The Gift Page #6

let's just cut to the chase.

Did you or did you not

kill Jessica King?

I did not.

Did you or did you not see Jessica

King on the night she was killed?

Yeah, I seen her.

Would you describe

the circumstances, please?

Well, I'd been seeing her

for quite a while.

Would you clarify what

you mean by "seeing"?

I mean, her and me

had been having sex.

Okay, go ahead.

Well, she called me

about 11:
00.

So I told her

I'd meet her out at Ay Jay's.

And I told my wife

I was going out for a beer.

- What happened after that?

- Well, we got in an argument.

She told me she didn't

want to see me no more.

- Did she tell you why?

- She said she was getting married...

in a couple of months and she

wanted to stop playing around.

At least

till after the wedding.

And during the course

of this argument with Miss King,

did you at any moment

strike her?

Yes, sir.

What happened

after you struck her?

Well, she banged her head

pretty hard when she went down,

so I... I decided

to take her to the hospital.

- Did you reach the hospital?

- No, sir.

Are you feeling okay?

I'm fine.

I wanna go back.

I don't wanna go

to the hospital. Someone...

Someone might see me.

She said she was feeling better,

so I took her back to Ay Jay's.

I dropped her off,

then I went on back home.

And that was the very last time

that you saw Jessica King alive?

- Yes, sir. The very last.

- Donnie,

are you guilty

of the charge against you?

I'm guilty

of cheating on my wife,

of being a bad husband,

a bad Christian.

But I ain't guilty

of killing Jesse.

I swear to God.

No more questions,

Your Honor.

Mr. Duncan.

Mr. Barksdale,

you're a wife-beater, aren't you?

I've swore to tell

the truth here today.

Yeah, I've hit

Valerie before.

I guess

it ain't no secret.

So, you admit to having a history

of violence against women?

You also admit to having

beaten up the victim...

on the night

that she was murdered.

I wouldn't exactly say

that I beat her up.

You're the expert. You tell me.

Just how badly do you...

have to beat a woman before it fits

your definition of ''beating up''?

Now, your story is that you've

been having an affair...

with the victim.

But tell us why a beautiful

young woman like Jessica King...

from one of the finest

families in Brixton,

just about to be married to a good,

decent professional man...

and with a bright,

shining future in front of her...

Why would a woman like that get

involved with something like you?

I asked her that

myself one time.

She said I was the only man

in town who knew how to f***.

You're really disgusting.

You know that?

- Objection, Your Honor.

- Objection sustained.

Mr. Duncan, you will refrain from

making those personal comments.

I apologize, Your Honor.

It won't happen again.

So, let's get this straight.

Let's clarify this.

You're saying it was

just a coincidence...

that on the very same night that you

physically assaulted Jessica King,

someone else put

her body in your pond?

I'm not saying

it was a coincidence.

- What are you saying?

- I'm saying I got framed!

Oh, well, what an original defense.

Did you think of Jessica King

as a stray cat?

No.

Did you tell Sheriff Johnson that

a stray cat had clawed your arm?

- Yeah.

- Didn't you just tell the court...

- Jessica had scratched your arm?

- Yeah, but...

Didn't you tell Sheriff Johnson you

got scratched by the stray cat...

because she didn't like it

when you killed her?

Yeah, but I was lying.

My wife was standing right there!

- How do I know you're not lying now?

- Because I'm not, goddamn it!

- It's her, goddamn it!

- Be seated, Mr. Barksdale!

She's the reason I'm up here!

She's a goddamn witch!

She's putting spells on

every-goddamn-body in town!

Witch! Witch!

Yeah, you run!

I'll have order in the courtroom.

In Brixton today, a sensational

murder trial was concluded.

Donald J. Barksdale

was found guilty...

in the sex and strangulation

killing of Jessica King,

daughter of the prominent Brixton

businessman, Kenneth King.

Is everything gonna be

all right now, Mama?

Yeah, hon.

We can get on

with our lives now.

I guess I'm the last

person you wanna see.

How you been?

Terrible.

Annie, if you tell me to get going,

I will. I wouldn't blame you.

But I need you

to read for me.

Give me a hand.

I feel like I can't

hold on any longer.

I know Donnie's mean and everything,

but I feel real lost without him.

You know, I ain't never

been on my own before.

And I'm scared, Annie.

You don't need to be scared, hon.

You'll be fine.

You see that

in the cards?

Right through here.

But can you see

what... what I'm thinking?

Can you see that

in the cards?

What do you mean?

Well,

I've been thinking

some real bad, bad thoughts.

Unchristian thoughts.

Like what?

Like...

I'm glad that girl's dead.

Jessica.

She was messin' around with my

husband and deserved what she got.

No one deserves that.

Like I said,

I know it's unchristian.

What? What, are you

seeing something bad?

I don't know.

It's not clear.

F*** you!

Wayne?

Wayne?

It's not normally

like this.

You need

to lie down.

I'm really not sleepy.

I think if you sleep,

you'll feel better.

Thank you, Annie.

Oh. It's okay.

Wayne.

I don't think

this is a good idea.

No.

It's not.

I just thought we could

forget all this for a while.

You want to,

don't you?

I know there's

something between us.

I can't.

I guess

I still feel married.

You're not, though.

- He's gone.

- I know.

You gotta learn

to deal with that.

The same way I gotta learn to deal

with the fact that Jessica's gone.

She's dead.

Oh, Wayne,

I'm so sorry.

It's okay.

No, it's not okay.

I... I don't think

Donnie Barksdale killed her.

- No, no, Annie.

- I'm really sorry.

I can't... I can't do this.

It's finished.

I know. I wanna let

that bastard rot in jail.

- But he's guilty.

- No, Wayne.

I see it.

I see he didn't do it.

- Do you see who did?

- I'm trying, but I... I...

I don't know yet.

What are we gonna do?

Well, if I had

a piece of clothing...

or maybe I could go

out to the pond or see if I...

It's not over.

Jesus.

Come on in.

Well,

what brings you out here?

Well, I'll just come

straight out and say it.

I don't think Donnie Barksdale

killed Jessica King.

Well, sure he did.

It was an open-and-shut case.

I'm telling you he didn't.

The person that killed Jessica

is still out there someplace.

What's the deal? The Barksdales

been threatening you?

- No.

- I'll talk to Pearl Johnson.

This has nothing to do

with the Barksdales. Listen.

I know that Donnie

didn't kill Jessica...

the same way that I knew

that her body was in his pond.

And do you know

who did kill her?

No.

So, what do you care?

The son of a b*tch is in jail.

I got a warning today.

I think somebody is

gonna try and kill me.

What do you

want me to do?

Reopen the case and find out

who really did it.

- I can't. He's been convicted.

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