[piasa]

Together they open a long-buried trunk, examining the contents—photographs, champagne bottles, letters, home movies, audiotapes of phone conversations

Is it normal for people to have audiotapes of phone conversations?

Or was Mommy there taping her hubby when he called so she could use bits and pieces of the conversations for her political activism buddies or to provide info to handlers?

[Menehune56]

That's an excellent question!