Saving Grace (The Grace Series Book 2) (23 page)

“I recognized his voice,” the major whispered.

“You recognized his voice,” the attorney repeated. “Major, how many times have you met with David Houser when he was not wearing his hood?”

“Two,” the major replied.

“From two meetings with this man, you knew him well enough to recognize his voice?”

“Yes.”

The attorney smirked. “No further questions.”

Peter Rutherford immediately stood. “May I redirect, your honor?”

At the judge’s nod, the lieutenant approached the wheelchair. “Major, what color eyes does David Houser have?”

“Brown.”

The judge interrupted, “Bailiff, please check the color of Mr. Houser’s eyes.”

Following the order, the bailiff walked over to David Houser. “Brown, your honor,” he confirmed.

“Major, how long have you been in the army?” Peter Rutherford asked.

“Thirteen years.”

“How many undercover assignments have you been involved in, in these thirteen years?”

“Eighteen,” the major whispered.

“Major, you said you’ve been in the army for thirteen years. You were in the army during the war. Is that correct?”

“Yes.”

“During the war, were you involved in any undercover operations?”

“Yes.”

“Major, just to clarify, in layman’s terms, what was your role during the war?”

“I… I was a spy,” he whispered.

“Will you tell the court, Major, while you were carrying out your orders as a spy during the war, generally speaking, what was your main objective?”

“To find out the North’s battle pl… plans, and report them.”

“And what method did you primarily use to accomplish these goals?”

“Eavesdropping.”

“Major, when you were eavesdropping could you see the people you were listening to?” Peter Rutherford asked.

“Many times I could not see them.”

“When you couldn’t see who was talking, were you able to determine from their voices who was talking?”

“Yes.”

“Major, were you successful in your assignments during the war?”

“Most of them.”

Peter Rutherford smiled. “Thank you, sir.” Then he addressed the courtroom. “No further questions with regard to this defendant.”

The trial continued, during which the major described incident after gruesome incident in his slow whispery tone. For more than an hour, he responded to questions from both the prosecuting and defending attorneys related to four of the seven defendants. Jessica stared at him the entire time. His expression didn’t change and his eyes never left the table leg.

Moving on to the fifth defendant, Arnold Whistler, they began speaking of an incident involving a thirteen-year-old girl named Bess Bentley. The major described how the Sons gang raped and tortured the young girl, eventually ending her life by slashing her throat. He said they tossed her body off the Crescent River Bridge to the jagged, rocky, creek bed thirty feet below. It was the most hideous accounting Jessica had ever heard.

Arnold Whistler was accused of three rapes and four murders, including the murder of a three-year-old child. It was a different incident than the one Jessica remembered hearing about from Ruth and Martha. She had to close her eyes in horror.

The sixth defendant was William Hughes. In answering questions, the major explained that William Hughes was in charge of the northeast sector of the Sons, and he went on to describe the numerous crimes William Hughes was charged with. Most of them were not committed by him, but were ordered by him. The list seemed endless. Another hour passed and William Hughes’s case was still being discussed.

The major was talking about the brutal beating and subsequent lynching of a man named Silas, when mid-sentence he stopped. He closed his eyes and bowed his head forward.

“Major, do you need a minute?” the judge asked.

The man in the wheelchair didn’t respond until the judge repeated his question. Slowly he looked up and fixed his eyes on the table leg. A thin stream of blood ran from his nose, over his lip, down his chin, and dripped onto his coat. It didn’t appear he realized it.

General McLean stood up. “Excuse me, your honor. I apologize for the interruption, but may I have a moment with the major?”

The judge banged the gavel once. “Recess for ten minutes. General, if you need more time, please have the bailiff let me know.”

“All rise,” the bailiff announced.

With the exception of the major, who didn’t move at all, everyone else in the courtroom rose until the judge departed. People began whispering amongst themselves, creating a low hum of noise throughout the room. The general crossed the floor until he was standing in front of the wheelchair. With him there, it wasn’t easy for Jessica to see the major, but she saw enough to know the general took a handkerchief from his own pocket and used it to wipe the blood from the major’s face. The general’s tone when he spoke was so low, she had to strain her ears to hear, but she could make out very little. As the general turned to address Peter Rutherford, Jessica saw the major was leaning back in the chair. His eyes were closed.

“I’m sorry, Lieutenant,” the general said to Peter Rutherford. “Will you tell the bailiff to let the judge know we’re finished here today? We’ll have to resume tomorrow.”

“It’s no problem, General. We’ll continue when we can.” The attorney raised concerned eyes to the major. “Is he alright?”

General McLean shook his head negatively, but he murmured, “I’ve never known a stronger man.”

Without opening his eyes, the major whispered, “Let’s keep going. I’m okay.”

The general frowned. “Rest for a few minutes. We’ll see how you feel when the judge comes back.”

The general turned to face the audience and his eyes became fixed on something toward the back of the courtroom. He was so cross, Jessica couldn’t help turning to see what was taking his attention. How her line of vision wasn’t impeded by the people in the packed courtroom, she didn’t know, but she saw quite clearly who the general was looking at. The man had long, curly, light brown hair. She guessed him to be in his late thirties, and he was glaring at the general as steadily and fiercely as the general was looking at him.

Jessica didn’t have time to contemplate who the man might be, or why the two of them were staring at each other, because the bailiff announced the judge’s return. Before the general returned to his seat he took a second handkerchief from his pocket and slipped it under the major’s hand. It was time for the questioning to continue.

The major opened his eyes, raised his head and again looked at the table leg. They finished with William Hughes and moved on to the last defendant, Luther Emerson. While speaking of the other defendants the major described such gruesome crimes. Throughout all of this Jessica had denied her father could be responsible for anything so dreadful, but now she was apprehensive. She didn’t want to know these things about her father.

First Peter Rutherford asked questions about her father’s position in the Sons to which the major replied he was an active member, but held no official title. Then the major was asked to describe the crime for which he was on trial, the murder of Carl Robbins. The major’s account of the events was very brief and Peter Rutherford sat down to allow the defending attorney his turn.

“Major, you testified that you were at least fifty yards away during the incident,” her father’s attorney said.

“Yes.”

“From that distance could you tell who set the fire under Mr. Robbins?”

“No.”

“Major, were you present during any meetings in which there were discussions planning the murder of Carl Robbins?”

“No,” the major whispered.

“How then do you know Luther Emerson was responsible?”

“He confessed to me at a later date.”

“Major, you testified earlier that you were working undercover.”

“Yes.”

“During this time, you befriended Mr. Emerson?”

“Yes.”

“Why did you befriend Mr. Emerson?”

“Intelligence reports named him as a member of the Sons. I believed he held a leadership role.”

“Did you believe Mr. Emerson was the Imperial Wizard of the Sons?”

“At one time I thought he might be.”

“But you came to realize this wasn’t the case?”

“Yes.”

“Major, according to the death certificate, Carl Robbins died of a single gun shot wound to the head. Do you know who fired this shot?”

“I did,” the major whispered.

Hushed gasps came from the people in the room, including Jessica and Trent. At the same time Peter Rutherford stood up. “Objection, your honor. Major Grace is not on trial here. He has already been cleared by the army for his part in the death of Carl Robbins.”

“Objection sustained,” the judge said.

“Major, could you tell us how you came to be wounded?” Luther Emerson’s attorney asked.

Again Peter Rutherford rose. “Objection as to relevance, your honor.”

“Objection overruled. I would like to hear this, Lieutenant,” the judge said.

“I was trying to rescue a child kidnapped by the Sons,” the major whispered.

The attorney prompted, “And what happened?”

“The Sons were riding along Whisper Hollow when I caught up with them. I rode up beside the man holding the child, hit him and grabbed the child. I was shot in the back while I was riding away.”

“Was the child harmed?”

“No.”

“When did this happen, Major?”

“Last week,” he whispered.

“Are you taking any medication at this time?”

“Yes.”

“What are you taking?”

“Laudanum.”

“Laudanum taken in large quantities is known to cause confusion,” the attorney said. “Is it possible you are confused about what you say Mr. Emerson confessed to you?”

Before the major could answer, Peter Rutherford stood up. “Objection, your honor. A doctor has already determined that Major Grace is in satisfactory health to testify here today. I think he’s proved that to be true over the last three hours.”

“Objection sustained,” the judge said. “Let’s get on with it, counselor.”

“During the time you were undercover as Jonathan Kinsley, you courted and subsequently married Mr. Emerson’s daughter, Jessica, did you not?”

“Yes.”

“Because you married her under a false name the marriage is not legitimate, is it?”

“No. It is not.”

The attorney’s eyes narrowed. “Did you have relations with Miss Emerson, Major?”

“Yes.”

Luther’s attorney raised a reproachful eyebrow and another round of hushed gasps could be heard throughout the room.

“No further questions,” Luther Emerson’s attorney said.

Jessica’s stomach knotted painfully. Trent picked up her hand from her lap, squeezed it tightly and didn’t let go.

“Your honor, may I redirect?” Peter Rutherford asked.

The judge nodded. “Be my guest, Lieutenant.”

“Major, you stated that you befriended Mr. Emerson because you believed him to be the Imperial Wizard of the Sons, but then you determined he was not?”

“Yes.”

“About how long had you known Mr. Emerson before you determined for certain he was not the Imperial Wizard?”

“About three months.”

“Was this the period in which you courted and married Mr. Emerson’s daughter, Jessica?”

“Yes.”

“Why did you do that, Major?”

“To get to know Mr. Emerson better.”

“In order to accomplish your assignment you needed to become a member of the Sons, is that correct?” Peter asked.

“Yes.”

“Major, what is your understanding of the induction process for men interested in joining the Sons?”

“They are invited by existing members,” the major whispered.

“In order to become a member of the Sons, to accomplish your assignment, you needed to befriend existing members?”

“Yes.”

“So what you’re saying, Major, is that the only reason you courted and married Jessica Emerson was to help build a relationship with Mr. Emerson, because your assignment required it?”

“Yes.”

This time Luther Emerson’s attorney stood up. “Objection, your honor. What is the relevance of this?”

“I’m attempting to establish that Major Grace has no reason to mislead this court based upon any personal feelings he may have for the defendant or the defendant’s family, and that his actions were made, not out of malice, but in order to carry out his orders and fulfill the task he was sent here to accomplish,” Peter Rutherford said.

“I’ll allow it,” the judge said. “Continue, Lieutenant.”

“Thank you, your honor.” He turned back to the major. “You were invited to join the Sons by Luther Emerson, is that correct?”