Because I was so busy looking at the fire.
I took a deep breath and resolved not to get distracted. “Why don’t we all say a prayer before we go in there,” I suggested.
“That’s a good idea,” Asa said.
Ruby stood, and we all came together in a circle. “I’ll start,” I said. “Asa, will you finish up?” He nodded.
We all wrapped our arms around each other and bowed our heads.
“Lord, we come to you today with humble hearts seeking Your grace and mercy, but most of all we ask for Your presence and reassurance. We’ve done our best to trust in You and to follow Your guidance. We are trusting that Ruby is in Your hands, that our family is in Your hands, and that You have secured our future in eternity. Remind us throughout this process to keep our eyes on You in every circumstance. And no matter the outcome, we will praise You and glorify Your name.”
***
Ruby
I listened to Matthew’s prayer with a full heart. When he finished, I had to take a moment to choke back my tears before I could add my part. “Heavenly Father, I want to thank you for bringing us together in these quiet moments. Thank You for giving us Your peace. I pray You’ll give everyone here today wisdom and courage. I pray we’ll rest in Your hands. Lord, You know how weak I am, how easily my focus wanders from You. I pray for Your strength today and in the days to come.”
Asa cleared his throat and began. “Almighty God, we come to You today to worship You in Spirit and in Truth. To sit at Your feet and witness Your hand of mercy, grace, and comfort. I pray for Your blessings on Matthew and Ruby, on Hope, and the baby we’ve yet to meet. Help us to remember that when we are weak, You are strong. In Jesus’s name we pray. Amen.”
We all lifted our heads, but held on to our hug for just a moment longer. It was such a sweet moment, I didn’t want it to end just yet. It was the first time all day I didn’t feel sick to my stomach. Even Stanley seemed to be enjoying our closeness. But the knock on the door signaled it was time for us to move into the courtroom, so we dropped our arms.
“Let’s go,” Stanley said. “I reckon we’re as ready as we can be.”
“Who are you gonna call to speak for Ruby?” Matthew asked.
Stanley picked up his briefcase from the floor. “I figured I’d start with one of the nurses. She seems like the most compelling, and from there I’ll just keep on calling folks until Judge Thorpe tells me to stop. If we’re lucky, we’ll get two or three in, maybe even four if he’s in a good mood.”
“I don’t think this crowd would put any judge in a good mood,” I said.
We filed out of the door, and John walked beside me, giving my elbow an encouraging squeeze. Matthew accompanied me on my other side, taking my hand. We walked in through a side door to the courtroom and made our way over to the defendant’s table. I couldn’t help but think of the last time I’d been seated at that table. So much had happened since then, and I’d grown so much. Yet still I struggled to keep my faith secure.
I walked over to the table as Matthew and Asa went around to the pew right behind me. Homer made his way through the crowd and slid in beside Matthew. “How are you holding up?” he asked.
“Just fine,” I said. “I think you’ve drawn us quite a crowd.”
“Looks that way. I tell you what, every person I talked to so far is here to support you. They all want to see Judge Thorpe show you leniency today. I didn’t overhear one person say anything negative.”
That was a small comfort. I remembered how awful it had been to feel the scorn of the entire community in my trial and I thanked God. I turned to speak to Matthew, but caught sight of Mr. Doyle in his wheelchair, being pushed around the pews on the outside. He’d obviously suffered a stroke at some point since I’d seen him last. I recognized the slack in the left side of his face and the way his right side seemed to be frozen in place. My heart sped up at the sight of him. What if he was going to try to influence the judge again?
I had to squash that fear. If I could stare down four Japanese soldiers invading my tent with the intent to rape me, I could stand toe to toe with Mr. Doyle and his hatred, if that was his intent.
Behind the man pushing Mr. Doyle, I saw Mary walking toward us as well. She smiled at me and waved like we were seeing each other at a social gathering. I gave her a timid wave back. Matthew turned to see whom I was waving at, and when he turned back to me, his cheeks were flushed.
“Um, I wasn’t expecting them to come. I, uh, I’ve talked to Mary and Father. He won’t be interfering with anything this time around. In fact, he seems to want to help. But I told him to stay out of it. We’ll see if he does, I reckon.”
Mary and a man I assumed was her husband slid into a pew a few rows back, and Mr. Doyle set his wheelchair next to them. I decided I couldn’t worry over that right now. Besides, a few seconds later, I saw James making his way over to the pew behind Matthew.
“Ruby,” he said, “I just want you to know that I support you. If I can help a’tall this time, I’m here for you.”
“Thank you,” I said, leaning over the railing with my arms spread wide. James leaned over the top of the pew, and we made our best attempt at a hug.
When we straightened, he stuck out his hand to Matthew. “I want to thank you for looking after Ruby all this time. I understand you were with Henry to the end. That means the world to me.”
Matthew took his hand, but could barely meet his gaze. “I just wish I could’ve done more.”
My gaze fell on another familiar face, one I couldn’t place. I tapped Matthew’s arm. “Who’s that man in the back, over there on the other side? In the suit. Tall. Black hair. I know him from somewhere.”
“I’m not sure. He does look familiar, but…wait.” Matthew put a hand on Stanley’s shoulder. “Do you know who that is?” He pointed out the same man I’d noticed.
“Uh, yeah. That’s Jim Davis. He’s one of the jurors that claimed Ruby’s verdict was tampered with. Helped get it vacated.”
The clerk called the court to order, so everyone hushed and stood up straight. I faced the front and watched Judge Thorpe emerge from the door beside the bench. He climbed up into his chair and regarded the overflowing courtroom with a grimace, before taking his seat and rapping his gavel.
I’d never seen Judge Thorpe before. He appeared to be around fifty or so, with graying hair and a few wrinkles framing his eyes. As he looked out at the sea of faces, he pressed his lips into a tight line. But when he spoke, his voice almost seemed gentle.
“Let me start by saying a few words to you folks in the gallery. I understand the interest in the case being presented. I can read magazines as well as the next fella. However, this courtroom will operate in an orderly fashion here today, following every procedure to the letter. If even one of you folks speaks out of turn, or causes a disruption, I will have every one of you removed.”
There were a few murmurs from the courtroom, but many members of the assembled crowd nodded their assent.
Satisfied, Judge Thorpe looked down at the stack of papers in front of him and began. “This is the case of the State of Alabama versus Ruby Doyle, also known as Ruby Graves, also known as Grace Doyle, and also known as Grace Miller. Let the record reflect that representing the State of Alabama is Mr. Ernest Norton and representing Mrs. Doyle is Mr. Stanley Pierce. Are the parties ready to proceed?”
***
Matthew
Sitting through Mr. Norton’s description of what happened back in 1936 was almost as difficult as it had been the first time I’d heard the prosecution’s ridiculous theory. Thankfully, he had agreed to leave out the most damaging part of the original theory, which was the speculation that Ruby was romantically involved with a colored boy at the time, and Chester had discovered them together in the barn. Instead, Mr. Norton described the encounter as coming about because of Chester instigating a verbal altercation with her based on her continued friendship with Negroes, which escalated to a physical confrontation. It wasn�
�t a whole lot better, but it was better.
Next he launched into a detailed account of the escape, describing how Ruby’s uncles had ambushed the sheriff and Deputy Frost, shooting them in the process. My face grew hot as he described my involvement in driving away with Ruby from the scene. In the end, he declared it had been Ruby’s responsibility to turn herself back into custody, if indeed she was truly unaware of the escape plan, but she had chosen instead to go on the run.
“Your Honor,” Mr. Norton concluded. “With the evidence of the witnesses and the statements of the defendant herself, the State believes that if this case were to go to trial, it would prove beyond a reasonable doubt the guilt of Mrs. Doyle in the voluntary manslaughter of Chester Calhoun, as well as her guilt in fleeing justice.”
Mr. Norton took his seat, and Judge Thorpe turned his attention to the defense table. “Mrs. Doyle, is Mr. Norton’s description of the events accurate?”
“Yes, Your Honor.” Ruby’s voice sounded so small.
“And are you pleading guilty to the charges of voluntary manslaughter and fleeing justice because you are, in fact, guilty?”
There was a slight hesitation before she answered, “Yes, Your Honor.”
“Is there anything you’d like to say at this time?”
Stanley stood and straightened his tie. “Your Honor, at this time, I’d like to ask the court to allow a few folks to speak on Mrs. Doyle’s behalf. They’d like to testify to her character and her actions over the past several years.”
Judge Thorpe removed his glasses and leaned back in his chair, studying Stanley with narrowed eyes. “Yes, I’m aware of all the folks requesting leniency for Mrs. Doyle. I’ve received numerous letters over the past week extolling her virtues. However, I would like to get out of here sometime today, Mr. Pierce. So I will allow these statements on the condition that they are kept brief and to the point.”
“Yes, Your Honor.” Stanley looked down at his notepad. “The first to speak will be Captain Laura Beckett, who served alongside Ruby on Bataan.”
A uniformed nurse stepped through the gate and came in front of Judge Thorpe. I didn’t remember her exactly, but her face seemed familiar. She stood tall and confident and addressed the judge with a commanding, but sincere voice. “Your Honor, I served as a nurse on Bataan with Mrs. Doyle during some of the worst days of my life. We were constantly bombarded by Japanese planes, and we were starving to death under the siege. I’m sure the conditions on Bataan are fairly well known, so I won’t go into further detail. What I will say is that I observed Mrs. Doyle performing her duties, and I can say without a doubt that she was the most generous, kind, and selfless person there. She would work herself nearly to death to make sure each and every soldier in her care was treated and shown the dignity he deserved. In fact, when she contracted malaria herself, she continued working until she passed out. She was relentless, and she was full of mercy and kindness. I ask that she be treated with the same here today. Thank you, Your Honor.”
Judge Thorpe gave her a tight nod. “Thank you, Captain Beckett, for your presence here today, as well as for your service to your country.”
Captain Beckett returned to her seat, and Stanley stood again. “Your Honor, Lieutenant Natalie Williams would also like to make a statement.”
My jaw almost hit the floor as Natalie walked down the aisle and through the gate. What was she doing here? The last I’d seen her, she was getting hauled away from the plane after trying to rat out Ruby. Had she fooled Stanley into thinking she would be supportive?
“Your Honor,” she began, her voice trembling slightly. “I also served with Mrs. Doyle on Bataan, but my experience was quite different from Captain Beckett’s.”
I knew it. I dropped my head into my hand, grinding my teeth. I should’ve taken a look at the list of people Stanley intended to call. Lord, please shut her mouth like you did the lions in the den with Daniel.
“When I knew Gr—I mean, Ruby on Bataan,” Natalie continued, “I was terrified of dying. All I could think about was how I was going to get out of there. I didn’t always consider the soldiers or my fellow nurses, and for that I’m ashamed. After the siege began, I figured out who Ruby really was because my aunt ran the boarding house where she lived at the time of her arrest. I used that information to blackmail Ruby for food nearly every day. We were starving and I was desperate. I even made her give me her medicine. That was how come she caught malaria. I was awful to Ruby.” Natalie paused and brought her hand to her mouth. “I even left her behind at the hospital when we evacuated. But after all the terrible things I said and did to Ruby, she treated me with kindness in return.
“You see, Your Honor, I was among the twenty-four nurses that escaped Corregidor just before it surrendered. I was in the group due to be left behind on Mindanao because our plane couldn’t fly. Terrified beyond reason, I took off running down the dock, hoping I could catch the one usable plane. When I saw Ruby standing in the doorway, I thought she’d treat me the same way I’d treated her. She’d close that door and let that plane take off without me. But she didn’t. She encouraged me to run harder. She grabbed me as I leapt onto the plane, nearly falling out herself. She risked her life to save me when I’d done nothing but cause her misery. Ruby embodies grace and mercy. And I ask you to show her that same mercy today. Thank you.”
As Natalie turned to leave, my heart swelled and my eyes pricked. Ruby had never told me that story. She must have been devastated that I wasn’t coming to the plane as I’d promised, yet still she’d found the strength to save Natalie. Natalie! I didn’t think my love for Ruby could grow anymore, but somehow, it did.
Stanley continued to call people up front to speak for Ruby. Homer came forward and told of Ruby’s kindness and bravery. Colonel Nathan Hanson, who’d been the last man I’d sent back to the plane as I fought off the Japanese, testified to our actions that day. Even Emmitt Hyde came forward and told about the night Ruby had kept him from killing himself. Gone was the desperate man I’d seen nine years ago. He stood before the judge in a clean suit, shaved, and with a quiet dignity.
“Your Honor,” he said in his gruff voice. “My life was on the path to destruction when I was locked up next to Miss Ruby in 1936. I’d lost everything, and everyone that I’d ever cared about. All I wanted was to die. But Miss Ruby, she helped me find hope. She helped me see that I could still be the man God wanted me to be. And she saved my life, Your Honor. I don’t know how she did it, despite being behind bars herself. But all the same, she saved me.”
Even back then, I’d scolded Ruby for helping Mr. Hyde, concerned only of how it would make her look to others. But here he stood, a testimony to the love and courage that overflowed from her. She’d touched so many lives, and finally, finally, I could see how wrong I’d been to try to keep her gift only to myself.
With each speaker, I tried to read Judge Thorpe’s reaction. I kept expecting him to tell Stanley that was enough. But he didn’t. He leaned onto the bench and listened intently to each story. He even asked a few questions now and again to get a better idea of the circumstances.
When Mike came forward, I caught the warm smile he shared with Ruby as he walked through the gate and stood before the judge. It still pricked my jealousy; I couldn’t help that. He’d been there for Ruby and Hope when I couldn’t. My gratitude outweighed my envy, but I couldn’t rid myself it entirely.
“Your Honor,” Mike said, “I was the pilot of the plane that flew Mrs. Doyle and the others off Mindanao. I saw first-hand the courage and honor of both Major Doyle and his wife, Ruby. As you’ve already heard, the only reason we were able to take off at all was because of the sacrifice of Major Doyle and the others who helped fight off the Japanese patrol nearby. In the end, Major Doyle chose to continue fighting them off on his own, so that the rest of us could escape.
“I became friends with Ruby after we arrived in Australia, and together we did everything in our power to locate Major Doyle, who was reported killed in action. Aft
erward, she and her daughter Hope lived with my parents in Houston while we continued to try to find information on what had happened to Major Doyle.
“Your Honor, Ruby is…an amazing mother, a kind friend, and selfless to her core. She puts the needs of others ahead of her own, even if it’s to her detriment. She loves fiercely, forgives completely, and treats everyone she meets with dignity and respect. I don’t know exactly what happened in that barn nine years ago, but I have no doubt that Ruby was protecting herself. And I ask you to show her and her family mercy. Thank you.”
As Mike took his seat a few rows behind us, all I could think about was what a wonderful testimony to Ruby’s character this was. After pouring herself out time and time again for others, sometimes nearly to the point of death, she was finally on the receiving end of all the love and grace she reflected on a daily basis. The sentence was going to be what it was, and there was nothing I could do about it, but I thanked the Lord over and over for allowing Ruby to see that the love she’d sent out over the years hadn’t been in vain.
When all was said and done, Stanley had called six people forward to speak on Ruby’s behalf. And I believed in my heart that every one of them was sent by God that day to let us know that He heard our prayers, and that He was with us.
***
Ruby
I sat behind the defense table in humble gratitude as one person after another spoke so highly of me. It was especially sweet to see Natalie again and to know we had put all the ugliness of the past behind us. I thanked the Lord for such a wonderful reminder of His love and care for me.
But I knew the time for reality would come fast, and it certainly did. Judge Thorpe asked Mr. Norton if any victims of my crimes would like to make statements.
Abiding Hope: A Novel: Healing Ruby Book 4 Page 38