A Time to Kill

"Yes."

"I love my parents, but that’s ridiculous."

"You don’t see enough of them, and they don’t see enough of Hanna."

"And we don’t see enough of you. I’m not leaving for six weeks."

"There’s a ton of preparation. I’ll eat and sleep this case until the trial is over. I’ll work nights, weekends-"

"What else is new?"

"I’ll ignore y’all and think of nothing but this case."

"We’re used to that."

Jake smiled at her. "You’re saying you can handle it?"

"I can handle you. It’s those crazies out there that scare me."

"When the crazies get serious, I’ll back off. I will run from this case if my family is in danger."

"You promise?"

"Of course I promise. Let’s send Hanna."

"If we’re not in danger, why do you want to send anybody?"

"Just for safety. She’d have a great time spending the summer with her grandparents. They’d love it."

"She wouldn’t last a week without me."

"And you wouldn’t last a week without her."

That s true. It s out of the question. I don t worry about her as long as I can hold her and squeeze her."

The coffee was ready and Carla filled their cups. "Anything in the paper?"

"No. I thought the Jackson paper might run something, but it happened too late, I guess."

"I guess your timing is a little rusty after a week’s layoff."

"Just wait till in the morning."

"How do you know?"

"I promise."

She shook her head and searched for the fashion and food sections. "Are you going to church?"

"No."

"Why not? You’ve got the case. You’re a star again."

"Yeah, but no one knows it yet."

"I see. Next Sunday."

"Of course."

At Mount Hebron, Mount Zion, Mount Pleasant, and at Brown’s Chapel, Green’s Chapel, and Norris Road, Section Line Road, Bethel Road, and at God’s Temple, Christ’s Temple, and Saints’ Temple, the buckets and baskets and plates were passed and re-passed and left at the altars and front doors to collect the money for Carl Lee Hailey and his family. The large, family-size Kentucky Fried Chicken buckets were used in many of the churches. The bigger the bucket, or basket, the smaller the individual offerings appeared as they fell to the bottom, thus allowing the minister just cause to order another passing through the flock. It was a special offering, separate from the regular giving, and was preceded in virtually every church with a heart-wrenching account of what happened to the precious little Hailey girl, and what would happen to her daddy and family if the buckets were not filled. In many instances the sacred name of the NAACP was invoked and the effect was a loosening of the wallets and purses.

It worked. The buckets were emptied, the money counted, and the ritual repeated during the evening services. Late Sunday night the morning offerings and evening offer-

ings were combined and counted by each minister, who would then deliver a great percentage of the total to the Reverend Agee sometime Monday. He would keep the money somewhere in his church, and a great percentage of it would be spent for the benefit of the Hailey family.

From two to five each Sunday afternoon, the prisoners in the Ford County jail were turned out into a large fenced yard across the small back street behind the jail. A limit of three friends and/or relatives for each prisoner was allowed inside for no more than an hour. There were a couple of shade trees, some broken picnic tables, and a well-maintained basketball hoop. Deputies and dogs watched carefully from the other side of the fence.

A routine was established. Gwen and the kids would leave church after the benediction around three, and drive to the jail. Ozzie allowed Carl Lee early entrance to the recreation area so he could assume the best picnic table, the one with four legs and a shade tree. He would sit there by himself, speaking to no one, and watch the basketball skirmish until his family arrived. It wasn’t basketball, but a hybrid of rugby, wrestling, judo, and basketball. No one dared officiate. No blood, no foul. And, surprisingly, no fights. A fight meant quick admittance to solitary and no recreation for a month.

There were a few visitors, some girlfriends and wives, and they would sit in the grass by the fence with their men and quietly watch the mayhem under the basketball hoop. One couple asked Carl Lee if they could use his table for lunch. He shook his head, and they ate in the grass.

Gwen and the kids arrived before three. Deputy Hastings, her cousin, unlocked the gate and the children ran to meet their daddy. Gwen spread the food. Carl Lee was aware of the stares from the less fortunate, and he enjoyed the envy. Had he been white, or smaller and weaker, or perhaps charged with a lesser crime, he would have been asked to share his food. But he was Carl Lee Hailey, and no one stared too long. The-game returned to its fury and violence, and the family ate in peace. Tonya always sat next to her daddy.

"They started an offerin’ for us this mornin’," Gwen said after lunch.

"Who did?"

"The church. Reverend Agee said all the black churches in the county are gonna take up money ever Sunday for us and for the lawyer fees."

"How much?"

"Don’t know. He said they gonna pass the bucket ever Sunday until the trial."

"That’s mighty nice. What’d he say ’bout me?"

"Just talked about your case and all. Said how expensive it would be, and how we’d need help from the churches. Talked about Christian givin’ and all that. Said you’re a real hero to your people."

What a pleasant surprise, thought Carl Lee. He expected some help from his church, but nothing financial. "How many churches?"

"All the black ones in the county."

"When do we get the money?"

"He didn’t say."

After he got his cut, thought Carl Lee. "Boys, y’all take your sister and go play over there by the fence. Me and Momma needs to talk. Be careful now."

Carl Lee, Jr., and Robert took their little sister by the hand and did exactly as ordered.

"What does the doctor say?" Carl Lee asked as he watched the children walk away.

"She’s doin’ good. Her jaw’s healin’ good. He might take the wire off in a month. She can’t run and jump and play yet, but it won’t be long. Still some soreness."

"What about the, uh, the other?"

Gwen shook her head and covered her eyes. She began crying and wiping her eyes. She spoke and her voice cracked. "She’ll never have kids. He told me . . ." She stopped, wiped her face and tried to continue. She began sobbing loudly, and buried her face in a paper towel.

Carl Lee felt sick. He placed his forehead in his palms. He ground his teeth together as his eyes watered. "What’d he say?"

Gwen raised her head and spoke haltingly, righting back tears. "He told me Tuesday there was too much dam-

age . . ." She wiped her wet face with her fingers. "But he wants to send her to a specialist in Memphis."

"He’s not sure?"

She shook her head. "Ninety percent sure. But he thinks she should be examined by another doctor in Memphis. We’re supposed to take her in a month."

Gwen tore off another paper towel and wiped her face. She handed one to her husband, who quickly dabbed his eyes.

Next to the fence, Tonya sat listening to her brothers argue about which one would be a deputy and which one would be in jail. She watched her parents talk and shake their heads and cry. She knew something was wrong with her. She rubbed her eyes and started crying too.