THE APPEAL PROCESS went grindingly slow. Kevin’s case sat at the tail end of a long line of inmates demanding DNA tests. Months dragged on as he waited in frustration. Didn’t Dominski have any clout? Couldn’t he push things along? It was nine months since he’d offered that string of hope to Kevin, enough time for a woman to have a kid.
Discouraged, he trudged into the rec room where he found Pedro surfing the remote. For a second, a familiar face flashed on the screen before a cartoon figure replaced it.
“Hey, flick that back,” Kevin yelled.
“All right man. Don’t have a Chihuahua.”
Kevin ignored him and listened to the newscaster.
“Officer Nolan Woods discovered his sister in the process of being raped and beaten. He chased the alleged perpetrator, Larry Murphy, and caught up with him a few blocks from the scene. Mr. Murphy is now being held at Cook County Jail, pending criminal sexual assault charges. The victim lies in critical condition at Weiss Memorial Hospital. If Nancy Woods dies, Larry Murphy will face charges of first degree murder. Stay tuned for further developments.”
Kevin sat stunned. It all clicked into place. Hell, he’d been a dunce. Larry had raped and killed Mary Alice, not some perverted stranger who’d happened along. Why hadn’t he realized that before? It made sense. Mary Alice must have told Murphy she’d changed her mind about going to the prom with him and he’d been majorly pissed off.
He had to hand it to Murphy for the brilliant cover-up job on the witness stand. The sob story about having sex on the day of the murder after discussing their wedding plans had choked up everyone and deflected suspicion. Murphy had colossal nerve. And he would have pulled it off if he hadn’t been so greedy. Wasn’t Mary Alice enough?
That didn’t get Callaway off the hook. The jerk should have realized Kevin loved Mary Alice and hadn’t meant what he’d said that day.
None of that mattered at the moment. The big question was, what about the appeal? How long before he could get out of this joint?
The sperm samples had to prove his innocence. Now he could reveal what had really happened and not be afraid. The truth was he’d cut through the alley to meet Mary Alice, after she’d suggested they meet in front of her apartment. She’d said she had news for him. He’d never know what that news was.
At sight of her still form lying on the ground, he’d stared in disbelief. The sound of approaching footsteps had scared him. What if the person who’d killed Mary Alice came after him?
He slunk further back into the alley and then fled when Otto Meyer turned on his porch lights.
Trembling and soaked with perspiration, he’d stepped into the apartment he shared with Derek. It was empty. The old man was on a binge again.
When Derek did make his appearance a few hours later, Kevin had already showered and plunked himself down on the couch in front of the TV.
Sure, he’d been a coward for not sticking around when he’d discovered the body. He should have known better than to make up a phony alibi about his old man being home with him, but who could blame him? Why would anyone believe such a farfetched truth?
Now he realized he should have tried anyway. He should have spoken up at the trial, even though Callaway had sounded sincere, and even Dominski had been convinced of Kevin’s guilt.
The only way out of the mess had been to pretend remorse for a crime he hadn’t committed, so he could get himself a better sentence. Even that hadn’t worked. He’d not gotten off lightly. He’d bungled everything big time. He should have had more confidence and told the truth. If he’d played his cards right, Murphy would have been rotting here instead.
That was all in the past. This was now. He had to get in touch with Dominski.