The Girlfriends S5/E5: Don’t Mess With Texas

Summary

The Girlfriends: Trust Me Babe

Season 5, Episode 5: "Don’t Mess With Texas"
Original Air Date: May 11, 2026
Host: Anna Sinfield (Produced by Novel for iHeartPodcasts)

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Episode Overview

In this high-stakes episode, the focus turns to Texas, where Tracy, the newest member of Derek Alldred’s ever-growing group of scammed girlfriends, finds herself at the center of a sting operation. The episode is a gripping play-by-play of how a team of determined women, law enforcement, and a whole lot of Texan grit come together to bring a notorious romance scammer to justice. Themes of survival, solidarity, and the power of intuition are at the forefront, as we see the lengths the women go to protect themselves—and each other—when the authorities are slow to act.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Tracy’s Wake-Up Call: The Sting Begins

• (02:04-05:45) Anna Sinfield sets the scene as Tracy, working in the admissions office of a busy Texas rehab facility, receives a mysterious call from “Special Agent Mike Elkair (NCIS).”
  • Tracy quickly connects the call to her boyfriend “Richie Taylor,” a Navy pilot and college professor, suspecting trouble.
  • Memorable moment: Tracy is unfazed by the “special agent” routine, already suspecting Richie’s military story is fabricated.
  • Notable Quote – Tracy (03:30): “The closest thing I could come up with is, okay, NCIS is military. He’s supposedly military.”
• Mike reveals Richie’s true identity: Derek Alldred, with a warrant out for credit card fraud.

2. The Plan to Trap Derek

• (05:55-07:16) Special Agent Mike shares the breadth of Derek’s crimes and enlists Tracy to help lure him.
  • Notable Quote – Special Agent Mike (05:43): “It just enraged her.”
  • Tracy agrees to help, joking: “Men are easy.” (07:00)
  • Notable Quote – Tracy (07:10): “You play stupid games, you get stupid prizes.”

3. Flashback: Tracy and Richie’s Rocky Relationship

• (08:09-17:01) Tracy’s no-nonsense small-town Texan roots are established, painting her as the perfect adversary for Derek.
  • Rugged upbringing—riding horses, shooting cans, growing into an independent woman.
  • Dating “Richie” is a comedy of red flags: fake medical emergencies, car troubles, and endless excuses.
  • Notable Quote – Tracy (09:59): “In a typical man’s world, you have to be strong, because otherwise you’re gonna get run over. It’s called survival.”
• Series of dubious moments: faked health crisis, missing car, army of excuses, and mooching (forgotten wallet at lunch, etc.).

4. Breaking Up and Setting the Trap

• (17:01-18:34) Tracy dumps Richie but quickly, at Mike’s request, texts a “just hormonal” apology to draw him back in.
  • Derek readily responds and arranges to meet at the hospital two days later.
  • Notable Quote – Tracy (17:41): “I’m so sorry about this morning. I was just hormonal.”
  • Special Agent Mike prepares the squad for the sting.

5. Connecting with Other Victims

• (21:29-26:33) Tracy’s son plays “sleuth,” helping her connect with Cindy and Dori—other ex-girlfriends of Derek.
  • They bond over Derek’s recycled lies and the audacity of his schemes:
    • Shared cars, fake lake trips, and using Dori’s credit cards to wine and dine Tracy.
  • Notable Quote – Dori (25:38): “She is a bull in a china shop. She is a strong, funny, don’t take anything from anybody type of girl.”
  • The women find catharsis, humor, and validation in comparing notes—and in the knowledge that Derek’s downfall is near.

6. The Setup: Stakes and Sudden Twists

• (26:33-29:46) Special Agent Mike and the team surround the hospital, ready to arrest Derek.
  • The Colony Police accidentally risk blowing the operation by posting a public “be-on-the-lookout” video.
  • Notable Quote – Special Agent Mike (28:36): “A lot depends on Traci and her believability and her pushing Derek back into her arms.”

7. The Sting: Texan Style

• (32:32-36:46) Last-minute confusion as Derek changes hospitals. Tracy’s quick thinking updates the squad and the operation moves across the street.
  • Tracy, against instructions, races to see the arrest and document it for the other women.
  • Tension peaks as Tracy locks eyes with Derek, shouts her famous line, and relishes the closure.
  • Notable Quote – Tracy (37:01): “Never fuck with a country girl.”
  • Notable Quote – Special Agent Mike (37:07): “She just had to get it out of her system.”

8. Aftermath: Relief and Solidarity Among the Women

• (37:33-38:28) Photos of Derek’s arrest spread among the women—a moment of victory and validation.
  • Dori: “It was just like winning the lottery.” (37:41)
  • Other victims across the country share in the satisfaction.
  • Notable Quote – California Victim (38:20): “This person has been deceiving people since he was a young man, and it needs to stop.”

9. Cliffhanger for the Finale

• (38:33-38:51) Derek is in custody, but questions—and the investigation—remain for the season finale.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• Tracy’s instant skepticism:
  03:30 – “The closest thing I could come up with is, okay, NCIS is military. He’s supposedly military.”

• Unapologetic Texan wit:
  07:10 – “You play stupid games, you get stupid prizes.” – Tracy

• Tracy’s philosophy:
  09:59 – “In a typical man’s world, you have to be strong, because otherwise you’re gonna get run over. It’s called survival.”

• On connecting Derek’s girlfriends:
  25:38 – “She is a bull in a china shop. She is a strong, funny, don’t take anything from anybody type of girl.” – Dori

• Arrest showdown:
  37:01 – “Never fuck with a country girl.” – Tracy
  37:07 – “She just had to get it out of her system.” – Special Agent Mike

• Dori’s relief:
  37:41 – “It was just like winning the lottery.” – Dori

• California victim’s vindication:
  38:20 – “This person has been deceiving people since he was a young man, and it needs to stop.”

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Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:04] – Tracy receives “NCIS” call, learns Richie’s true identity.
• [04:00-07:16] – Starbucks meeting & plan hatched to trap Derek.
• [08:09-17:01] – Tracy’s background and unraveling relationship with “Richie.”
• [17:01-18:34] – Tracy re-engages Derek for the sting.
• [21:29-26:33] – Tracy connects with Cindy, Dori, and the larger network of women.
• [26:33-29:46] – Agent Mike’s operation, police risk blowing the plan.
• [32:32-36:46] – The arrest: drama, last-minute location shifts, and confrontation.
• [37:33-38:28] – Aftermath among the women; photos and feelings shared.

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Tone & Language

The episode balances emotionally charged content with humor, warmth, and camaraderie. Tracy’s voice is especially direct, funny, and Texan to the core. The show’s tone remains supportive, empowering, and unflinchingly honest about the pain and absurdity of falling victim to a con—while also showcasing the healing power of solidarity among women.

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Summary

This episode of The Girlfriends: Trust Me Babe delivers a suspenseful and satisfying account of how Tracy, with law enforcement and a network of savvy women, finally outsmarts one of America’s wiliest romance scammers. Packed with sharp dialogue, Southern attitude, and sisterly solidarity, “Don’t Mess With Texas” is both a warning and a celebration: never underestimate women who have each other’s backs—especially in a state where they “don’t play.”

Next episode: the reckoning and the questions left behind.

Transcript

[Anna Sinfield]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.

[Kalpen (Kal Penn)]

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[Tracy]

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[Anna Sinfield]

Novel. Last time on the Girlfriends. Trust me, babe. Mike finds a new name in Dori's iPad. Another woman in Texas Derek's been communicating with. He comes up with a plan. It's a Tuesday morning. A woman named Tracy has just started her work day. She's in the admissions office of a busy rehab facility on the outskirts of Dallas, Fort Worth.

[Tracy]

Who do we have coming in? Who do we have discharging?

[Anna Sinfield]

It's gearing up to be a busy day when her phone starts to ring. No caller id. Annoying.

[Tracy]

My first thought was spam.

[Anna Sinfield]

Tracey picks up, a man, introduces himself as Mike Elkair, Special agent.

[Tracy]

I'm with ncis, and you know I need to talk to You. And I'm just like, okay.

[Anna Sinfield]

Special Agent Mike is trying to reassure.

[Tracy]

It was just like, hey, you know, I need to speak with you. You're not in trouble. I'm like, yeah, no, I haven't done anything.

[Anna Sinfield]

Tracey's not the kind of person who needs a lot of reassurance. Her mind is already whirring. She's pretty sure she knows exactly who this will be about. The guy she's been dating for the last two months.

[Tracy]

The closest thing I could come up with is, okay, NCIS is military. He's supposedly military.

[Anna Sinfield]

A Navy pilot and college professor. Richie Taylor.

[Tracy]

God, did he kill somebody?

[Anna Sinfield]

Special Agent Mike wants to meet in person asap. Somewhere public, anywhere of Tracy's choosing.

[Tracy]

Okay, I'll meet you at Starbucks. He goes, I'll see you at 10:30.

[Anna Sinfield]

Later that morning, in a busy coffee shop in downtown Fort Worth, Special Agent Mike is seated at a table.

[Special Agent Mike]

Tracy walks in heels and a short skirt.

[Tracy]

It wasn't hard to recognize him. For one, he didn't have any coffee.

[Anna Sinfield]

For another, classic establishment haircut, buzz cut.

[Special Agent Mike]

She sits down, and I could tell that she is not happy. She almost looks like she wants to kill somebody. This is going to be interesting.

[Tracy]

He's got this portfolio, and he opens it up, and here's all these paperwork and stuff.

[Special Agent Mike]

I had some pictures of Derek in uniform, courtesy of Dori.

[Anna Sinfield]

She'd snapped a cheeky pic of him sitting on her porch in his navy blues. Mike shows the picture to Tracy. It's not yet clear to Mike what Tracy knows about Derek Alldred, what exactly she's so angry about, or whose side she might be on.

[Tracy]

He was saying, do you know this person? And I go, yeah. He goes, well, here's what. His real name is Derek Aldred, and

[Anna Sinfield]

there's a warrant out for his arrest over credit card fraud of a woman in the Colony. That's less than an hour's drive from where Tracy and Mike are meeting that morning.

[Tracy]

And I'm just like, this isn't real. I can't make sense of it.

[Anna Sinfield]

And there's more.

[Special Agent Mike]

I said, listen, we think he's been involved in doing this type of activity across the country. Once he realizes he's in trouble, he doesn't stick around. He usually takes off.

[Anna Sinfield]

It doesn't take long for that new info to sink in. Mike needn't have worried about winning Tracy over.

[Special Agent Mike]

It just enraged her.

[Tracy]

You can't take advantage of people. You can't steal. I mean, who do you think you are?

[Special Agent Mike]

I think, personally, she just wanted to wring his neck out.

[Anna Sinfield]

And then Mike comes to the real reason he's asked Tracy to meet him in a coffee shop this morning. Mike needs to arrest Derek Aldred ASAP before he figures out he's being investigated. And for that, he needs Tracy's help. If Derek is in the dark about what Tracy knows, then maybe she can lure him into a trap.

[Special Agent Mike]

Let's get him off the street before he runs, and then we can go from there.

[Anna Sinfield]

It would be the perfect plan, except for one slight complication.

[Tracy]

I just dumped him this morning.

[Anna Sinfield]

Only a couple of hours earlier, as she shooed him out of the passenger side door of her car, Traci made it abundantly clear to Richie Taylor that she wanted absolutely nothing more to do with him.

[Special Agent Mike]

I said, listen, I'm not telling you for real. I just need you to help just BS him a little bit.

[Tracy]

And he's just like, okay, can you get him back? Cause I can. Of course I can. Men are easy.

[Anna Sinfield]

Derek is about to learn the hard way.

[Tracy]

You play stupid games, you get stupid prizes.

[Anna Sinfield]

I'm Anna Sinfield, and from the teams At Novel and iHeart podcasts, you're listening to the Girlfriends. Trust me, babe. Episode 5 don't mess with texas. Tracy is a country girl through and through. She grew up in a small town in Texas.

[Tracy]

The only thing going down there was a little country store, two gas pumps, the post office, and a little automotive garage. That was it.

[Anna Sinfield]

And what does a young girl do in the country when there's not much going on?

[Tracy]

Find stuff to shoot at. You get your gun, you get your dog, you get your horse, and you just ride.

[Anna Sinfield]

Sounds like me and Tracey had pretty similar childhoods. I certainly shot a few cans in my time. Although I had a mini motorbike, not a horse.

[Tracy]

I was a tomboy.

[Anna Sinfield]

Obviously, the joke here is that this is very much not obvious. Unlike me, Tracey didn't stick with her boyish roots. She's got a gorgeous blonde blowout, for one thing. But that Scout Finch tomboy independence is very much still there.

[Tracy]

In a typical man's world, you have to be strong, because otherwise you're gonna get run over. It's called survival. Don't ever depend on anybody to do anything for you. Depend on yourself.

[Anna Sinfield]

That's the woman that Richie Taylor, AKA Derek, had found himself up against. But why are they already on such bad terms? Before Tracee had even stormed into Starbucks to learn the truth, just a week earlier, Tracy and Richie had been gearing up for a very special weekend.

[Tracy]

We're Supposed to be going to Possum Kingdom Lake that weekend.

[Anna Sinfield]

Possum Kingdom Lake. Rugged cliffs, crystal clear waters of the Brazos river just a few hours drive out of town. Tracy has even purchased a doggy life vest for her beloved pooch. A rescue boxer.

[Tracy]

She was pretty lazy, so I couldn't guarantee how well she would swim. Still have the dog floaty.

[Anna Sinfield]

But on the Wednesday before their special weekend, while Tracy's at work, she gets a phone call from Richie.

[Tracy]

He was at one of the hospitals in the emergency room. He goes, my chest is hurting really, really bad.

[Anna Sinfield]

Tracy heads down to meet Richie at the hospital.

[Tracy]

They want to do a heart cath the following morning.

[Anna Sinfield]

A heart cath is where they stick a tube up a vein to evaluate your heart problems. With Richie now safely in care, Tracy heads home for the evening.

[Tracy]

I'm literally about to walk up the stairs in my apartment and he's calling. They've cut my pain meds in half. I'm in so much pain, I can't take it. Come back and get me. And I'm like, I am not going to come back and get you.

[Anna Sinfield]

Tracey thinks he'll be fine in hospital for one night. She'll go in the morning. The sun hasn't even risen. The next day before, Tracy's phone is ringing again.

[Tracy]

He calls me about 4, 4:30 in the morning.

[Anna Sinfield]

Strike one as far as I'm concerned.

[Tracy]

He goes, were you going to come up here? And I said, well, of course.

[Anna Sinfield]

Thursday morning dawns a more reasonable hour this time. Just after 6am Tracie arrives at the hospital and Richie is in pre op for his procedure. She stays by his side until he's taken into surgery.

[Tracy]

He wasn't in there 15, 20 minutes. Here comes the surgeon. And he's like, I didn't find anything. I can't explain why he was having those kind of pains. I didn't see a previous stent.

[Anna Sinfield]

This strikes Traci as odd. Ritchie had told her about a previous stent from an old war injury.

[Tracy]

He said he was in Afghanistan, he'd gotten some shrapnel in his body, ended up having to have a stent put in his heart, blah, blah, blah.

[Anna Sinfield]

But the doctor seems to be saying he couldn't see it.

[Tracy]

So I'm just like, okay, that's weird, but all right.

[Anna Sinfield]

On Friday, Richie is discharged. They're supposed to be leaving for their big weekend that day. But now Richie needs rest from the

[Tracy]

procedure that you did not need.

[Anna Sinfield]

When asked about all of this, Derek said, as far as my cardiac history, Goes. It is extensive. I've had multiple surgeries. He doesn't address the war injury. Half of the allegation, though, beyond this broad denial that aside, in this particular moment, Tracy is unimpressed and skeptical and more concerned with when they'll be setting off for Possum Kingdom Lake.

[Tracy]

So we plan on that Saturday morning.

[Anna Sinfield]

Saturday morning arrives, and Richie seems to be doing fine. But Tracy can't help but note that he doesn't seem to have organized a car for their weekend away yet.

[Tracy]

He goes, well, let's go get my car out of the shop.

[Anna Sinfield]

Richie claimed to have totaled his car a few weeks earlier, but it should be fixed by now. Just a simple matter of picking it up from the auto repair shop in Dallas.

[Tracy]

So that Saturday we leave go to Dallas.

[Anna Sinfield]

Richie has Tracy driving all over the place.

[Tracy]

I'm like, why are you having such a hard time knowing where your car is? Car is.

[Anna Sinfield]

He can't seem to direct them to the right shop for ages. And then when he finally does. Closed, he suggests they rent a car, have it delivered so it'll be waiting for them at Tracy's when they get home. Richie gets it all sorted while Tracy drives all the way back to hers. But by the time they arrive, where's it at? No car. Richie makes a big fuss of yelling at a customer service rep from the rental car company. But by 9:30 that night, they're no closer to setting off.

[Tracy]

So now I'm really mad. My tongue can be very sharp and I'm like, no, I'm going to try to be a better person than that.

[Anna Sinfield]

Gracefully and with great decorum, Tracy goes to bed.

[Tracy]

I left him in the living room. I'm thinking I'm a crappy person because you should be a little bit more patient.

[Anna Sinfield]

But inside, if she's honest with herself, she's had enough. This isn't the first time this kind of thing has happened with Richie. Here's another great series of unfortunate events. Conveniently none of them Richie's fault.

[Tracy]

I don't want that kind of hassle.

[Anna Sinfield]

The next day is Sunday, and Richie doesn't appear to be making any moves in the direction of Possum Kingdom Lake or any moves at all.

[Tracy]

He's laying around all day long. All this time I'm getting more and more angry because my apartment was small. You have invaded my space. I cannot stand needy, whiny men. It just. It's repulsive. I don't want to deal with it. I'm not gonna sit in the house all day long. So it's like, hey, do you want to go to Fred's and grab a burger? We have lunch, we have a couple of drinks, get ready to go get the bill. Oh, he doesn't have his wallet. All right, strike two. So I pay for it.

[Anna Sinfield]

Needless to say, the Possum Kingdom Lake weekend never happens. By the time Tuesday morning rolls around, Tracy's expecting Richie to go to work.

[Tracy]

Tuesday morning, I'm like, thank God. I get up, I'm getting ready for work, it's about seven, and he's just laying there. And I'm just like, got class today? And he's like, yeah, I don't have class till 9:30. And I said, it's now 7:30. You better get ready. I said, if you're going to be having to get an Uber, you better get on it. This whole time, he's texting on his phone. I'm like, what the hell?

[Anna Sinfield]

Richie looks up from his phone.

[Tracy]

He's like, I really need to go get a checkup. And I'm like, why? And he goes, well, I didn't want to say anything, but last night while you were sleeping, I had a coughing fit, and I think I dislodged my plug.

[Anna Sinfield]

Tracy doesn't know what this means.

[Tracy]

I said, just rub some dirt on it. You'll be fine. Because I'm done. I mean, I'm so done at this point, it's like all I need to do is get him out of the house and I don't have to talk to him again. Get him in the car, get him out.

[Anna Sinfield]

And so she breaks the news to Richie.

[Tracy]

Okay, I'll drop you back off at the hospital or wherever you want to go, but I need my life back. I need my schedule back that over. You've got to go.

[Anna Sinfield]

A couple of hours after ditching Richie, Tracy finds herself in a Fort Worth Starbucks processing the most validating piece of post breakup info a girl could ever dream of. Richie Taylor. Not just annoying, but an actual con man named Derek. All dread after the first wave of outrage subsides. The decision is obvious. Of course she'll help catch him. The thing is, Tracey couldn't have made it more clear to the guy that she never wants to see him again.

[Tracy]

So I get on my phone and

[Anna Sinfield]

start texting right there in the coffee shop.

[Tracy]

I'm so sorry about this morning. I was just hormonal.

[Anna Sinfield]

It won't be very long at all before her phone pings back a new message.

[Tracy]

He's like, oh, baby, it's okay.

[Anna Sinfield]

Works like a charm. And Then, as though he's orchestrating his own downfall, Derek tells Tracy exactly where he'll be. Two days later, the hospital.

[Tracy]

He's got to come back for a

[Anna Sinfield]

follow up appointment, so she offers to pick him up afterwards.

[Tracy]

He goes, oh, thanks babe.

[Anna Sinfield]

The plan is officially in motion and Special Agent Mike is ready for action.

[Special Agent Mike]

You keep me updated. We'll assemble a team, take them into custody.

[Anna Sinfield]

It's go time.

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[Anna Sinfield]

After hatching a plan with Mike, Tracy leaves Starbucks, walks to her car, gets in and closes the door behind her.

[Tracy]

And I drive to work. And I'm like, what the hell just happened?

[Anna Sinfield]

Parked at work, Tracey calls her son. He's met Derek plenty of times over the last two months, but he's only just learning the guy's real name.

[Tracy]

Now he gets on the computer and he's finding all of the stuff with the real name. And he's like, holy shit, Mom. This guy's crazy.

[Anna Sinfield]

This is how Tracy gets hold of the phone number for Cindy from San Francisco. Her son finds it online.

[Tracy]

He's kind of a little sleuth himself.

[Anna Sinfield]

Cindy is still the unofficial secretary of this ever growing club of Derek Alldred's exes. Sitting in the parking lot of her work, Tracey gives Cindy a call.

[Tracy]

She's been tracking him for years. He keeps avoiding the police.

[Anna Sinfield]

Tracey is the newest recruit, but she's not the only one in Texas. There's also Dori.

[Dori]

Cindy connected us. It was very awkward. It was kind of like, oh, okay, you're seeing him, too.

[Tracy]

She met him a day before I did.

[Dori]

Oh, all right. Well, what do you know about him?

[Anna Sinfield]

Tracey tells Dori that Derek sometimes turned up in a borrowed car for his dates with her while his was in the repair shop.

[Tracy]

License plate cover was pink.

[Anna Sinfield]

It turns out Dory has a Camaro.

[Dori]

The Camaro was black, but it had pink on the inside. Pink emblem.

[Anna Sinfield]

The same car.

[Dori]

I said, how did he explain away that?

[Tracy]

Don't mind this car. It's my daughter's.

[Anna Sinfield]

Another time, Richie invited Tracy round to a townhouse in the Colony. He'd cooked them dinner. He'd opened a bottle of wine, introduced her to the dogs.

[Tracy]

He told me it was his sister's. It was Dory's apartment with her dogs. She was very upset about that, and rightfully so. Dory, I'm sorry. I did not know.

[Anna Sinfield]

Then there was the Memorial Day weekend plans.

[Dori]

He said he was taking me to the lake with an Airbnb. And Tracy goes, no, that's where we're going. I really think that he was going to take my car and stuff and go with Tracy.

[Anna Sinfield]

It's no wonder Richie, or should I say Derek, hadn't booked a car for the Possum Kingdom Lake. Weekend. He must have been expecting access to Dory's Camaro until she inconveniently discovered the truth.

[Dori]

He was whining and dying. Tracy on my dime. All those charges I saw for Airbnbs and concerts and flowers and gift cards, it was all for Tracy. I just felt so used.

[Anna Sinfield]

As for Tracey, she didn't feel used as much as she felt outraged. Derek hadn't stolen her credit cards yet.

[Tracy]

He'd already had Dori's credit card. I didn't know that, of course, but he probably knew it was time to move on from that one to get another one to continue on.

[Anna Sinfield]

Derek Alldred had used the exact same alias and cover story for both Dorrie and Tracy. A college professor and naval officer catching lifts to and from the airport for his many trips to solve world crises in Washington.

[Dori]

I drop him off at the airport and here 10 minutes later, Tracy said she comes in and picks him up. He tells her he's getting into town, tells me he's leaving. And literally we were both like passing each other, probably at the airport.

[Anna Sinfield]

And with that, a situation so unbelievably brazen that you just have to laugh. Dorie and Tracey became fast friends. Dorrie had been through a lot.

[Dori]

I was very hurt by it, beat myself up, really bad about it.

[Anna Sinfield]

But now she's got Tracy in her corner.

[Dori]

She helped me through it a lot. Tracy just turned to humor and we just started laughing about all the stuff that he got away with that we allowed him to get away with. She is a bull in a china shop. She is a strong, funny, don't take anything from anybody type of girl.

[Anna Sinfield]

Exactly what Dory needed.

[Tracy]

That's a real shit human being to do that to another person. That made me angry because she did not deserve that. She's very loving, she was very trusting. She's a very good person. And it does anger me that somebody had hurt her and made it where she feels less trusting of humanity. That's sad because she is wonderful. It was her money that was taking me out.

[Anna Sinfield]

After meeting Dori, Tracey's got a new reason to hope. Special Agent Mike's plan goes off without a hitch.

[Tracy]

And it's just like, I can't fix it. But here's something to show that he's going to get his. Hopefully.

[Anna Sinfield]

By early afternoon on 1st of June, 2017, Special Agent Mike and his team of undercover agents have the hospital in Fort Worth surrounded. It's raining.

[Special Agent Mike]

It's a big compound. It's really a big campus. There's a lot of People. There's a lot of cars. Ambulances are coming in. People are being transported. People are parking.

[Anna Sinfield]

Even if Derek Aldred trusts Tracy enough to show up today, there are ways this could all go pear shaped fast.

[Special Agent Mike]

He could have escaped anywhere. He could have hit anywhere. It's really hard to keep track of somebody, so we really had to have every area covered. There's a lot of activity there.

[Anna Sinfield]

Tracy has told Derek that once his procedure finishes, she'll pick him up at the valet area in front of the main hospital entrance.

[Special Agent Mike]

She wanted to take him into custody

[Anna Sinfield]

herself, but Mike has been clear. Just keep the team updated. Stay at work. Leave this one to the professionals.

[Special Agent Mike]

So we were getting updates every 30 minutes, maybe an hour.

[Anna Sinfield]

A lot can happen in 48 hours. For one thing, the Colony Police Department haven't quite got the memo about stealth.

[American Cornhole League Advertiser]

Today we have another be on the

[Anna Sinfield]

lookout video on their Facebook page. They've published a video announcing for all to see that they're looking to arrest Derek Aldred.

[American Cornhole League Advertiser]

So Derek, Richard, Rich, whatever name you

[Special Agent Mike]

want to be called by, give us a call.

[American Cornhole League Advertiser]

We'll keep the light on for you. We have nice jail for the rest

[Special Agent Mike]

of you out there.

[Anna Sinfield]

Special Agent Mike isn't happy. If Derek sees it, he might decide to flee and his whole plan will be for nothing.

[Special Agent Mike]

A lot depends on Traci and her believability and her pushing Derek back into her arms.

[Anna Sinfield]

On the afternoon of Derek's follow up procedure. Dotted around the hospital complex are agents from Special Agent Mike's team.

[Special Agent Mike]

At this point, everybody has a picture of him. We had some people on foot, we had some people in cars.

[Anna Sinfield]

The officers on foot are in plain clothes trying to look like normal hospital visitors.

[Special Agent Mike]

We just had people kind of walking around. Nothing that would spook him or tip him off, relay him back if they've seen him. We don't know what he's wearing, but we know what he looks like.

[Anna Sinfield]

This is the hospital where Derek's heart cast took place. It should be any moment.

[Special Agent Mike]

We're just kind of waiting here for her.

[Anna Sinfield]

They haven't heard anything in a while. And time is ticking closer. Nobody has spotted him yet. And then it's Tracy with an update that threatens to scupper the whole plan.

[Tracy]

He's not at that hospital.

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[Anna Sinfield]

This latest twist has caught Tracie by total surprise. Derek is not at the hospital. She thought he was.

[Tracy]

I really thought he was going to go back to the original hospital where he had the procedure done, because that's what would make sense. So they had that hospital surrounded.

[Anna Sinfield]

She was sitting at work when the call from Derek came in.

[Tracy]

He's like, baby, I'm not at that hospital. I'm at that the doctor's Office at the other hospital. I said, oh, okay, don't worry. I said, I'll be there in just a little bit. I just got finished up touring a family, so it'll take me a little bit. And he's like, no hurries, you know, I'll go on and get dressed, and I'll just wait for you.

[Anna Sinfield]

As soon as she hung up, she called mike immediately. He's been on high alert, waiting for her up outside the hospital. When he hears the news about a sudden change of location.

[Special Agent Mike]

This guy is screwing around. This guy knows Tracy has tried her

[Anna Sinfield]

best to buy them a little time, but right now, Mike and his team are all at the wrong location. The new location is just across the street at a neighboring hospital.

[Tracy]

He goes, give me a few minutes. I said, okay.

[Special Agent Mike]

So at that point, everybody's scrambling. We had some people radio out on foot that were able to get there

[Anna Sinfield]

quicker, but mike is in a car.

[Special Agent Mike]

You're trying to circle around red lights, and there's stop signs and cars and elderly people walking. You're trying not to hit. And he's like, come on, hurry up.

[Anna Sinfield]

When mike outlined the plan to tracy, he made it crystal clear that she should stay put.

[Special Agent Mike]

We got it. Like, don't interfere. She didn't listen.

[Anna Sinfield]

In the admissions office at her work, Tracey is on her feet, phone in hand.

[Tracy]

And I said, well, I gotta go.

[Anna Sinfield]

If derek alldred is really about to be led away in handcuffs, Tracee wants a front row seat, and she knows a few other women who'll want to see it, too.

[Tracy]

I said, I gotta go take pictures.

[Anna Sinfield]

After pulling up at the hospital across the street, Special agent mike and some of his team enter the building.

[Special Agent Mike]

We walked into the waiting area. He was sitting there by himself. All I said was derek. And he said, yes. And I said, cool. Stand up. You're under arrest. Most people go, what's this about? What are you doing? What did I do? And he was just calm as a cucumber. He was like, okay. Stood up and didn't fight, didn't ask questions. Almost like he didn't care. And then we walked him out.

[Tracy]

By the time they were coming downstairs out the building, I had just pulled up.

[Anna Sinfield]

As derek is led out, an agent on either side of him. Tracy has pulled into the hospital and abandoned her car in a no parking zone.

[Tracy]

Put it in park, Put on my hazards, hop out. I've got my cell phone, Got the camera ready, and I can see him being brought out with these two officers in handcuffs.

[Special Agent Mike]

I pointed at her, and I'm like, get back in your car.

[Tracy]

And I'm like, don't care. I'm getting pictures.

[Special Agent Mike]

When I tell you to stay in the car, I really need you to kind of like, stay in the car.

[Tracy]

And so I start running.

[Special Agent Mike]

I'm just like, oh, my God, please.

[Tracy]

The other officer held me back, going, no, you know, don't jeopardize this case. And it's just like, well, I'm not gonna jeopardize it. I just want to take some pictures to show everybody.

[Anna Sinfield]

Between her and Derek is a van.

[Tracy]

Behind the van is a pickup that's parked because that's where he's going into. I start inching my way down the

[Anna Sinfield]

side of the van, and that's when she gets into view.

[Tracy]

And I'm staring at him, you know, he's got his head down, and then he turns around and he's about to get in the pickup. And he looks at me and I look at him.

[Anna Sinfield]

Tracy hadn't planned to interfere. She really did just want to take some pictures. But in that moment, she realizes she has something to say to this man.

[Tracy]

Never fuck with a country girl.

[Special Agent Mike]

She just had to get it out of her system.

[Tracy]

I've got my mom's mouth. It just flew out, so. But she would have never said that word, though, dropping the F bomb. She would have snapped, slapped me in the mouth had she heard me say that. He just hung his head and got in. And I'm just like, well, shit, now what?

[Anna Sinfield]

Dorie is on her couch holding onto her phone for dear life when it finally lights up.

[Dori]

I'll never forget getting those pictures. It was just like winning the lottery.

[Anna Sinfield]

Thanks to Tracy, the news spreads like wildfire. Lisa, our hockey loving mum from Minnesota, sees Tracey's pictures roll in too.

[Tracy]

I was just like, girl, if I

[Anna Sinfield]

could hug you right now, I would.

[Tracy]

That sucker was arrested.

[Anna Sinfield]

Also watching the pictures roll in is a woman in California.

[Netflix / American Family Insurance Advertiser]

That was sensational for me. He got caught.

[Anna Sinfield]

She's been waiting, not years, but decades, for answers.

[Netflix / American Family Insurance Advertiser]

This person has been deceiving people since he was a young man, and it needs to stop.

[Anna Sinfield]

And now Derek Alldred is finally in custody.

[Special Agent Mike]

How you doing, Derek?

[American Cornhole League Advertiser]

Good.

[Special Agent Mike]

How you doing? Good.

[Anna Sinfield]

Coming up on the final episode of the Girlfriends.

[Special Agent Mike]

Trust me, babe, have you ever served in the military? No.

[Anna Sinfield]

No way.

[Tracy]

I cannot believe all this is happening. Dude, what are you thinking? They don't play in Texas.

[Netflix / American Family Insurance Advertiser]

He's gonna get what he deserves.

[Anna Sinfield]

The Girlfriend's Trust Me, Babe is produced by Novel for Iheart Podcasts. For more from Novel, visit Novel Audio the series is hosted by me, Anna Sinfield and this episode was produced by Valeria Rocca and Leona Hamid. Our editor is Joe Wheeler. Production management from Cherie Houston, Joe Savage and Charlotte Wolf Fact checking by Dania Suleiman Sound design, mixing and scoring by Daniel Kempson and Nicholas Alexander. The Girlfriend's theme was composed by Daniel Kempson and Louisa Gerstein and performed by Daniel Kempson with vocals by Louisa Gerstein. Music supervision from Daniel Kempson and Anna Sinfield. The series artwork was designed by Christina Lemkul, story development by Suzie Baker and Olivia Smart. Novel's Director of development is Selena Mehta. Max o' Brien is the Executive producer for Novel, Katrina Norvell and Nikki Etor are the executive producers for iHeart podcasts and the marketing lead is Allison Cantor. Special thanks to Carrie Lieberman and Will Pearson at iHeart Podcasts. Julie Sensulo, Ann Langston, Carolyn Shirlevin, Katie Gillis, Kelly Hunt, Rachel Munro, Tom Oldag, and Tad Vesna.

[American Cornhole League Advertiser]

You fired up the grill, you strung the lights, you even cleaned the patio furniture. But let's be honest, your cornhole set is an embarrassment this summer. Level up with official American Cornhole League gear. We're talking pro quality boards, bags and everything you need to become the undisputed backyard CH champion of your entire neighborhood. Or at least beat your brother in Law shop [e-mail] because summer's too short for bad cornhole.

[Kalpen (Kal Penn)]

Hey everyone, it's Kel Penn. I'm inviting you to join the best sounding book club you've ever heard with my podcast Hearsay, The Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club. Every episode I nerd out with amazing guests and dive into the best new audiobooks available on Audible. It's the book club for your ears. Listen to Earsay, the Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club on the iHeartradio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Netflix / American Family Insurance Advertiser]

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Pricing and availability vary based on where you purchase insurance and by state. Some exclusions apply. American Family Mutual Insurance Co. SI and its operating companies 6000American Parkway Madison, Wisconsin

[NFL Schedule Announcer]

the wait is almost over. Get ready for the NFL season with the highly anticipated 2026 NFL Schedule release every rivalry, every rematch and every rookie debut with matchups locked and kickoffs confirmed. Be there for every can't miss moment. The full NFL Schedule release coming in May. Get all the [e-mail] ScheduleRelease.

[Anna Sinfield]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.