The Boy on the Porch - 13. The Noose Tightens

After lunch and everyone was seated, the judge spoke to the court, “I have been informed of a new development in this case. In order to fully understand the implications, I am calling a recess until nine AM Wednesday morning. We are adjourned for the day.”

Kathy was furious, “What new development, Mr. Blackstone?”

He answered very quietly since the courtroom hadn’t yet emptied completely, “A body was found in that underground room of yours.”

Kathy acted shocked, “That’s impossible.”

The bailiff took her back into custody. Blackstone simply shrugged his shoulders.

Tuesday morning’s online news had minimal details:

GAINESVILLE, GA - A partially decomposed body was found half-buried behind a Gainesville home yesterday. The owners of the home are currently incarcerated on a number of charges related to child abuse. Katherine Taft’s trial began yesterday, but a recess was called after the discovery was made. The recent rains apparently uncovered the body. An anonymous source indicated the body was that of a child, gender not yet disclosed. The source also indicated the body was bound by handcuffs on both the wrists and ankles. Foul play is obviously expected. This article will be updated as more details are learned.

The police station was abuzz with activity from Monday afternoon on. Few details were shared, but ADA Kaspar shared what he knew with Brendan late Tuesday afternoon.

“Hello Brendan, Martin Kaspar.”

“Yes, hello Martin. What’s happening?”

“I suspect you saw the news this morning, there have been a couple developments since then.”

“I saw it. What’s new?”

“Things are not looking good for your sister and her husband.”

“Worse than they already were?”

“Yes. Their fingerprints were found on the handcuffs. Kathy’s on the pair on the wrists, Abel’s at the ankles.”

“Oh, my God. They’re worse than I could ever have imagined.”

“There’s more. The body had ID on it. It’s a ten-year-old boy who was reported missing in Newberry, South Carolina in February of twenty-twenty-two.”

“South Carolina.”

“Right. The town the Taft’s moved from at about the same time.”

“I’m afraid to ask. Is there more?”

“Unfortunately, yes. The body wasn’t completely decomposed, one lung was still mostly intact. Dirt was found in that lung.”

“Oh, God. They buried the poor boy alive?”

“So it would seem. The judge has postponed resuming the trial until next Monday. I’ll let you know who I’ll be calling to the stand first as soon as we figure things out.”

“Okay. Thanks for letting me know.”

Brendan decided to not share the news with the children. Apparently, Jill at least, saw the news article. She came to see him with the boys following.

“Is it really true? They found a kid’s body in our backyard?”

“Yes. Apparently, your parents are even more evil than we could have ever imagined.”

“Does Georgia have the death penalty?”

“It hasn’t been used much, but yes.”

“Good. I hope those bastards burn in hell.”

Brendan saw no point in telling Jill it was wrong to say that. He’d already had the same exact thought. It would be a long time before either would get their wish.

The autopsy of little Joey Keys determined that he was indeed buried alive. Damage to his skull simply left him unconscious. The cause of death was asphyxiation. When Abel dug the hole, he dug a little deeper in one corner. The water was left behind from the time that second hole was dug. The grave was not deep enough to be safe from the weather, apparently. New charges were brought against the Tafts: kidnapping, unlawful imprisonment, and first-degree murder.

Kathy's trial restarted on the following Monday. Protesters and police surrounded the courthouse. The term zoo could hardly cover the situation.

The judge noticed the defendant's absence, "Where is your client, Mr. Blackstone?"

"I believe the jury should be removed before I answer, sir."

Noticeably confused, the judge instructed the bailiff to escort the jury back to the jury room.

"Please continue, Mr. Blackstone."

"Um, Your Honor, Mrs. Taft was shot on her way into the courthouse this morning. She's been taken to Northeast Georgia Medical Center, but I only know that she's deemed in critical condition."

"That's terrible. Have they caught the shooter?"

"Yes. He surrendered immediately."

"And has he been identified?"

"Yes. He is the father of the boy that was found buried in the Taft's backyard."

"I can understand why you wanted the jury removed. Due to the circumstances, I believe I need to declare a mistrial. We'll have to start over if and when the defendant is able to continue. Bailiff, you may release the jury. Court is adjourned. Mr. Blackstone, please keep me informed of any updates."

"I will, Your Honor."

Brendan didn't know what to think. Sure, the woman was evil, and deserved to be punished, but this turn of events disturbed him immensely. Fortunately, Steven wasn't in the courtroom yet. He was expected to testify this morning. Although Brendan was sure the news would make it to him. He hoped Stef could prevent that but was not confident. Brendan went to the conference room where Stef and Steven were being kept.

Stef inadvertently assuaged Brendan's fear, "Are they ready for him?"

"Um. No. There's been another new development. He won't need to testify today."

"That's good, he's been so nervous, he nearly vomited twice. We should go then."

"I think we need to wait a little while. It's, um, a circus out there. He doesn't need to be exposed to that. I'm going to ask Kaspar if there's a way we can get him out of here and avoid the crowd. Please, stay in here until I come back."

"We'll be waiting."

Brendan returned a few minutes later, Martin Kaspar indicated he would lead them out through an employee entrance to the parking garage. Brendan pulled his car up to the exit and messaged Martin that he was in place. Martin escorted Stef and Steve to the exit, Brendan immediately drove away.

"We'll come back and pick up your car, Stef."

"That's fine."

"D-do I n-n-need to g-go to schooool now?"

"No, we'll just be going home."

"Okay."

Stef was confused, not having heard the news, she had no idea what was going on. He looked at Brendan with the question obviously in his eyes. Brendan shook his head and mouthed, 'not now.' When they got home, Brendan asked Steve to go play in his room for a while, that he needed to talk to Stef. Steve went upstairs.

"What happened?"

"Kathy was shot outside the courthouse this morning."

"Holy... Will she be alright?"

"I don't know. Blackstone only knew that she was in critical condition."

"Are you okay? I mean, she may be rotten, but she is your sister."

"I guess. I don't know what to think, to be honest."

They sat quietly for a while until Brendan's phone rang. It was Jill's school.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Nelson?"

"Yes."

"Good morning. This is Principal Melvin Canton, at Gainesville high."

"Good morning, Mr. Canton. What can I do for you?"

"Apparently, several students don't abide by the no cell phone use rule. One of them told Jill what happened. She's in the nurse's office."

"Is she okay? What happened to her?"

"She's fine, just very upset, as I'm sure you can imagine. Oh, geez. I think I'm making a bad assumption here."

"I've heard the news. I was at the courthouse earlier."

"Okay. I wasn't thinking. You need to come get her, obviously."

"I'll leave now."

"Thank you. I hope everything turns out well. The whole situation has been, excuse the language, a clusterfuck."

"No worries, I've had that same opinion myself. I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Goodbye."

"Can you stay with Steve? Someone at Jill's school heard the news and told her."

"Damn. Yes, of course. I just hope Steve doesn't stumble on to the news while you're gone."

"Good thought. Start up Prime and bring him down to watch a movie. He probably won't look at news on his tablet, but things can randomly pop up."

"I'll do that. Go get Jill."

"I'll stop at Nick's school as well and pull him out. There's less chance he'll hear something there, but I need to be the one to tell him and Steve if I'm able."

"Good idea. Go. The kids need you."

Brendan pulled up to the school, announced who he was and was granted admittance. He stopped at the main office to ask where the nurse's office was and was pointed in the right direction. When he walked into the nurse's office, Jill immediately ran up to him and wrapped her arms around him.

"Is it true, Uncle Brendan? Mom was shot?"

"Yes, it's true."

"Will she be okay?"

"I don't know, Jill. Her lawyer only knew that she was in critical condition."

"Oh, God. Did Steve find out?"

"Not yet. We were able to get him out of the courthouse without anyone seeing him."

"That's good. Can we go home now?"

"Yes. I want to stop and pick up Nick first. I don't need him getting surprised like you did."

"Okay."

"Thanks for coming by so quickly, Mr. Nelson, I'm Melvin."

"Oh, God. I'm sorry. I totally ignored you."

"Understandable under the circumstances. Go home, take care of the children. We'll be here when Jill is ready to come back. Give her all the time she needs."

"Thank you."

Nick was surprised and scared when he was called to the office, and even more surprised when he saw Brendan. Brendan was able to hold off his curiosity until they arrived home. Jill did her best to act normal. When they got home, they all sat down to talk about it, but Stef needed to say something first.

"Your phone rang, Brendan. I answered because I didn't want Steven to answer it, just in case. I'll have something to add at some point."

"Okay. Well, kids. This is difficult, I think ripping the band-aid off quickly is the way to go. Your mother was shot on her way into the courthouse this morning."

"Is sh-she d-d-d-dead?"

Brendan looked at Stef, who answered, "No. She's still alive, but she's in critical condition. I um, I'm not sure how I should say this."

"Let's go into the kitchen for a minute, you can tell me, and I'll figure it out."

Brendan and Stef left the room for a minute. It didn't take long for her to share the news.

Brendan sat back down, "Your mother was hit in the head. She's currently unconscious, the doctors don't know if she'll ever wake up."

"Do they know who shot her?"

"Yes, Jill. It was the father of the boy they found buried in the backyard." Joseph Keys Senior had lost his wife shortly after the disappearance of their only child. He didn't think he had anything to live for anyway once his body was found.

"Will he get in trouble for it?"

"I'm sure he will Nick. He should have let the courts do their job. Taking things into his own hands was not the right thing to do. He'll probably spend a long time in jail, needlessly."

"I think they should give him a medal."

"No, Nick. Nobody should ever be praised for shooting someone else, no matter how bad they think that person is."

"If you say so. But I think he's a hero."

"We'll have to talk more about that later. I have to ask a tough question. Do any of you want to go see her?"

Nick answered immediately, and loudly, "NO! Don't make me go."

"I won't make any of you go, but I will take you to the hospital if you decide you want to go."

Jill answered first, "I'll go. Can we go now?"

"M-me t-t-too."

"Stef, will you..."

"Yes, I'll stay with Nick. I want to say something to you, quietly, before you leave."

Brendan handed Jill the car keys, "I'll be out in a minute."

Another trip to the kitchen and she suggested when they get back, Brendan call their psychologists and make appointments. Jill and Nick were already scheduled for the next day, but Brendan agreed Steve should get in as soon as possible as well.

They arrived at the hospital and were directed to the critical care unit. They told the charge nurse they were family.

“Usually, we only let visitors stay for ten minutes, but since Mrs. Taft is in a coma, you may stay as long as you like.” As long as they liked wasn't very long at all.

Brendan thanked her and they went into the room. Brendan stayed in the background, this was the children's time. He still didn't know exactly how he felt. There was a definite mixture of anger and pity. However, love, empathy, and sympathy did not make an appearance.

Jill spoke to her mother first, "I hope you're able to wake up, so you can live the rest of your life behind bars, dealing with the guilt over what you've done. But I don't think that's going to happen. So, if you're in there, I hope you're aware and this is hell for you."

Jill turned to Brendan and Steve, "I'll be in the waiting room. If I stay any longer, I'll start yanking wires and tubes out of her body."

Steve apparently didn't stutter as much when he was angry, "I don't agree with Jill. You should drop dead right now. Fuck you, m-mom." The last word was dripping with so much sarcasm, Brendan almost felt it.

"We can go."

Brendan nodded, but did say one thing to his sister, "Goodbye, Kathy." Neither he nor the children ever expected to visit again.

Tuesday

Jill and Nick had their psychologists' appointments the next day. Jill's doctor told Brendan afterward that Jill had a lot of anger to deal with. This didn't surprise Brendan in the least. She would continue therapy every two weeks as she had been.

Nick was another story. His therapist said he'd never seen the boy as happy. The doctor complimented Brendan on the excellent job he'd been doing. Brendan was a little confused.

"Thanks. Did he talk about what happened to his mother at all?"

"Very little. He mentioned she was shot and died. I asked him how he felt about that, and apparently, the damage she'd done to him died with her. I'm sure he'll grieve at some point. I'll continue seeing him."

"I don't think that's good."

"Why not?"

"His mother didn't die. She's in a coma and will probably remain like that for as long as she does live. I can't believe the way he's reacted is healthy."

"Oh Lord. He's making himself believe she's dead so he never has to deal with her again. You're bringing Steven in tomorrow. If you don't mind staying longer tomorrow, you need to bring Nick back again. I just took him at his word that she had died. You're right, this is not a healthy reaction."

"No, I definitely won't mind. Steven is probably as angry, if not angrier than Jill is. When we visited yesterday, he told his mother she should drop dead right away. Then he said, fuck you."

"Believe it or not, that is a healthier reaction. It may not have eliminated all of his anger, but Nick's pretending she was dead already is worse."

"Okay, we'll see you tomorrow."

Wednesday

Steven and Nick each had a session with the doctor the next day. Steven seemed to be feeling a little better about things. Nick still seemed to be in denial, but there was some anger evident, although he did hide it pretty well. Therapy would continue for both boys.

By Friday, the doctors had concluded that Kathy would never wake. She was breathing on her own, and they believed she would survive in the vegetative state for a long time.

Friday night, Nick had three friends from school sleep over in advance of the small party Brendan was giving him on Saturday for yesterday's eighth birthday. They all brought sleeping bags, Nick's being one of his birthday presents, and slept on the floor in the spare bedroom on the third floor. After pizza and ice cream, the four of them went upstairs to watch movies. Brendan had also bought another TV and fire stick so the kids would have a second place to watch movies and the like. So far, the room was only furnished with the TV and four large beanbags, but that was sufficient for now. The boys ran around and played in the backyard the next day. Steven joined his little brother and his friends. They all had a good time. And obviously enjoyed the birthday cake. Nick loved his presents, and the party, since he couldn't remember ever having one before.

Monday, Steve has his follow-up visit with his pediatrician. The initial MRI results were confirmed. There was no damage done from his father's repeated smacks with his ring. The stuttering will be followed up with psychologist's visits.

Wednesday arrived, Abel's trial had to start after Presidential Election Day. It began with a bang. His attorney, Julian Langston requested a continuance. It was Judge Carpenter presiding once again. Since he would deal with a motion first, the jury had not yet been brought into the courtroom.

"Mr. Langston, you have filed a motion for a continuance. You claim Mr. Taft is in the hospital. What is his diagnosis?"

"My client suffered some injuries last Tuesday. Apparently, a number of prisoners heard about the new charges and beat him quite badly. Both of his hands were broken, nearly smashed, actually. He sustained a number of other broken bones, namely one orbital bone and his jaw. There were also non life-threatening stab wounds and, um, his genitals were cut off and set on fire."

"This is twice people have taken the law into their own hands against this family. I know these kinds of things happen in prisons, but I am far from happy about these miscarriages of justice. You may tell your client I will ensure these attacks will be investigated and the culprits punished to the fullest extent of the law. How long do you believe it will be before he's able to stand trial?"

"His jaw has been strengthened with metal plates and wired. The doctors say at least three months, but likely closer to six."

The Judge had some choice words for the District Attorney's office.

"Ms. Smart and Mr. Kaspar. Your office is to immediately begin an investigation. I want the attackers identified and punished. I want the guards who turned a blind eye to these attacks identified and punished as well. The court is sick and tired of these shenanigans that occur all too often in our prison system. I will task the Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Corrections similarly. This has got to stop, and I will do everything in my power to assure that Georgia leads the way in this reform. It has gone on far too long. If some heads have to roll, so be it. I want a status report from your office in thirty days."

They both replied, "Yes, Your Honor."

The jury was brought back in to be apprised of the situation and released.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, the court thanks you for your service to this point. You are released from service. Bailiff, escort them to the jury room. Court is adjourned, and I need a fucking vacation."

Next Up - “Will Things Ever Be Normal Again?”