“The judge asked the question on everyone’s mind: What possibly could have occupied his time—2½ years of absence from work? What was he doing?

“Exercising,” he said.

Doing house projects.

Beale told investigators he would usually get some reading or bicycling done, too.

There it was. John Beale lied for more than a decade and spent the spoils of his charade as anyone else would spend a lazy Sunday.

The judge gave him 32 months.”