Read The Sabbathday River Online
Authors: Jean Hanff Korelitz
The Sabbathday River (35 page)
Then Heather was with them. She wore a tan dress Judith had bought for her, high-buttoned and with blue embroidery around the neck, and her cropped hair had filled in a bit, softening the shock of her small head with its defined bones. She was thin now, Naomi saw, and for the first time it occurred to her to berate herself over not having recognized Heather's pregnancy the previous summer. The extra flesh of her torso, the aftermath of Polly which the second baby had inherited, was gone now, leaving a figure not so much lean as downright feeble. She reached for Heather's shoulder. “Hi,” Heather said, turning.
“Hi, Heather.” Her voice sounded unnaturally jolly.
“How is Polly?”
“She's doing great,” Naomi said heartily. “She calls me âNeema.'” It was meant as a reassurance that Polly knew her own mother and Heather needn't worry about being usurped, but Heather looked as if she might cry, anyway.
“Oh, don't,” Judith broke in, putting her arm around Heather's shoulder. “Just sit down, yes?”
Heather turned and sat. The judge was announced, and Naomi, seeing him for the first time, thought him effortlessly authoritative, broad and physically dense in his black robe, and sporting a natural scowl. Born to judge, she thought grimly, as Hayes exchanged the kind of studiously impersonal nod with Charter that could only imply the closeness of their friendship beyond this room. He welcomed the audience and preemptively castigated them for the variety of bad behaviors they would henceforth refrain from. Judith was writing on her legal pad, her head down. When the door opened, she sat up, shifted in her chair, and placed her hand over Heather's. Naomi could not see Heather's face, but she did see the small jerk of her shoulders as those two hands met, and the discomfort that lingered after it. Perhaps this, too, was part of Judith's intention, that they should see Heather first like this: the woman whose sensuality had supposedly overbrimmed to murder, unwilling even to be touched.
The jury was welcomed, then thanked, then charged with the solemnity their task required. The gavel was raised and brought down sharply in a theatrical gesture for their benefit, because they all expected it. Charter got up, and ritually shot his cuffs. This was to be a habitual gesture, the first note of frailty she had ever seen in him, but it did not make her like him better.
Charter walked to the jury and placed a hand on the bar before the first row of their chairs. A finger tapped the wood. He seemed to be considering.
“Ladies and gentlemen”âhis voice was uncharacteristically softâ“I think you'll understand what I mean when I say that I am sorry to see you here today. I'm sorry”âhe waved his hand behind him at the spectators, but kept his eyes forwardâ“that any of us are here. Indeed, in my many years of prosecuting men and women accused of crimes in this state, I have never been involved with a case that filled me with so much regret, that made me so heartbroken. And I sincerely apologize to you for subjecting you to the sad and terrible things I am going to have to tell you about.”
He sighed, and touched the ridge of his curious hair. “Now, some of you are parents. Some of you aren't. I'm not a parent myself, but that does not protect me from the horror of a dead child. I feel that horror, ladies and gentlemen, and I know you will, too. But your job is harder than mine, or indeed anyone else's. Because you cannot let yourselves stop at the horror at the heart of this case. You have to go forward, to go through it. And you have to do it professionally, and intellectually. You have to consider the testimony that will be given here, both by our witnesses and by my opponent's witnesses, and not give in to grief or recriminations. Because your job is to tell us how we should confront these terrible events. This terrible crime.” He sighed, then turned slightly. He was looking at Heather. “Please understand that I am not asking you to explain this crime to us. The murder of two infant girls is an incomprehensible act, and I don't expect you to be able to comprehend it any more than I will ever be able to comprehend it myself. We must be very clear about the distinction between understanding
what
happened and understanding
why.
Put
why
right out of your minds, ladies and gentlemen.
Why
is between Heather Pratt and God.”
what
happened and understanding
why.
Put
why
right out of your minds, ladies and gentlemen.
Why
is between Heather Pratt and God.”
Naomi saw the stiff, minuscule shake of Judith's head. Her own hands twisted together in her lap.
“Heather Pratt is on trial today for the murders of two infant girls. The girls were twin daughters, born in secret. Heather was their mother, and you will be hearing soon about their paternity. But first you'll hear about what was done to these little babies, how they were heartlessly killed, then left for someone else to find. What kind of woman would do this? Well, I don't know that I'm able to answer that question, but I can answer the question of what kind of person Heather Pratt
is
. She is a woman who was brought to the attention of the police for disrobing in plain sight, in a public place. She is a woman who thought nothing of having an affair with a man who was married to someone else, and nothing about having his baby. She is a woman who wantonly continued the affair, even after the married man made it clear to her that he would never leave his wife. She is a woman who hid her pregnancy, who didn't seek prenatal care for her child, who had her babies in secret and disposed of them in secret. And if they had not been foundâat different times and in different places, but ironically by the same personânone of us would be here today.”
is
. She is a woman who was brought to the attention of the police for disrobing in plain sight, in a public place. She is a woman who thought nothing of having an affair with a man who was married to someone else, and nothing about having his baby. She is a woman who wantonly continued the affair, even after the married man made it clear to her that he would never leave his wife. She is a woman who hid her pregnancy, who didn't seek prenatal care for her child, who had her babies in secret and disposed of them in secret. And if they had not been foundâat different times and in different places, but ironically by the same personânone of us would be here today.”
He shook his head distastefully, as if that irony were Heather's fault, too.
“But more than anything else, ladies and gentlemen, Heather Pratt is a woman who confessed to this crime. Who gave details. Who showed us the weapon with which she murdered one of her daughters. Who knew it was wrong to do as she did!” He let this sink in, making sure each of them got a long look at his anger. “You're going to want me to explain that to you, and I can't. You're also going to want me to explain why Heather Pratt, who is by all accounts a good mother to the daughter she had eighteen months ago, should turn against the twin daughters she had last September. And that I think I
can
explain. I think Heather loved her first child because, at the time of her first pregnancy she thought her lover, her married lover, would leave his wife and marry her. But by the time of her second pregnancy, she knew better. She knew because her lover had made it clear to her that he would never leave his wife for her, and so she hated the child, or children, she was carrying. She told no one that she was expecting these children. She didn't notify the midwife who had delivered her daughter Polly, and when the twins were born, she did what was necessary so that no one would ever find out they existed.” He waited for this to sink in. A few of the jurors, Naomi saw, could not look at Charter now, or at Heather
either. Charter sighed, milking the moment. “I cannot know her state of mind at this time, but I'll tell you what I honestly believe. Heather's state of mind is secondary to the brutality of her acts. This woman”âhe turned from the railing. He pointed, a jab in the airâ“gave birth to two beautiful, healthy baby girls and immediately put them to death. Now, some of you may feel she deserves our compassion, and I don't say that's untrue. What I do say, ladies and gentlemen, is that those babies have the first claim on our compassion. We are here for
them,
because
they
are not here. It is not our job to succor their mother, who
is
still here among us, healthy and strong. Let us leave Heather to her conscience, and to God.”
can
explain. I think Heather loved her first child because, at the time of her first pregnancy she thought her lover, her married lover, would leave his wife and marry her. But by the time of her second pregnancy, she knew better. She knew because her lover had made it clear to her that he would never leave his wife for her, and so she hated the child, or children, she was carrying. She told no one that she was expecting these children. She didn't notify the midwife who had delivered her daughter Polly, and when the twins were born, she did what was necessary so that no one would ever find out they existed.” He waited for this to sink in. A few of the jurors, Naomi saw, could not look at Charter now, or at Heather
either. Charter sighed, milking the moment. “I cannot know her state of mind at this time, but I'll tell you what I honestly believe. Heather's state of mind is secondary to the brutality of her acts. This woman”âhe turned from the railing. He pointed, a jab in the airâ“gave birth to two beautiful, healthy baby girls and immediately put them to death. Now, some of you may feel she deserves our compassion, and I don't say that's untrue. What I do say, ladies and gentlemen, is that those babies have the first claim on our compassion. We are here for
them,
because
they
are not here. It is not our job to succor their mother, who
is
still here among us, healthy and strong. Let us leave Heather to her conscience, and to God.”
He turned back to them now, the preacher to the captive converted. “Now, as if this story weren't amazing enough, there is a further twist. The evidence will show, ladies and gentlemen, that these two little girls, twins born to the same mother, were in fact only half sisters to each other. Yes.” He nodded sagely as they looked at him, incredulous. “It's true. No, you don't hear about it all the time, but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen. It happened here. There is a doctor who will tell you about this process, which has a funny-sounding name: superfecundation.” He kept, Naomi noted, a very straight face. A poker face. If she didn't know better, she thought, she might believe him herself. In the jury box, however, it was a different matter. Their eyes widened. One or two looked stunned, another grinned. “Now, for this to take place, a woman must have sexual relations with two men in a given time period, which is precisely what Heather Pratt did. She had sex with her married lover, and then she had sex with a second man. We know the name of this man, and you will learn it soon.”
Naomi, despite herself, looked at Heather. A second man? It was not possible. How could that be possible? Then, furious at herself for even entertaining the notion, she gave an exaggerated sigh, shook her head, and earned a glare from Judge Hayes himself.
“Hard to believe? Of yourself, maybe. Of your friends, your wives, or your daughters, absolutely. But hard to believe of a woman who was quite comfortable with her promiscuity? Who saw nothing wrong with pursuing her affairs? I think you will understand, once you learn of Heather Pratt's history, why I am confident that superfecundation took place, and that she gave birth to twin half sisters.
“Now”âCharter folded his arms in an uncomfortable approximation
of a casual postureâ“before we begin, there's something I want to say to you about what might happen here.” He eyed them, looking grim. “All of us say that we're here to find the truth, that's what a trial is for âfinding the truth. It's a nice thought, but I've got to warn you that, for a process devoted to truth, there's a fair amount ofâwell, let's call it âdistortion,' involved. I'm not saying my opponent is going to lie to you.” He stepped back and put up his hands. “Not at all. But what she might well do is try to get you to forget who the victim is in this case. Except I know that you're stronger than that. I know you won't forget,” he said approvingly. “I know that you won't forget, as my opponent speaks to you, and tries to create sympathy in you, for her client”âhe lifted a warning fingerâ“as I can assure you she will try to do, that Heather Pratt is not the victim in this case. The victims in this case are not in the courtroom with us today, but they aren't far from where we are sitting, either. They are in a freezer in the basement of this building!” Naomi surveyed the faces in the jury box. To her dismay, they were riveted, grim, and a few were visibly stifling tears. “Two little girls!” Charter thundered. “Two little girls who will never grow up to play with a doll, or have a sweet-sixteen party, or be brides, or indeed have babies of their own. Beautiful newborn infants, healthy in every way. One stabbed through the heart and thrown into the river that runs behind Heather Pratt's house. One drowned in a little pond in Heather Pratt's back field. They came from the same womb, ladies and gentlemen, and they were murdered by the same hand.”
of a casual postureâ“before we begin, there's something I want to say to you about what might happen here.” He eyed them, looking grim. “All of us say that we're here to find the truth, that's what a trial is for âfinding the truth. It's a nice thought, but I've got to warn you that, for a process devoted to truth, there's a fair amount ofâwell, let's call it âdistortion,' involved. I'm not saying my opponent is going to lie to you.” He stepped back and put up his hands. “Not at all. But what she might well do is try to get you to forget who the victim is in this case. Except I know that you're stronger than that. I know you won't forget,” he said approvingly. “I know that you won't forget, as my opponent speaks to you, and tries to create sympathy in you, for her client”âhe lifted a warning fingerâ“as I can assure you she will try to do, that Heather Pratt is not the victim in this case. The victims in this case are not in the courtroom with us today, but they aren't far from where we are sitting, either. They are in a freezer in the basement of this building!” Naomi surveyed the faces in the jury box. To her dismay, they were riveted, grim, and a few were visibly stifling tears. “Two little girls!” Charter thundered. “Two little girls who will never grow up to play with a doll, or have a sweet-sixteen party, or be brides, or indeed have babies of their own. Beautiful newborn infants, healthy in every way. One stabbed through the heart and thrown into the river that runs behind Heather Pratt's house. One drowned in a little pond in Heather Pratt's back field. They came from the same womb, ladies and gentlemen, and they were murdered by the same hand.”
One juror, a woman Naomi's age, with hair already gone gray, had lost the fight. She wiped at her tears with the back of her hand, but kept her eyes on the D.A. Naomi groaned inwardly.
“It isn't easy to judge someone's guilt or innocence, no matter how clear a case seems. I want you to know that I'm mindful of that, and I don't belittle the difficulty of what your job is here. I appreciate the work you're going to have to do, and I know it'll be hard. I'm not saying you have to feel nothing at all for this young lady who's on trial, but it's far more important that you keep your mind on what you know is true, what you know she did, and more than anything else, on who she did it to.
That
is truth, ladies and gentlemen. And that is what I know you will affirm to us once this case is over. I thank you for all the hard work you're going to do.”
That
is truth, ladies and gentlemen. And that is what I know you will affirm to us once this case is over. I thank you for all the hard work you're going to do.”
And he turned and walked back to his seat and sat down.
Judith looked over at him, her disdain evident to Naomi, even in profile. She gave Heather's arm a comforting squeeze and performed a small, disbelieving shake of the head for the jury's benefit before getting to her feet. Then she stood, looming over Heather. Her height made Heather seem small, and though Naomi couldn't see Heather's face, she was able to discern the dejected sag of her shoulders. “Ladies and gentlemen,” Judith began, “I share Mr. Charter's skepticism about finding truth in this trial, but for a different reason. It's a reason that has nothing to do with you. You are a fine juryâintelligent, and capable of the difficult task that's required of you here. But we begin with a terrible story, with a terrible fact at its center: two little babies, dead. And that's about the only thing District Attorney Charter and I can agree about.” She paused. “You see, usually, when a case comes to trial, a jury gets to hear two sides of the same story. Two variations, I guess you'd call it. Like, variation one: Dick shot Jane because he hated her for having an affair with another man. Or, variation two: Dick didn't mean to shoot Jane; it was an accident, because he thought there was an intruder in the house, and he made a tragic mistake.”
She shook her head. “Not in this case. In this case we can't even agree on what the story is. You're not going to hear two possible ways of telling what happened. You're going to hear two
completely different versions
of the events that have brought us all to this courtroom today. And you're going to have to decide what makes sense to you. What feels like a rational account and what feels like a fairy tale.
completely different versions
of the events that have brought us all to this courtroom today. And you're going to have to decide what makes sense to you. What feels like a rational account and what feels like a fairy tale.
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