Web of Lies

TWO WOMEN SEARCHING FOR LOVE ONLINE

HAVE MORE IN COMMON THAN THEY KNOW.

BOTH ARE BLONDS, BOTH WORK IN REAL ESTATE,

AND BOTH HAVE FALLEN FOR THE SAME MAN.

THIS GUY IS NO GOOD. HE'S BAD NEWS.

IT WAS AN EXTREMELY, EXTREMELY VIOLENT ATTACK.

DOES THE WEB HOLD THE KEY

TO STOPPING A HOMICIDAL PSYCHOPATH

BEFORE HE STRIKES AGAIN?

IT WAS LIKE ANNIE WAS TALKING TO ME.

SHE SAID -- SHE SAID, "GET ON THE COMPUTER.

YOU'LL FIND HIM."

ALL RIGHT, AND I WANT TO MAKE A TOAST.

TO GOOD FRIENDS.

GOOD FRIENDS. CHEERS.

LAS VEGAS REALTOR 48-YEAR-OLD MARY KAY BECKMAN

HAD A BEAUTIFUL LIFE

UNTIL THE TRAGIC DEATH OF HER SOUL MATE, TOM,

FROM A HEART ATTACK.

SHE'S REELING AND BROKEN-HEARTED.

TOM WAS EVERYTHING TO HER.

IT CHANGED EVERYTHING.

WE WERE LIFE PARTNERS. WE WERE BUSINESS PARTNERS.

AND I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS NEXT.

AWW, YOU GUYS, I REALLY NEEDED THIS NIGHT OUT.

THIS IS FUN. I KNOW. I KNOW.

I'M GLAD WE DID IT. I'M GLAD WE DID IT.

MARY KAY AND TOM RAN A THRIVING REALTY BUSINESS.

COME ON IN.

BUT NOW, MARY KAY HAS TO FIND HER WAY FORWARD

WITHOUT THE SUPPORT SHE'S ALWAYS HAD.

NOW, I KNOW YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING

ABOUT THE NATURAL HARDWOOD FLOORS.

AREN'T THEY GORGEOUS?

AND WITH ALL THE RESPONSIBILITIES

OF THE COMPANY NOW ON HER SHOULDERS,

MARY KAY DOESN'T HAVE THE TIME OR HEART TO MEET SOMEONE NEW.

I WAS LONELY. I WAS SCARED.

I WAS ALL OF THE THINGS THAT YOU EXPERIENCE

AFTER YOU LOSE SOMEONE.

DID YOU KNOW THAT IF YOU SIGN UP FOR OUR SERVICE ONLINE,

YOU'LL BE THREE TIMES MORE LIKELY TO FIND A RELATIONSHIP

THAN PEOPLE WHO DON'T?

EVERYTHING YOU'RE SURROUNDED BY IS COUPLES,

AND EVEN THE ADVERTISEMENTS ON TV --

IT'S ALL ABOUT MARRIAGE AND LOVE AND HAPPINESS.

AND THEN YOU'RE SITTING THERE THINKING,

"I WANT TO BE PART OF THAT MARRIAGE AND HAPPINESS,

YOU KNOW, WORLD."

THAT'S WHERE I STARTED INVESTIGATING THE ONLINE DATING.

THE MOST POPULAR DATING SITE IN THE U.S.

MAYBE IT WILL GIVE HER THE CHANCE

FOR SOMETHING GOOD TO COME INTO HER LIFE AGAIN.

IT'S JUST QUESTION AFTER QUESTION.

AND YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE, "WELL, AM I SAYING IT RIGHT TO,

YOU KNOW, WANT SOMEBODY TO BE INTERESTED IN TALKING TO ME?"

SUDDENLY, A WHOLE WORLD

OF 15 MILLION OTHER SINGLES LOOKING FOR LOVE

IS OPENED UP TO HER.

SHE SIGNED UP, AND SHE WAS HAVING SOME FUN.

SO, YOU'RE A DENTIST?

I MET SEVERAL DIFFERENT MEN ON THE ONLINE SERVICE.

THERE WERE SEVERAL ENCOUNTERS

THAT WERE VERY INTERESTING FOR HER WITH THE ONLINE DATING.

BUT EVEN WITH SO MANY POTENTIAL OPTIONS OUT THERE,

MARY KAY'S STILL HAVING A HARD TIME

FINDING THE SPARK SHE'S SEARCHING FOR.

SO, TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF.

KIDS?

NO, NO KIDS. ARE YOU CRAZY?

IT WAS VERY FRUSTRATING

BECAUSE IT KIND OF LOWERS YOUR SELF-ESTEEM.

AND JUST A MONTH AFTER POSTING HER PROFILE ONLINE,

MARY KAY IS ON THE POINT OF GIVING UP...

UNTIL, FINALLY, SHE GETS A MESSAGE FROM A MAN

WHO SEEMS LIKE HE COULD BE A GREAT MATCH FOR HER.

HIS NAME'S WADE RIDLEY.

THEY HAVE A LOT IN COMMON RIGHT FROM THE START.

HE HAD A GOLF POLO SHIRT ON.

HE HAD A NICE PICTURE OF HIM ON A HILLSIDE -- ON A GRASSY HILL.

SO I WAS LIKE, "THAT'S PROBABLY AT THE GOLF COURSE."

WADE WORKS ON THE LINKS.

MARY KAY IS AN AVID GOLFER HERSELF.

SHE'S INTRIGUED.

THE NEXT MORNING,

WADE RIDLEY IS BACK ONLINE ASKING TO TALK AGAIN.

MARY KAY IS STARTING TO FEEL EXCITED.

SHE WANTS TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT HIM, TOO.

YOU KNOW, "DO YOU SMOKE? DO YOU DRINK?

DO YOU HAVE CHILDREN?"

I ASKED HIM HAD HE BEEN MARRIED BEFORE,

WAS HE DIVORCED.

AND HE SAID THAT HE WAS A STEPFATHER,

THAT HE WAS MARRIED AND THERE WAS A DAUGHTER FROM HER SIDE.

THEY SPEND THE ENTIRE DAY EXCHANGING MESSAGES.

HE WAS NEW TO VEGAS, LOOKING FOR A JOB.

HE HAD ALSO TOLD ME ABOUT THAT HE HAD DATED A WOMAN IN PHOENIX

AND THAT SHE WAS A REALTOR.

BUT MARY KAY COULDN'T HAVE KNOWN

THAT WADE'S PREVIOUS GIRLFRIEND, ANNE SIMENSON,

HAS A LOT MORE IN COMMON WITH HER THAN JUST A JOB.

SHE'S ALSO A STRAWBERRY BLOND, AND, JUST LIKE MARY KAY,

ONE WEEK AFTER APPROACHING MARY KAY ONLINE,

WADE WANTS TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP.

I WAS EXCITED, 'CAUSE IT WAS LIKE,

"OKAY, HE'S ASKED ME GOOD QUESTIONS.

HE'S ANSWERED MY QUESTIONS CORRECTLY."

MARY KAY DECIDES TO TAKE THE PLUNGE

AND MEET UP WITH HER ONLINE ADMIRER.

SHE CALLED ME UP AND SAID,

"HEY, ALL RIGHT, I'M GONNA TRY THIS AGAIN.

THERE'S THIS GUY NAMED WADE. WE SOUND LIKE A GOOD MATCH."

BUT MARY KAY'S ALSO SENSIBLE

ABOUT THE RISKS OF MEETING A STRANGER.

SHE ALWAYS KEEPS HER FRIENDS INFORMED WHEN SHE'S GOING OUT.

I HAD A PROTOCOL THAT I HAD TO TEXT TERESA,

YOU KNOW, TELL HER WHEN I WAS LEAVING

AND WHEN I WAS ON MY WAY HOME.

SHE ALWAYS TOLD ME WHAT SHE WAS DOING, WHERE SHE WAS GOING.

WADE?

WADE? MARY!

HI. HI.

THANKS FOR COMING. IT'S NICE TO MEET YOU.

WELL, I MET YOU ALREADY, BUT IT'S NICE TO SEE YOU IN PERSON.

IN PERSON.

I WALKED INTO THE RESTAURANT.

THANK YOU. SURE.

HE PULLED OUT THE CHAIR AND, YOU KNOW, HELPED ME SIT DOWN.

AND SO I WAS LIKE, "HMM, THIS IS DIFFERENT.

MAYBE THIS COULD BE, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING."

I'VE NEVER BEEN HERE. IT'S LOVELY.

NO? I'VE BEEN HERE A FEW TIMES.

FOOD'S GOOD.

HE WAS ATTRACTIVE. HE LOOKED JUST LIKE HIS PICTURE.

SO TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF.

I'M TRYING TO THINK OF WHAT YOU MAY NOT KNOW.

WHAT IMPRESSED ME WAS HE WAS TRUTHFUL.

SO, SOMETIMES LOOKS COMES FROM YOUR HEART, TOO.

I... GREAT.

YOU WERE TELLING ME ABOUT YOUR GOLFING STORY.

WELL, I WAS AIMING FOR WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE HOLE,

AND IT TURNED OUT IT WAS A... IT WAS A GOPHER HOLE.

IT WAS NICE. IT WAS NOT NERVOUS.

EXCUSE ME? CAN I GET THE CHECK?

IT WAS VERY -- IT WAS VERY COMFORTABLE.

HERE, LET ME...

NO, NO, NO. I'VE GOT IT.

ARE YOU SURE? YEP. ABSOLUTELY.

THANK YOU. WE WENT TO THE DOOR...

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

...AND I, YOU KNOW, WENT TO REACH FOR THE DOOR,

AND HE PUT HIS HAND ON MINE AND PUSHED MY HAND DOWN.

AND HE SAID, "THAT'S MY JOB."

AND I SAID, "I'M SORRY. I'M NOT USED TO IT."

AND, SO, THAT WAS THE FIRST --

THAT WAS LIKE, "OKAY. HE'S A GENTLEMAN."

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A LONG TIME,

I DIDN'T GO TO BED CRYING.

AND I SLEPT THAT NIGHT AND FELT GOOD.

MY GOD, LOOK AT THIS PLACE!

THINGS WENT SO WELL AT THEIR FIRST MEETING

THAT JUST TWO DAYS LATER,

MARY KAY FINDS HERSELF ON A SECOND DATE WITH WADE.

THERE WAS FLIRTING, AND THERE WAS --

I GUESS THERE WAS CHEMISTRY.

WE WERE HAVING A GOOD TIME AND LAUGHING.

YOU'RE AMAZING!

IT'S SO EASY AND FUN TO SPEND TIME WITH WADE

THAT MARY KAY DECIDES TO TAKE A LEAP

AND INVITE HIM TO MEET SOME OF HER FRIENDS

FOR A GOLFING WEEKEND.

MAYBE, JUST MAYBE, MARY KAY THINKS

THE DATING SITE HAS MATCHED HER WITH MR. RIGHT.

ON SATURDAY MORNING,

THEY MEET UP WITH MARY KAY'S FRIENDS ON THE GOLF COURSE.

HE WAS HELPING MY GIRLFRIEND TERESA

OUT ON THE DRIVING RANGE.

THAT'S GOOD, THAT'S GOOD.

DO YOU MIND? NO.

SO, THIS ARM -- KEEP THIS ARM STRAIGHT.

MY HIPS CORRECT? YEAH.

HE ACTUALLY WAS TRYING TO TEACH ME HOW TO SWING THE CLUB

BECAUSE I HAD NEVER GOLFED BEFORE.

AND THAT WAS OKAY. I MEAN, HE WAS NICE AND HELPFUL.

NICE AND SLOW LIKE THAT. YEAH.

OKAY.

I KNOW! I REALLY NEED TO WORK ON THAT, DON'T I?

IT WAS JUST A NICE, RELAXING DAY.

EVERYBODY HAD FUN OUT ON THE GOLF COURSE.

AND I THOUGHT, "WELL, YOU KNOW, I FEEL COMFORTABLE AROUND HIM."

AND SO I ASKED HIM IF HE'D LIKE TO STAY OVER.

MARY KAY IS IMPRESSED WITH HOW OPEN WADE HAS BEEN WITH HER,

DISCUSSING HIS MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE.

IT'S NOT WHAT SHE'D EXPECTED FROM SOMEONE SHE'D MET ONLINE.

BUT EVEN IF WADE'S BEEN HONEST ABOUT HIS RELATIONSHIPS,

HE'S ALSO BEEN VERY CAREFUL TO HOLD BACK HIS DARKEST SECRETS.

48-YEAR-OLD REALTOR MARY KAY BECKMAN

HAS JUST STARTED DATING PRO-GOLF CADDY WADE RIDLEY,

A MAN SHE RECENTLY MET ONLINE.

HE'S BEEN NOTHING BUT A PERFECT GENTLEMAN.