Hearts of Grey Page 19

  “Plead guilty,” Katie told her.

  “Are you nuts? They’ll lock me up and throw away the key!” Susie screamed.

  “Not when I refuse to file charges, they won’t,” Katie said with a smile.

  “You’re not going to file charges on me? For real?” she asked.

  “Look, when you get into court, just follow my lead, okay? If you don’t like the way that it’s going, then you can change your plea. Deal?” Katie asked.

  “What else?” Susie asked, knowing that there was more to come.

  “Nothing. We just act like the friends that we were before Mike came into the picture. Okay?” she asked.

  “And what about Mike? Where does he stand on all of this?” she asked.

  “He doesn’t know that I’m here, but we’re still boyfriend and girlfriend. Can you handle that?” Katie asked.

  “Well, I guess I’ll have to. Are you sure that you want to help me like this? I don’t deserve any help from anyone, especially you,” she told her as she started to cry.

  “If I didn’t, would I be here now?” she asked.

  “I guess not,” Susie replied.

  “Okay, it’s a deal. I’ll see you in court. Keep your fingers crossed okay? And I’m really sorry about your face, really,” Katie told her as she signaled for the deputy to let her out.

  Katie sat in the front row, right behind the defendant’s table. Court was already under way. She prayed to God in hopes that this would work.

  When the bailiff called Susie’s case, she was led into the courtroom where she took her spot at the table. The judge was looking through the file.

  “Would the people like to explain to me why the complaints haven’t been signed?” the judge asked

  “Your Honor, the complainant is here in the courtroom, but she wishes to address the court, Your Honor,” said the prosecutor.

  “Oh, very well, let’s make this quick. Where are they?” the judge asked.

  Katie stood up. “Your Honor, if I may?” she asked.

  “State your name for the record please,” ordered the judge.

  “Your Honor, my name is Katie Windslow,” she said.

  “Katie Windslow, aren’t you the girl from the church?” he asked.

  “Yes, Your Honor, that would be me,” she told him.

  “I was there. I’m honored to have you in my court, Ms. Windslow. What can I do for you?” he asked her.

  “Thank you, Your Honor. But I have a problem that only you and I can handle,” she told him.

  “And what would that problem be, miss?” he asked.

  “I have decided not to file charges against Ms. Barnes, Your Honor,” she told him as she waited for what was sure to come. And it did.

  “Excuse me. You want to drop the charges. Let’s see, kidnapping, assault, battery, false imprisonment, and the list goes on. And suddenly, you have a change of heart?” he asked.

  “Yes, Your Honor. I have, sir,” she replied.

  “And for what reason do you give for such a request as this?” he asked.

  “Just three words, Your Honor. The Lord’s Prayer,” Katie told him.

  “The Lord’s Prayer? And without putting your beliefs on trial here, how does this all fit into my courtroom?” he asked her.

  “Your Honor, before I lost my mother a few years back, she was not only my best friend but my mentor as well. One of the things that she drove into me was the belief in God the Almighty and the power of prayer. And so for almost nineteen years, ever since I learned to talk, I’ve said the Lord’s Prayer every night before I went to sleep. That is, every night until last night.

  “Last night, I cried myself to sleep, Your Honor, because of one line in that prayer.

  “‘Forgive me of my trespasses as I forgive those that trespass against me.’

  “Everything that I am, or ever will be, revolves around my belief in who I am as a person and my faith in the Lord, Your Honor. And it’s my belief in God that tells me that doing this is the right thing to do.

  “I’ve already talked to Ms. Barnes, Your Honor, and we have patched the holes that were torn in our friendship. There’s too much hurt and pain in this world as I’m sure you know, sitting there on your bench and all. I’m sure that you see a lot more of this than I ever will. But throwing Ms. Barnes into jail isn’t the answer, not this time. What she needs are friends and family. And of course, some counseling won’t hurt, but that I leave up to you and your power as judge in this court of law,” she told him without missing a beat.

  The judge just looked at her in total bewilderment. “Ms. Windslow, had you been just some guy off of the street, I would have called that the biggest pile of hogwash that I had ever heard. However, since it’s you, I’m convinced that you were both honest and sincere in your argument. But you do bring up a good point,” he said as he turned to face Susie. “Ms. Barnes, I had every intention of locking you away for at least twenty years, but now in lieu of Ms. Windslow’s retraction of most of the charges against you, I can no longer do that, and believe me, I want to. I believe that you are a very sick person. And like Ms. Windslow so kindly put it, counseling is going to be a requirement of your sentence. Do you understand, Ms. Barnes? If you miss just one session, or if I ever see you back in my court for as much as a parking ticket, I’ll come down on you with the full weight of law. Do I make myself clear, Ms. Barnes?” he asked.

  “Yes, Your Honor,” she told him.

  “Ms. Barnes, I might also add this. You’re a mighty lucky lady to have a friend that is both sincere and trusting as Ms. Windslow. It would not be very wise to let either of us down. So on the last remaining charges, how do you plea?” he asked her.

  “Guilty, Your Honor,” she answered.

  “Well, as much as I would like to send you away for a very long time”—the judge looked at Katie then at Susie—“I’m ordering you to attend one year of counseling and three years probation—supervised, I might add—and jail time to be . . .”

  Katie and Susie both waited for the longest time.

  “Ms. Windslow, I wonder if you would still be as forgiving had what’s laid out in this report had actually happened?” The judge asked her.

  “Your Honor, I would like to believe that my faith would and could withstand everything that life could possibly throw at it, even death. So to answer your question, Your Honor, I would have to say, yes, it would still be the same,” she told him

  “Oh hell, Ms. Windslow, you’re lucky that I’m in a good mood, and that goes for you too, Ms. Barnes. Jail time is five years in the state prison for women, which is hereby suspended, so I therefore, order the immediate release of the prisoner. However, Ms. Barnes, if I ever see you back here in my court, I will give you those five years without thinking twice about it. Plus whatever else the law will allow me to dish out to you. Do I make myself clear, miss?” he asked.

  “Yes, Your Honor, very clear,” Susie told the judge in a very firm voice.

  “Very well, case dismissed. Next case please,” the judge barked to the bailiff.

  “Thank you, Your Honor,” Katie said as she turned to leave the courtroom. Susie was released, and the two of them walked outside together.

  “Katie, I was wrong about you . . . and your mother too. I’m sorry . . . really sorry,” Susie said as a tear came to her eye.

  “Now, now, just relax. You still have to obey the order of the court and all. What you wanted those guys to do to me was pretty sick, you have to admit. But that’s all behind us now.

  “I don’t know how you can ever patch things up with Rick. That’s between you and him to work out. But the lord works in mysterious way, so it wouldn’t surprise me if both of you came out of this smelling like roses,” Katie told her.

  “Well, I’ll try, but I’ve hurt a lot of people, and it will take a lot of time to mend those sores, but after seeing you in action, I believe that everything is possible,” Susie responded.

  “Go home, Susie. Today is the first day of the
rest of your life. So make it a good one. Okay?” Katie told her.

  Susie gave Katie a hug. “Thank you for the second chance. I won’t disappoint you,” she told her.

  “I know that you won’t. Now go home,” Katie told her with a smile.

  Reading the Signs

  Grady had just finished adding the finishing touches to the beautiful railings of the front porch. They had really needed a fresh coat of white paint, and now it was done. And it looked pretty darn good too. But knowing how Katie was and how she sometimes didn’t pay that close of attention to her surroundings, Grady had playfully placed Wet Paint signs at various locations along the huge porch.

  So now, he kicked back in his favorite rocking chair on the front porch, a glass of ice tea at his side, and his favorite pipe in his mouth. Normally, he didn’t smoke, but at certain times, he would light up the old pipe just to relax. And this was one of those times. Yes, sir, that relaxing aroma of some good ole Georgia tobacco was just what the doctor ordered.

  That was until the black sedan pulled to a stop in his driveway.

  “Gee, can’t a guy just relax with a good pipe of tobacco without some damn fool showing up and messing up a perfect rest time?” Grady said out loud just before he saw Father Mathews get out of the car. The father adjusted his freshly pressed suit and quickly ran his fingers through his thinning hair. As he walked around the front of the car, he saw Grady sitting there, puffing on a pipe.

  “Good day to you, Mr. Windslow, how are we doing today?” he asked as he approached the front porch.

  “It’s Grady,” he answered.

  “I’m sorry, what was that?” Father Mathews asked.

  “You called me Mr. Windslow. But the name is Grady. Nothing fancy, just Grady,” he answered.

  “Oh, I’m sorry, Mr.—I mean—Grady. Is your daughter, Katie, in?” he asked.

  “Nope, went somewhere with the sheriff. Don’t know when she’ll be back either,” Grady told him.

  “I get the impression that you don’t like me. Am I right?” he asked.

  “Never said that I didn’t like ya now, did I?” Grady replied.

  “Well, no, but I get this feeling that you don’t care much for me,” Father Mathews said.

  “Is that what you came over here for? To see if I like you or not?” Grady asked.

  “No, not exactly. I wanted to know if Katie would be in church on Sunday,” he told him.

  “And why do you want to know that?” Grady asked.

  “Well, because of what happened last week, there’s some important people coming—” Grady stopped him dead in his tracks.

  “Oh, hold your horses there, Father. You say important? Important to who?” Grady asked.

  “Well, to the church of course,” he replied.

  “And let me guess, either you want her to sing again or they want to pick her brain with a few thousand questions about what happened last week. Or maybe both, am I right?” Grady asked.

  “Well, yes, but it’s important,” the father responded.

  “Important to you, not to Katie,” he answered back.

  “Well, it’s important to everyone,” the father explained.

  “Really? Well, tell me, Father, how is it important to Katie or myself if that’s easier?” Grady asked.

  “I’m getting that feeling again, the one that says that you don’t like me,” the father explained.

  “I’ll tell you what I don’t like, Father. I don’t like a man that wears the collar but doesn’t believe in what he’s preaching about. And I don’t like a man that wants my daughter to go to his church just so he can fill up his collection plate,” Grady told him.

  “Sir, I assure you that is not why I want her there. And as for my beliefs, I do believe in God,” he replied.

  “I never said that you didn’t believe in God, Father. What I said was you don’t believe in miracles,” Grady answered back.

  “Sir, I resent the fact that you don’t think I believe in miracles ’cause I do,” the father answered.

  “Father, the two biggest miracles in the world happens every day. And they are the fresh new cries of a newborn baby and the risin’ of the sun each and every day. And yet I don’t question either one of those. In fact, I embrace them.

  “You happen to see a true once-in-a-lifetime miracle happen a few feet away from you, and you question it?

  “You should have rejoiced in it. You should have been jumping around announcing it as a miracle of God. But you didn’t, sir. Instead, you asked questions. That sure sounds like a nonbeliever if you ask me, I reckon. Yes, sir, a man of little faith,” Grady shot back at him.

  “Maybe you’re right. I should have acted differently. I just wasn’t expecting it, I guess,” the father answered.

  “You didn’t expect it? Father, in this great big beautiful world, do you really think God only acts when people are expecting it? There’s miracles around us each and every day. Expect the unexpected. Stop and read the signs for God’s sake. Everything around you is an act of God.

  “Especially around here. Look at the trees, the oceans, even the birds. There are signs of God everywhere you look, but you have to see the signs before you can read them, and then you’ll understand them,” Grady proclaimed proudly.

  “I get your point, sir, and I agree that I should have jumped for joy last Sunday. And now I’m sorry that I didn’t,” The father said sadly.

  “Father, two guys see a bird. One says it’s a blue bird. The other says it’s a black bird. So which guy is right?” Grady asked him.

  “Well, that depends on what color the bird was,” the father replied.

  “No, but then a third guy says it’s cardinal. Now who is right?” Grady asked the father again.

  “I don’t get it?” the father responded.

  “Father, they’re all right. If they truly believe that the bird is a certain color, who are we to say that they are wrong? The same goes with religion. One man says God’s name is Jesus. The next one says his name is Buddha. Who cares? They’re both right in believing what they believe. Miracles happen each and every day. Believe in them. Rejoice in them, but never—and I do mean never—question them. It will make you look the fool. Collar or not,” Grady told him.

  “You know what? I think you just wrote Sunday’s sermon. May I quote you?” he asked.

  “I would prefer that your congregation thinks that you wrote it,” he told him.

  “By God, you’re right again,” the father smiled.

  “Do you remember what I said about seeing the signs?” Grady asked him.

  “Yes, sir, I do. Why?” the father asked.

  Grady pointed to one of the Wet Paint signs. The look on the father’s face went from a smile to a frown as he looked over his shoulder to see a large white stripe running from his leg up to his shoulder.

  “You have to read the signs before you can understand them, Father,” Grady told the father. They just looked at each other and started to smile.

  “A point well taken,” he said as they started laughing.

  The Discovery of a Lifetime

  Katie was waiting for Mike as he walked up the steps of the front porch. The screen door flew open, and Katie was hanging around his neck before he knew what was happening.

  “Wow, what in the hell has gotten into you?” he asked.

  “Nothing, just glad to see ya, that’s all,” she replied back.

  “Well, you’re acting almost as frisky as you did last night,” he told her.

  “That was fun, wasn’t it?” she asked.

  “Oh, yeah! I felt like a little boy in a new toy store,” he replied.

  “So did you see any new toys that you might want to try, say, maybe later?” she asked.

  “Sorry, dear, but that list is endless. But I will promise to try each and every one as soon as I can gain enough energy. Last night just wore me out,” he told her.

  “Really? Hhhmmm! I guess that I’ll have to keep a record so we’ll know what toys
are worth repeating, twice or three or maybe more,” she said.

  “Sorry again, same list!” he said with a smile.

  “Great. I’ll keep that in mind. Yeah, honey, can we be serious for a minute? I really need to talk to you,” she asked.

  He stopped and turned to face her.

  “Sure, honey. What’s wrong? Are you okay?” he asked out of concern.

  “No, really, I’m fine. Let’s go for a walk. I want to tell you what I did today, okay?” she asked.

  “Okay, you’re sure that you’re okay?” he asked again.

  As they started to walk slowly down the drive, Katie started to fill him in on the day’s events.

  “Yes, I’m fine. In fact, I don’t think that I’ve felt this good in a long time. But I did something today that I really need to tell ya. I went to court today,” she told him.

  “Court? Oh, to sign the papers, right?” he said with a tone of reassurance to his voice.

  “Well, not exactly!” she told him.

  “Just what do you mean not exactly? You didn’t sign the papers?” he asked.

  “No . . . I didn’t,” she told him.

  “Well, if you didn’t sign the papers, then what did you go to court for?” he asked.

  “I kind of dropped the charges against her,” she said as she waited for the explosion that was sure to come.

  “You did what?” he asked.

  “You heard me. I dropped the charges against her,” she told him again.

  He looked down at her, right into her beautiful big blue eyes.

  “And what made you decide to do that, may I ask?” he said as he waited for her response.

  “Well, you said that she needed a friend, and—” Mike cut her off.

  “Yeah, I did. But you’re the one that said she was like a snake. Remember a rattlesnake with real sharp teeth, remember?” he asked her.

  “Well, it turns out that she’s more like a worm,” she answered.

  “Okay, let me explain something to you so you can get a visual picture going in your head. When I look at you, I see a sweet, innocent girl who is filled with gusto, charm, dignity, and class. Everything about you just drives me crazy. But Susie wanted to drive a wedge between us, dear. If those guys would have fulfilled their task, everything about you would be gone forever. No more smiles, no more laughter, no more touching you. And Susie would have divided us, sweetheart. And that wedge, I’m sorry to say, was supposed to go right between your legs. Did you think of that before you did this?” he asked.