Where the Crawdads Sing: Chapter 44 Summary & Analysis

Tom Milton comes to visit Kya in jail after her first day in court. He explains that they should discuss her “options,” saying that, though he doesn’t know what the jury will decide, she will face the death penalty—or at the very least life in prison—if they find her guilty. Because of this, Tom wants to know if Kya would be willing to say that she did indeed meet Chase at the fire tower, but that he fell to his death in an accident. Tom says that this confession would end the trial, and she would most likely only be sentenced to 10 years in prison. Hearing this, Kya tells him that she would never say anything to imply that she’s guilty. 

Jacob, the jailer, leads Kya back to her cell, where she finds a package from Jumpin’ including paints, brushes, and paper, along with some muffins. As Jacob tries to convince her to eat more (saying that she has hardly had anything to eat as a prisoner), he opens the door that leads to the rest of the courthouse. Just when he does this, the courthouse cat, Sunday Justice, slips into the row of jail cells and finds his way to Kya, squeezing through the bars and curling up in her lap. All of a sudden, Kya is at peace, stroking Sunday Justice and listening to him purr. He stays with her that night, and it’s the first time in a long while that she actually manages to get good sleep. Because of this, she asks Jacob to let Sunday Justice into the cells whenever he sees him, and Jacob agrees.

The next day, Tate comes to visit Kya in jail. It’s not the first time he’s come, but Kya has refused to see him until now. Because Jacob encourages Kya, though, she agrees to speak with Tate. When Kya is sitting across from Tate in the visiting room, he tells her that he sat right behind her in court, though she didn’t turn around to notice. He also promises to be in that exact spot for every day of her trial. When she’s finally released, he says, they can explore the marsh together. Hearing this, Kya urges Tate to forget her because she’ll never fit in with the rest of the world. For this reason, she says, she’s too afraid to get close to another person ever again. Tate begins to protest, but she reminds him that everyone in her life—including him—has abandoned her.

Knowing not to argue with her, Tate tells Kya that he understands why she doesn’t want to grow close with anyone. He then changes the subject by telling her he’s been feeding the gulls near her shack, and that a Cooper’s hawk landed right in front of her porch the other day. This brings a smile to Kya’s face, so Tate promises to keep feeding the birds and to bring her books to read.