is anything i can do to prove my inocent i will do it ok.
about saying with you i dont think that is goin to possible again cos i dont have any money on me to for that room now you just have to find another porson to com and live there and i think you will find good one and i wish these did not happen i should have been with you now but am sorry that si the way shit happens bye

staci