Boyd had countered that there was no evidence linking Kyle and Leah, no witnesses to the crime, no confession, and no history to indicate Kyle would commit such a violent crime. Unfortunately, the defense attorney’s dry, insecure approach had been tedious in comparison to Helen’s practiced dramatics, and by Kyle’s observations, the jurors’ attentiveness was more evident when she spoke than when Boyd did.
Lying in the oppressive darkness of the crawlspace, Kyle tried to think of what he could have done differently, to avoid being where he was, to have prevented this whole mess, but came up with little. Maybe he could’ve made sure his house was locked, or taken a different shift. When it came down to it, though, there really wasn’t much that would have made a difference.
Kyle heard more noises upstairs. A chair squeaked, followed by footsteps moving towards the front door. Grit dropped onto his cheek through a crack in the floor above, and he wiped it away. He heard voices and a muffled conversation, then footsteps approaching the hatch that accessed the crawlspace. The chest that secured the trap door scraped the floor as it was pushed away, followed by the rasping of stiff hinges being pulled upward. Kyle climbed to his feet and shuffled over below the door with his head ducked low, guided by the faint orange glow from the opening.
“Tait! You’ve got a visitor.” The gruff voice came from one of the guards from Clinton who helped watch Kyle each night, a man whose name Kyle didn’t care to learn.
“Who is it?” Kyle asked, his voice rising from the soupy darkness.
“It’s me, Kyle,” Jennifer said, peering into the opening.
Kyle’s heart skipped at the sound of her voice. “Jennifer?”
“Can I come down?”
“Of course. Is it okay?”
“I told her it would be fine,” Gabe said as he crouched by the hatch. “I walked her over here so there wouldn’t be any questions. We can’t allow you to come out until after the verdict, but I didn’t think there’d be any harm in Jennifer spending some time with you here, assuming you’re good with that.”
Kyle quickly repositioned the stepladder he used to access his cell to a spot easier for Jennifer to reach. “You have no idea how good I am with that.”
Jennifer sat on the edge of the opening and lowered her legs. Kyle lightly grabbed an ankle with one hand and guided it to the top step of the ladder; his other hand held the ladder still. Gabe and the guard stood ready to help her, but she found her footing and descended out of view.
“We’ll come for you in the morning, Jennifer,” Gabe said as they prepared to close the hatch. “Kyle, you have to stay here until the jury is ready. Have a good night.” The hatch swung shut, and the chest was slid back into position. Kyle pressed the button on his flashlight, and a single, thin beam of white light pierced the darkness.
“A flashlight?” Jennifer asked. “Where did you get that?”
Kyle took Jennifer by the hand and led her over to his sleeping pad, carefully guiding her head to avoid the metal pipes that hung from the joists. “Ty gave it to me. It’s LED, so it doesn’t use much power. There’s not much to see down here, so I only use it to find my bucket, or on special occasions like this.”
Her eyes shimmered in the light, and Kyle could see she was on the verge of tears. “What’s wrong?” He switched off the light and sat beside her in the darkness.
She let out a sob-laced laugh. “What’s wrong? You’re fighting for your life, and we’re imprisoned in the cellar of a decrepit old house, and you ask what’s wrong?”
“I’m sorry,” he said, pulling her close and rocking her. “I’m sorry I’m putting you through this. I’m sorry that after everything else, that you have to deal with this.”
“Oh, Kyle. You haven’t done anything wrong. It’s this whole screwed up world we’re living in. I don’t know what to do.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m terrified that I’m going to lose you. I think my testimony today sealed it. How am I supposed to live with that?” She wiped her eyes and nose with her sleeve.
“Don’t say that, Jenn. I was so happy to be your husband today, just as I am everyday. I’d walk from Texas again just to spend one day with you, let alone ten weeks.”
“I should’ve lied. Should’ve said we made love every day, till I couldn’t walk anymore. Told them you begged me to stop. Instead, I made you look more guilty.”
He could hear her sniffing, and he kissed her on the head. “I love you. Do you understand that? No matter what happens, good or bad, I completely, absolutely, one hundred percent, no hesitation whatsoever, love you.”
There was a long pause before she spoke. “I know, Kyle, but I don’t deserve you. You nearly die walking home, and instead of a loving wife you find some frigid, emotionally unstable waif posing in her place, someone who jumps at her own shadow or at a touch she isn’t expecting. How can you still love me?”
“Oh, babe,” Kyle said, fighting to control his own emotions. “Please don’t say that. What do I have to do to make you believe that I’m completely, crazy in love with you? When we got married, I thought a man could never love anyone more than I did then, but I was so wrong. When I was walking home, every night I prayed for at least one more day with you, one more touch of your hand, one more kiss. Then when I made it, when I finally saw you, it was the most powerful thing I’ve ever felt. I didn’t know it was possible to love someone that much. I remembered everything we’ve been through together, the easy times, and the hard. I knew for sure then, and still know today, how little I want a life that you aren’t a part of. I love you so much more now than the day we got married because of what we’ve been through, because every minute we spend together makes you more a part of me. Please, don’t ever ask me how I can love you.”
His arms were wrapped around her, and he pulled her even closer, resting his head on hers, then kissing her cheek. She didn’t speak, but he could feel her crying.
They sat together, feeling each other’s warmth, rocking gently. After a long period of silence, Jennifer finally spoke. “I’m scared.”
Kyle nodded. “Me too. Me too.”
“What do I do if I lose you?”
“You’ll never lose me, but if the worst happens, you’ll be fine, Jenn. You’ll make it. You’re tough.”
“I’m not that tough. If they find you guilty, you know they’re going to shoot you, right?”
Kyle nodded, the lump in his throat growing larger. “Yeah. I try not to think about it, but it’s crossed my mind a time or two.”
“How do I live with that? How do I look at our kids everyday for the rest of my life, knowing that their father was murdered and I couldn’t do anything about it.”
“Try and think positive.”
“How? How do I think positive? There’s not a positive thing about this. That woman was too good. Your guy, Boyd, was serviceable, but she was a pit bull. She could have gotten Spencer convicted. There was no way to stop her.”
“Whatever happens, you’ll be fine. You have to be fine. Promise me that. You made it for months without me; you can do it again. This is still a good community. They’ll help you. They can hate me, but they like you.”
“Stop it, Kyle. I’m not that strong. When you weren’t here, I didn’t know where you were, so I could believe you’d be back, that I just had to hold on another day. That gave me strength, taking it a day at a time. If this happens, then all hope is lost. I’ll have nothing to hold on to. They may as well shoot me, because losing you will kill me. I don’t know how women do it who lose their husbands.”
Kyle fought to compose himself. “You can’t think that way. We have three children who need you. You’ll find the strength; I know it. Besides, I’ll be there. You might not be able to see me, but I’ll be there. I know I’m not that religious, but if it’s possible, if God will let me, I’ll give up heaven so I can be at your side every minute of every day, until it’s your time. I’ll catch every tear that you shed. I’ll be in every breeze that you feel. I’ll hold your head every night when you fall asleep. I’ll never, ever be gone from you. You just have to be strong until we’re together again. Do you promise to do that?”