The Innocent Man

Chapter 4

I made my way across the path, my footsteps thundering in my ears. "God give me strength, give me the strength to resist." I spoke solemnly as I echoed my words, my heart beating in my chest like a metronome from hell. "Give me the strength to resist, God guide my hand." My words softened as I wrapped my hand around the door knob, drawing in another breath while pulling the door open."God guide my hand, God save us all." I let out a heavy breath as I swallowed my pride and stepped into the house, letting the ax brush against my leg as I lowered my hand to my side. "God save us all, God give me strength." I repeated my chant as I made my way through the house.

Alice's voice guided me on my journey, "Daddy, over here!"

"Alice..." I called out to her as I rounded the corner, coming face to face with Miss Kate and her husband, his hand raised to hit her as she shook, crumpled on the floor. I drew in a sharp breath as my eyes found the bright red marks flowering purple across the pale canvas of her neck. Her eye seemed to be beginning to swell as well as her arms where blood streaked down, caked across deep cuts and strips of skin barely hanging on. "Miss Kate... No..." My voice cut off in my throat as I met her terrified eyes, fury hiding deep within.

I never meant for this to happen, I thought that maybe because Miss Kate's husband committed the murder of her daughter that we wouldn't even go to trial. Yet, here we are, Miss Kate being accused of being drunk off her ass the night of the attack, me being accused of murder of not only Miss Kate's husband but also her daughter on top of many other charges and no proof of my innocence. I sighed heavily as I rubbed at weary eyes mulling over the different ways that the trial could go. On one hand I could, and Miss Kate would... But on the other hand...

"Mr. Deaux, I call Mr. Johnn Deaux back to the stand." Donnahue's voice echoed through the otherwise silent courtroom as whispers followed, barely audible. I rose slowly, chains jingling as I was, once again, sworn in. I lowered myself into the chair as I pulled on each of my fingers in turn, thumb, forefinger, middle finger, ring finger, pinkie finger. "Now, Mr. Deaux, how would you say Miss Smith's account of the night was?"

"I'd say it was fairly accurate, Donnahue." I nodded solemnly as I continued to pull on my fingers, thumb, fore, middle, ring, pinkie.

"Well, Mr. Deaux, that being said, is there anything you'd like to add about the night?" His sausage-like fingers rubbed his chin as he spoke.

"It is true that I was there that night, however, I was never close enough to trip the floodlights so I don't quite understand how Miss Kate would have seen me through the window when it was dark enough for the window to most likely reflect the inside of the room." I leaned forward slightly as I spoke, looking from my lawyer to Donnahue subtly.

"Are you calling Miss Smith a liar?" Donnahue drew in a sharp breath as he shot me a look that could kill.

"Well, Donnahue, all I'm saying is my truth. After all, I am under oath." I nodded subtly to the armed guard still holding the bible, looking at me in shocked silence.

"Well, Mr. Deaux. This is, this is quite the accusation you have made. However, in doing so you seem to have proved something for us. You seem to have proved that you were there that night, in Miss Smith's yard." Donnahue seemed to regain his composure slowly as he drew in a long breath, raising one eyebrow. My lawyer gave me a pleading look as his eyebrows furrowed, looking around helplessly like a fish in a barrel.

"Well, Donnahue, I never stated that I was walking through Miss Kate's yard that night, I only stated that it was dark enough to not be able to see out the windows."

"And just how would you know it was dark if you weren't in her yard?"

I let out a heavy sigh as I looked from the "lawyer" in front of me to the judge in turn, "Do I really have to answer this? Judge Kennedy? Do I really need to humor his ignorance?"

Judge Kennedy let out a heavy sigh followed by a slight chuckle, "Unfortunately, it is required that you answer all questions truthfully while under oath."

Donnahue looked on in bewilderment as his hand came up to the back of his sweaty neck, he now looked more red than my own lawyer whom now leaned back in his chair stifling a chuckle behind a well timed adjustment of his tie. "Alright," I spoke slowly and leaned forward in my chair, "Donnahue, you seem to be more intelligent than you let off." He puffed out his chest slightly as I spoke; however, my next words made him stiffen slightly as he grew more red. "Well, I'd hope so seeing as how you're a lawyer." I let a smirk curve my lips slightly upward as I finished, "I could tell that it was dark out because there is such a thing as the outside world that tends to get dark when the sun goes down. Now this may shock you, but when the lights are on in a room and the outside world gets dark, the window acts more as a mirror and reflects the inside view instead of letting you see outside."

My eyes made their way to Miss Kate, dabbing at tears that didn't seem to be there. She reddened slightly as she stiffened in her chair, covering her neck with a free hand. "Well," Donnahue tried to recover, desperately, "Thank you for, enlightening, us. But witnesses say that they saw you on the lawn. Are you sure you wouldn't want to reword your previous testament?"

I kept my eyes on Miss Kate, desperately trying to not portray anything that could be held against me, "Donnahue, I stated that I was there. That was your question. I was there, I didn't trip the floodlights so Miss Smith wouldn't have seen me, but I was there. How many times do you want me to say it?"

"Alright, in that case. What happened that night? What's your side of this story? Start from being on her lawn that night, please."

"Good, now we're getting somewhere. As I said before, many times, I wasn't on her lawn. I was passing through on a little late night walk. I heard shouting, lots of shouting, I don't remember exactly what was said, but there was a lot of profanity that I had heard. I also heard a child's voice, a scream. I decided that I should check on them, see if everything is okay. I saw a light go on in a shed behind the house so I started to go there. There was a lot of screaming and crying and then there was a snapping sound and then silence. Then I heard the back door slam shut and I saw the shed door sort of open and close a bit with the wind, the light was still on though so I knocked on the door and I stepped in something dark and wet. I saw an ax sticking out of what looked like a bit of wood covered in something that looked a lot like blood. There was a little girl on the floor of the shed, my daughter."