“Good to see you,” the writer said. “Its been a long while.” “A lots been going on.”

“Lets talk privately before Goldsberry and Thompson get here.”

They stepped into a small conference room, and the Teacher told the writer of the shooting, of unfusing, of Allen leasing a new sports car so that he could take off for Lexington to be treated by Dr. Wilbur as soon as the judge reversed the guilty plea.

“Who’s been talking to me, pretending to be you in the last month while you were gone?”

“It was Allen,” he said. “I’m sorry. Arthur knew you’d be hurt to find out that I’d unfused. Normally he would not have concerned himself with a person’s emotions. I can only assume he reacted like that because his judgment was impaired by the shock of the shooting.”

They talked until Goldsberry and Thompson arrived, and then they all drove to the Fairfield County courthouse in Lancaster.

Goldsberry and Thompson had provided the court with depositions from Drs. George Harding, Cornelia Wilbur, Stella Karolin and David Caul, and Psychologist Dorothy Turner, all agreeing that there was “a reasonable medical certainty” that

Billy Milligan had been a mentally ill multiple personality when the roadside-rest assaults and the Gray Drug Store robbery were committed in December 1974 and January 1975. They agreed that he had probably not been able, at that time, to assist his attorney, George Kellner, in his own defense.

The Fairfield County prosecutor, Mr. Luse, called only Dr. Harold T. Brown, who stated on the witness stand that he had treated Billy at the age of fifteen and had him sent to the Columbus State Hospital for three months. He would, he said, in the light of current knowledge, have changed his diagnosis from hysterical neurosis with passive-aggressive features to a new diagnosis of dissociative disorder with possible multiple personality. However, Brown told the court, he had been sent by the prosecuting attorney to interview Billy in Athens, and during that visit, Billy Milligan seemed to have knowledge of the acts he had committed. Brown said Milligan was probably not really a multiple personality, since multiple personalities were not supposed to have knowledge of the actions of the alter egos.

When they left the courtroom, Goldsberry and Thompson were optimistic and Billy was elated. He was sure Judge Jackson would take the testimony of four highly regarded psychiatrists and a psychologist over the testimony of Dr. Brown.

The judge told a reporter he would make his decision within two weeks.

On September 18, seeing Billy’s agitation after his return from Lancaster and aware of his fear of being shot at again, Dr. Caul allowed him a furlough. Since Billy realized he would be a target at his sisters house as well as at the hospital, it was understood he would stay at the Hocking Valley Motor Lodge in nearby Nelsonville. He would take his easel, paints and canvas to work undisturbed.

He checked in on Tuesday under a false name and tried to relax, but the tension was too strong. He heard noises while he painted. After searching the room and the hall, he decided it was in his head—his own voices. He tried not to listen, concentrating on his brush strokes, but they were still talking. It wasn’t Ragen or Arthur; he’d have recognized their accents immediately. It had to be the undesirables. Now what was wrong with him? He couldn’t work, he couldn’t sleep, he was afraid to go back to Kathy’s or to Athens.