Richard and Nancy Lyon

Slow-Motion Breakup

Nancy Lyon was determined to pursue peace of mind, and she began incest counseling on her own when she returned to Dallas—just as her husband begin fooling around with Tami Lyn Gaisford.

The counseling helped Nancy recognize that her marital relationship was not healthy, and it gave her the courage to confront Richard when she learned of the affair.

He denied it, but over time she collected hard evidence in the form of American Express bills from trips and gifts he lavished upon his lover—gifts he could not afford.

Although she was devastated, Nancy apparently felt the marriage could be saved.

At the same time, she was a financial pragmatist.

Richard had been spending like a drunken sailor since taking up with Gaisford, even after he lost his job when his employer, Hughes Industries, went bankrupt.

Nancy's first move was to close the couple's bank accounts and cancel their credit cards—while Richard was on a sneak-away with Gaisford in Taos.

The Lyons were financially solvent only because Nancy's father held the mortgages to their properties, including their home and money-losing rentals they bought as the real estate market in Dallas dipped into depression.

Even in the midst of the affair, Bill Dillard Sr. attempted to come to Richard's rescue.

He found Richard a new job with yet another Dallas developer, Architectural Site Services.