Desirrê flies to Texas to meet her mentor. As she adapts to life as an ‘assistant witch’, Kat presents her with a proposal that tests the limits of her loyalty.If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, here are some resources:The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can be reached at 988. The National Alliance on Mental Illness is available at 1-800-950-6264.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Chapter 1: What brought Jamila to Texas?
It was a warm, bright April day in 2022. A patchwork of scrubland and suburban housing sprawled out beneath the plain as it began its final descent into Dallas. Inside, Jamila, a woman in her early 30s, crammed to see out the window. She had never been to Texas before.
I was just thinking to myself, man, this is a chance for me to get out of a tough spot.
By the way, Jamila asked not to use her last name, and her words are spoken by an actor. Up to now, she had been living in Boston, teaching yoga. But after she split up with her partner, money had gotten tight.
I was about to be evicted because I didn't have money for rent. I was at my limit on my last paycheck.
That was when she'd seen Kat's livestream on Instagram. Usually, Kat's posts were all about her glamorous life, living the American dream. But this one was different. She was looking for help. She wanted people to go live with her in Texas. To Jamila, it felt like a lifeline. As soon as the wheels touched down, Jamila turned on her cell. A new message popped up.
And she said, your name is Flair now.
Flair, as in a burst of light.
And I said, okay.
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Chapter 2: What were Jamila's first impressions of Kat's house?
Not what she had expected. And Kat's house in Leander wasn't what she expected either.
It was a new house and there was absolutely nothing in there. Her husband brought this small couch and said, you sleep here.
Sure, the inside of Kat's house was not as luxurious as what Jamila had seen on Kat's feed when she posed with designer bags and a Ferrari. But what could she do?
So I put on my bikini. I was feeling good. And I said, man, I can't even believe I'm here now.
Soon, Kat told Jamila that someone else was coming to live with them.
Kat told me, there's a girl who's been my client for many years. She's so beautiful. She's wonderful. She used all these positive adjectives to describe her.
Her name was Desiree. But Kat had one ground rule.
Kat was like, Flair, you only talk to me, okay? And Desiree only talks to me. Flair doesn't talk to Desiree.
Jamila was just there to work. She wasn't going to pick battles over Kat's weird house rules. What Jamila didn't know was that soon she'd be doing a lot more than a bit of yoga and helping around the house. Because Kat had plans for her new housemates. Plans that went far beyond what they had signed up for.
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Chapter 3: What was Desiree's connection to Kat?
This is the final call...
A few hours later, Desiree was on a plane to Texas. She could barely sleep during the flight. And when she landed, Kat was there, waiting for her. In her book, Desiree still sounds in awe of that first meeting. And her words are spoken by an actor.
Our meeting was exactly how I imagined it. She hugged me and said, you're even more beautiful in person. I'm so happy to finally meet you.
Kat took Desiree to the house in Leander and gave her the tour. Kat's bedroom was a master suite. Desiree's was the smallest in the house. Soon after, Kat posted a message, introducing her new housemates. Meet the witches who work for you. There was Jamila, who'd come from Boston. Leticia, the young woman whose parents were looking for her in Brazil. And now, Desiree.
It was this boast that had shocked Desiree's friend, Patty. But it seemed Patty wasn't the only one who was alarmed. According to her book, the whole thing was news to Desiree as well. She said she felt uncomfortable. She had come to Texas to help her friends through a tough time, not to join a witch's coven. It seemed she didn't want to make a big deal out of it, though.
I was still insecure, so I decided that I was going to focus on my mission to help Kat and then go back home.
In the beginning, things felt relatively normal inside Kat's house. Jamila said that Kat's husband bought groceries and gradually they all began to settle into the big empty home. And sometimes the women went out with Kat and her husband, Zach.
We went out to dinner and to watch Zach's father, who had a band. I think they play country rock. I don't know what genre it is, but we'd go do things like that.
At home, Kat focused on making videos about how to manifest your dream life with magic and witchcraft. She told her followers she could turn them all into millionaires. And she wanted to make herself a millionaire in the process, with the money of her followers, of course. She told Jamila she had a new plan to do it.
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Chapter 4: How did Kat's behavior change after Desiree arrived?
Kat told Jamila that she had a client who wanted to get back with her boyfriend. So she was coming to Texas in person to take part in Kat's spiritual rituals. Kat warned Jamila she was not to speak to the guest about anything unless it was spiritual.
Kat said, just do what I tell you, okay? Do what I say.
So when the client got there, Jamila wasn't sure what to do.
I said, like, I know that food can cure, so I can cook some recipes that cure. And I also know how to make healing drinks. And if you want, we can sit and meditate together. I can teach you some yoga, too.
While Kat left all the teaching to Jamila, Kat went shopping. She went out and bought a ton of furniture for the house. After one shopping trip, the client came and spoke to Jamila.
And the client said, I'm not happy. I am seeing Kat spending all the money I gave her on furniture, and there's no need to do that.
Kat's guests seemed to be feeling a little taken for granted.
I told the client, look, I am doing what I can here. If you're not satisfied, then you have to talk to Kat.
When the client finally had a word with Kat, Jamila heard a commotion.
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Chapter 5: What unusual requests did Kat make of her housemates?
In 1976, a Georgia native, Navy veteran, and peanut farmer named Jimmy Carter won his bid for the presidency. What Carter didn't know then was that the next four years would be the most difficult he could ever imagine. Hi, I'm Lindsey Graham, the host of Wondery's podcast, American History Tellers.
We take you to the events, times, and people that shaped America and Americans, our values, our struggles, and our dreams. In our latest series, we explore Jimmy Carter's time in the White House, from his unexpected presidential victory as an outsider vowing to clean up Washington, to his remarkable diplomatic breakthroughs and legislative accomplishments on energy, education, and the environment.
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Hey, I'm Cassie DePeckel, the host of Wondery's podcast, Against the Odds. In each episode, we share thrilling true stories of survival, putting you in the shoes of the people who live to tell the tale. In our next season, it's February 14th, 1979. Elmo Wartman and his three children are stranded on a remote Alaskan island after a massive storm destroys their sailboat.
Miles from help, they have to face the brutal cold with barely any food, only a sale for shelter, and a leaky plastic dinghy. Desperate to survive, they build a raft and try to reach safety. But as starvation and frostbite take hold, and days stretch into weeks, their endurance is pushed to the limit. Follow Against the Odds wherever you get your podcasts.
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The next morning, Desiree got in the car with Jamila. Her hands were trembling the whole ride. When she got to the strip club, she found herself in a dark place with loud music, full of young women walking around serving drinks. A man approached her and asked if she was there for the audition. She said she was, and he directed her to sit down with the other girls.
When it was her turn, Desiree climbed up onto the stage. She ran her hand through her hair and forced a smile. She began to dance. The club manager watched her squirm around the stage, trying to look seductive. The opposite of how Desiree was really feeling.
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Chapter 6: What happened to Kat's clients at the house?
Desiree started working at that club the same day. Desiree still didn't know exactly what she was doing, but whatever she did seemed to be working. In just two weeks, she says she made almost $9,000. When they got back to the house, Jamila would watch Desiree and Kat count the money.
And Kat would say, for God's sake, don't let Zach find out.
Jamila wasn't sure how much Zach really knew, but Kat seemed to want to keep him close.
She wouldn't let him work. She would tell him that he had to stay in the house with her all day. I mean, can you imagine a man not working and in your house all day? God forbid.
Meanwhile, Kat was keeping Jamila busy too. Whenever she wasn't ferrying Desiree to the strip joint, there was always something else to do.
I drove for her. I cooked for her, for the guests and clients at her house. I walked dogs. I did Uber work. I cleaned. Kat is very messy. She had dirty panties under the bed. This is what the house was like.
By the time Jamila had been there for a month, she began to worry. Kat hadn't yet paid her a dime.
And then, when I started asking Kat about the money, she said, I'm going to buy this house, blah, blah, blah, so the work you have done will stay in the house. I said, what? I didn't come here to buy a house.
After that, the atmosphere in the house became strained. Whenever Jamila was out of her room, Kat put on headphones and just ignored her.
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Chapter 7: How did Desiree feel about Kat's money-making schemes?
Kat told Desiree she should be making at least a thousand dollars a day at the strip club. So Desiree kept working as much as she could. As she wrote in her book, she would sometimes go hours without eating or drinking at the strip club because going out to eat could mean the loss of a potential customer. But even then, sometimes it was just impossible to meet Kat's target.
Another night, Desiree only brought home $100, because a nearby place had a drink special that made all the customers go there. And Kat's response was very much on brand for what we know about Kat and her obsession with money.
She started yelling at me, saying, you are being immature. I'm so disappointed. This is not what I expected from someone strong like you. If you want to give up, I understand. But you're being stupid and selfish.
The following day, Desiree did her best to stay quiet. As she iced her feet, swollen from long hours of dancing, Kat came over and said, You know you don't have to keep working at the club if you start going out with the guys instead, right? According to her book, Desiree's reaction was immediate. It was out of the question. This time, Kat didn't push her.
The suggestion hung in the air between them. As the weeks went by, things got even worse for Desiree. Desiree's legs and feet hurt so much that she had to take painkillers. She also was drinking to get through the long days. Things at the club were pretty rough. There were fights between the strippers, and one night someone even pulled out a gun and shot a customer.
On another night, she wrote that she felt her arms begin to tingle and her vision go blurry. She realized she had been drugged. She was sent home to sleep it off and was back to work shortly after. Then, one morning in June, Desiree downed a shot of tequila and walked toward the stage. At the end of her song, a client flagged her down and they went to the champagne room.
He asked Desiree how much she would charge to go out with him. Desiree knew he meant sex. She remembered what Kat had said.
I just froze and my breathing became heavy. Then without giving it much thought, I just said, I'll charge you $1,000.
The next morning, on the way to meet this guy, Desiree's mind was bracing. Could she get out if she needed to? What if the condom broke? And what if he was an undercover cop? An hour later, it was over. She stood in the shower and burst into tears. But when Kat found out Desiree had sold sex, Kat's reaction was very different. She promised good times were coming.
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Chapter 8: What was Kat's plan for Desiree at the strip club?
But I ignored it. and I justify her actions as divine will.
She still truly believed that higher powers had put Kat in her path, that Kat was leading her to a more prosperous life. One afternoon, Desiree was getting out of the shower during a session with a client. She went to check her phone and saw that she had several missed calls from Kat. When she called her back, Kat broke the news to her. Desiree's profile on the escort site had been discovered.
I felt my blood pressure drop as soon as she finished speaking. I started to feel dizzy and had to sit down.
Desiree's secret was all over Instagram. Her biggest fear had come true. And Desiree wasn't the only one who had been exposed. Leticia's escort profile had also been found. Not by one or two people, but by thousands. By people who were following the search for the missing women. And Kat tried to reassure her, but Desiree wasn't convinced. She felt trapped.
I thought about running away, but I had nowhere to go. Plus, if she found out, she could try to take revenge or report me to the authorities, because she had evidence to incriminate me.
After stopping communicating with her family, images of Leticia and Desiree were found on prostitution sites in the United States.
After the escort sites made headline news in Brazil, the searching for Desiree Instagram page went viral. Internet sleuths tracked down Kat's address. People in Brazil and in the U.S. started calling the police in Texas. Even complete strangers who didn't know the women at all.
Leander Police Department. And Leander? Yeah. All right, yeah, let me go ahead and get this in and have somebody give you a call, okay? Okay.
It was time for the police to pay Kat a visit. Follow Don't Cross Cat on the Wondery app, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge all episodes early and ad-free right now by joining Wondery Plus in the Wondery app or Apple Podcasts. Before you go, tell us about yourself by completing a short survey at wondery.com slash survey.
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