A Calamity of Souls

Battle asks for a recess until Monday and it is granted. DuBose is worried by the idea, thinking that Battle may have gotten news from his superiors who have something new for the case.

DuBose and Jack visit Jerome and Pearl in jail. Jerome is optimistic, and DuBose tells him that they have grounds for appeal if they lose. She is not clear about how long it could take, making Jack uncomfortable given that it could take years. They visit Pearl, who gives them a letter of drawn pictures for her children.

At Miss Jessup’s, they give Pearl’s children the letter. Miss Jessup asks how they feel about the case, and DuBose tells her that they are trying to be optimistic.

On his way into his parents’ house, Ashby from up the street stops Jack. He invites Jack in for a drink and tells him that Judge Ambrose used to be in the KKK.

When Jack goes into the garage, DuBose is there with an article about the trial. The press is praising Ambrose for how fair and impartial he is, while criticizing DuBose for her “outlandish tactics” (402).

When Jack tells her that Ambrose used to be a Klansman, she immediately speculates on how they can use that information to get a mistrial or appeal to a federal court. Jack asks why she is so concerned about how things appear in the press or how to win on appeal, rather than winning now. She tries to explain that she has a lot more at stake than just one trial. Jack assures her that she has the legal skill to focus on this one case and win, and that is what is important. She begrudgingly agrees to “play it [Jack’s] way. For now” (403).

When court begins Monday morning, Battle comes forward before Jack can call a witness. He informs Ambrose that he has just come into possession of the murder weapon and would like to call Till to testify as to its authenticity.

DuBose vehemently objects, stating that they have the right to cross-examine the man who found the weapon. She also says that they need more information on the weapon, such as how it was found, where, and by whom. Ambrose hesitates, and DuBose notes that he makes eye contact with Pickett in the crowd, then overrules her objection. Infuriated, DuBose asks for a recess to examine the weapon, but Ambrose only grants her 10 minutes.

As Jack looks over the weapon, Jeff comes forward and looks over his shoulder. He tells his brother that he recognizes it, and Jack calls him to the stand. He informs the court that the weapon is not something that Jerome would have had access to in the Army. Rather, he shows that it bears the letters CSA—Confederate States of America. He reveals that he had seen it many times, as it belonged to Leslie Randolph.

The court room erupts. Ambrose bangs his gavel and calls the lawyers into his chambers.

Ambrose paces angrily and demands more information. Battle says that an anonymous caller informed the police exactly where the weapon was buried on Jerome’s property. Baffled, DuBose points out that that same person could have put the weapon there.

Their conversation is interrupted by the bailiff bringing in a note for Ambrose. He informs the lawyers that Cora recognized the knife as being from the Randolph house.

Back in court, Battle calls Cora to the stand. She testifies that the knife was always kept by the front door and that anyone coming in or out would see it. On redirect, she admits that Jerome would never use the front door.

Battle calls Linda Drucker. She testifies that, on the day of the murder, she was on the bus when Pearl got on. Miss Jessup interrupts her testimony to call her a liar. When the judge tries to get her to stop, she vehemently defends her granddaughter and even calls Ambrose a liar. Ambrose attempts to have her removed, but two large men with her stand up in her defense, as does Hilly. Hilly is adamant that she will need to be removed as well.

Ambrose angrily tells the bailiff to take them out, but hesitates because of the two large men. Pearl interjects, saying that Miss Jessup is telling the truth and that Drucker is lying. Enraged, Ambrose calls her the n-word, shocking the court into silence. He stutters and apologizes, as Hilly and Miss Jessup sit down, “satisfied.”

Drucker continues her testimony and claims that she saw Pearl with a large duffel bag. She claims to have seen a bloody shoe inside it. Jack attempts to cross-examine her by asking where she went that day and why she was on the bus, but eventually stops, reserving the right to recall her later.

DuBose requests a recess until the following day, and Battle does not object.

Jack and DuBose both realize that, without combatting Drucker’s testimony, their case is finished. They consider putting Pearl on the stand but decide against it unless they can’t find another way.

Jack calls Donny, who comes over and agrees to check on Drucker. He tells Jack that he finally figured out that the blue convertible belongs to Walter Gates, Randolph’s lawyer’s son.

Jack and DuBose find Walter at his father’s house, where he lives. As they are getting there, he is leaving in his convertible. They follow him to Christine and Gordon’s house.

Because they can’t drive through the gates, Jack sneaks over the fence and up to the house. He watches as Walter goes inside to talk with Gordon.

Jack calls Drucker back to the stand. He informs her that the store she claimed to have visited was closed that Friday. He points out that he spoke with her friend that supposedly met her there, and that friend is now prepared to testify that she was asked to lie by Drucker. She is taken from the stand and charged with contempt, while the judge throws out her testimony.

Jack calls Peter Clancy to the stand. DuBose visited him the night before; he is the man who watched from his porch outside the apartment that Pearl visited for her abortion. Clancy testifies that he saw Pearl go in at one o’clock and not come out until after six. He is adamant that he stayed on his porch the whole time, as he does every day.

Jack brings Till back to the stand. He asks him to demonstrate how the stab wounds were inflected on the Randolphs, and Till does so by using his legs and putting his weight into the swings.

Jack asks Jerome to try to mimic the motion, and Jerome falls to the floor due to his injured leg. Jack turns back to Till and asks if he believes that Jerome could inflict the wounds on the Randolphs. He admits that he could not.

Jack asks about the Randolphs’ neck wounds. Till says that Mr. Randolph’s came from below, while Mrs. Randolph’s came from above. Jack asks why that would be, and Till admits that it was likely because the murderer was between them in height. Jack asks how tall Mr. Randolph is, and Till says he is six foot even. Jack informs the court that Jerome is 6’5”.

Battle asks to speak with Jack and DuBose privately. He offers them a plea deal, wherein Jerome pleads guilty to involuntary manslaughter and the charges against Pearl are dropped. It would mean five years in prison for Jerome.

When Jack and DuBose leave, Pickett is waiting for them. To their surprise, he already knows about the plea deal. He instructs them to take the deal or “things will not turn out well. For any of [them]” (443).

Pearl is adamant that they should not take the deal. Jerome talks her out of it because he wants her home with the kids.

Jack and DuBose go back to his parents’ house and talk about the case, prepared to tell the court the next day that they accepted the deal. However, they are interrupted by Jeff, who was just at Christine’s house. He tells them that he spoke with Patsy, the Randolphs’ maid, who is concerned about Christine’s mental health. Patsy told Jeff that Christine was so upset the day her father died that she sent Patsy home early.

Jack asks him to clarify, as Christine was supposedly in Washington, DC, with her husband the day her father died. Jeff insists that Patsy told him Christine was home that day and left briefly in the afternoon, then came back upset. Jack insists that Jeff take them to Patsy’s home.

Patsy confirms what she told Jeff, that Christine was home the day her parents died. She tells them that she left for a couple hours around three, then came home in a blue convertible.

The next day, DuBose recalls Christine to the stand. Ambrose attempts to stop her, but Battle states that he has no objections.

DuBose asks Christine where she was the day her parents died. Christine hesitates, and her husband objects, telling her that she needs to plead the fifth and not answer.

DuBose informs Christine that she can do so, but that she should know that Jerome is prepared to go to jail for something he didn’t do to save his wife. Christine begins crying and says that she will tell the truth.

Christine tells the court that her mother called her the day she died. Her mother had told her father that she was divorcing him and he was angry. When Christine got there, her mother was dead, with her father standing over her. Christine fought back against her father when he came after her, managing to get the knife from him, and she killed him.

She explains that she called Curtis Gates for help and he sent his son over. Since then, Curtis has been planting evidence and finding witnesses to support the case against the Washingtons, in exchange for Christine selling him her father’s land at a zood price.

DuBose makes a motion to have all charges dropped. Ambrose hesitates, but without any other choice, he drops the charges.

DuBose suggests that the commonwealth offer an apology to Jerome and Pearl. Ambrose responds, “[T]hey can go home to their little colored kiddies,” then dismisses the jury as the courtroom falls into chaos (462).

After the trial, Jack and DuBose go out to the press. DuBose begins speaking, but then Jack asks if he can speak. Jack gives an impassioned speech about the importance of being united. He explains that no one ever wants to talk about what they agree on and everything they have accomplished together; instead they focus on their differences. He says that he does not expect to change anyone’s mind, but hopes they consider how much easier it is to love each other than to hate. When he finishes, he looks to DuBose, who seems concerned. She tells him that his speech was perfect, but that she “fears” for him now.

As they are leaving, a young boy comes up to them and yells to Jerome. When Jerome turns, the boy shoots him twice and kills him, with one of the bullets passing through and into Jack’s shoulder.

As the crowd erupts in panic, policemen surround the boy with the gun. They try to convince him to put it down, but he then turns to shoot Pearl. Jeff grabs one of the officer’s guns and shoots the boy first. Furious, the officer asks why Jeff shot him.

Deputy Raymond LeRoy comes running over. It is his son that shot Jerome and Jack.

As DuBose looks around, she sees Pickett standing off to the side. He raises his hand and makes a gun with his finger and points it directly at DuBose.

Three months after being shot, Jack gets out of the hospital. His recovery was difficult, with infection almost killing him twice, but he recovered most of the use of his shoulder.

At his parents’ house, Jeff tells him that Jerome had a nice funeral that was attended by both Black and white people, even those that didn’t know him. Christine and Gordon were not charged, but both Gates are going to prison. He tells him that Christine and Gordon bought Pearl a home and pay for it so she doesn’t have to work, while Miss Jessup lives there to help her raise her children.

Jack flies to Chicago. On the flight there he thinks of his injury, and how the bullet barely missed doing any major damage. He was also saved by the fact that the bullet went through Jerome first; he is saddened that he can’t thank him for saving his life.

He goes to DuBose’s apartment and surprises her. He tells her that he came to Chicago to work with her. She makes it clear that they can only work together, and Jack admits that he cares for her. She tells him that she once lost a man she loved because of the work that they do, and she can’t go through that pain again. She compares it to Jack’s losing Lucy. Jack insists that meeting her was one of the best things that ever happened to him, despite the damage it caused.

When DuBose doesn’t respond, Jack turns to leave. She stops him, informing him that it will “be far tougher” than he thinks. Jack insists that he is now “far tougher” than he thought he would ever be (477).