“She’s an eyewitness and they know it.”
Instantly Miss Mabel and Kelly reached for each other’s hands. Kelly said softly, “Oh Mama.”
Angel cursed under her breath, her right hand balled up an empty cigarette package, and she slung it across the room. Kelly was breathing heavily when her eyes met mine. “Is that what caused all this mess? Butter being on TV?”
“It was a mistake to put her on, but I had no idea—”
“Bullshit!” Angel shouted. “It’s your fault. You shoulda known better than to put a baby on TV talking about a gangbanger!”
I held my head up, but I felt very bad. What could I say? I’m sorry? I’d jump down my own throat for making a lame remark like that. So I apologized in my heart and explained from my head. “It was not intentional and I’m here to do whatever I can to help—I wanted to help even before I realized who Butter actually was.”
“That’s right,” Zeke spoke up for the first time, trying to have my back. “Georgia fought for the story all day from the minute you called. We only figured out the connection a few minutes ago back at the police station.”
“It’s still her bad!” Angel snapped, smashing her cigarette butt against the top of a can of cream soda.
“Angel!” Kelly said, grabbing the end seams of her shorts. “Just shut your smart mouth up, okay?!”
“Who you? You don’t run me!”
“Listen here!” Miss Mabel shouted.
“Everybody cool down,
now!”
Doug took charge. “This is not the time for fighting or blaming”—he leaned forward—“it’s about getting Butter back safe and unharmed.”
“Oh my God!” Miss Mabel whispered. It finally really hit her. She closed her eyes. “Y’all have to do something!”
“Are they gonna hurt my baby?” Kelly asked, clenching her fist as her face quickly paled.
“No,” I blurted out. Could I will it so? A good reporter follows instinct. I had that and then some. I was born with a caul, what the old folks in the South call a veil. Sometimes … sometimes … I could feel things. I knew Butter was alive, for some reason, although mainly the reasons that Doug had explained to me earlier. “Tell them, Doug.”
“We believe Butter is alive. The Rockies—”
“They better not hurt my grandbaby!” Miss Mabel hissed, sweat beading across her forehead.
“—they aren’t going to kill her. They’re just trying to scare her and let things cool off until they get the shooter out of town. That’s it.”
“We must get the word out to the public,” Reverend Walker said, leaning forward, pointing. “Let those thugs know that we want Butter back and safe.”
“No, that’s just what we’re
not
going to do,” Doug countered.
Huh? What’s Mister-man thinking? Everyone in the room was surprised, including me. I had assumed that we were going to pump up this story and aim it dead at the Rockies. I waited, we all waited, for Doug’s reasoning.
“We don’t want to rattle them, make them do something rash. If we put a story on about Butter being kidnapped by the Rockies they might get nervous and do something stupid.”
“So how do you want me to handle the story?”
“You just do a straight missing child story, drop the gang references and that will keep the Rockies off-balance and buy our guys enough time to hit the streets.”
Everyone seemed okay with the idea except Reverend Walker. He bugged out. “That’s no way to deal with these thugs! You’ve gotta go at them. Subtle is nowhere in their vocabulary. They need fear—fear of what will happen to them if they hurt that child. Force to force is all they understand.”
“Mama, Reverend Walker is right.” Angel jumped in. “The cops don’t really care no’way!”
Doug slowly turned his stare toward Angel. It was the dirtiest, most hateful look I’ve seen in a long time. Angel was an angry person, combative. She didn’t punk out under Doug’s stare. I could really feel an edge to this woman. And that fact
Instantly Miss Mabel and Kelly reached for each other’s hands. Kelly said softly, “Oh Mama.”
Angel cursed under her breath, her right hand balled up an empty cigarette package, and she slung it across the room. Kelly was breathing heavily when her eyes met mine. “Is that what caused all this mess? Butter being on TV?”
“It was a mistake to put her on, but I had no idea—”
“Bullshit!” Angel shouted. “It’s your fault. You shoulda known better than to put a baby on TV talking about a gangbanger!”
I held my head up, but I felt very bad. What could I say? I’m sorry? I’d jump down my own throat for making a lame remark like that. So I apologized in my heart and explained from my head. “It was not intentional and I’m here to do whatever I can to help—I wanted to help even before I realized who Butter actually was.”
“That’s right,” Zeke spoke up for the first time, trying to have my back. “Georgia fought for the story all day from the minute you called. We only figured out the connection a few minutes ago back at the police station.”
“It’s still her bad!” Angel snapped, smashing her cigarette butt against the top of a can of cream soda.
“Angel!” Kelly said, grabbing the end seams of her shorts. “Just shut your smart mouth up, okay?!”
“Who you? You don’t run me!”
“Listen here!” Miss Mabel shouted.
“Everybody cool down,
now!”
Doug took charge. “This is not the time for fighting or blaming”—he leaned forward—“it’s about getting Butter back safe and unharmed.”
“Oh my God!” Miss Mabel whispered. It finally really hit her. She closed her eyes. “Y’all have to do something!”
“Are they gonna hurt my baby?” Kelly asked, clenching her fist as her face quickly paled.
“No,” I blurted out. Could I will it so? A good reporter follows instinct. I had that and then some. I was born with a caul, what the old folks in the South call a veil. Sometimes … sometimes … I could feel things. I knew Butter was alive, for some reason, although mainly the reasons that Doug had explained to me earlier. “Tell them, Doug.”
“We believe Butter is alive. The Rockies—”
“They better not hurt my grandbaby!” Miss Mabel hissed, sweat beading across her forehead.
“—they aren’t going to kill her. They’re just trying to scare her and let things cool off until they get the shooter out of town. That’s it.”
“We must get the word out to the public,” Reverend Walker said, leaning forward, pointing. “Let those thugs know that we want Butter back and safe.”
“No, that’s just what we’re
not
going to do,” Doug countered.
Huh? What’s Mister-man thinking? Everyone in the room was surprised, including me. I had assumed that we were going to pump up this story and aim it dead at the Rockies. I waited, we all waited, for Doug’s reasoning.
“We don’t want to rattle them, make them do something rash. If we put a story on about Butter being kidnapped by the Rockies they might get nervous and do something stupid.”
“So how do you want me to handle the story?”
“You just do a straight missing child story, drop the gang references and that will keep the Rockies off-balance and buy our guys enough time to hit the streets.”
Everyone seemed okay with the idea except Reverend Walker. He bugged out. “That’s no way to deal with these thugs! You’ve gotta go at them. Subtle is nowhere in their vocabulary. They need fear—fear of what will happen to them if they hurt that child. Force to force is all they understand.”
“Mama, Reverend Walker is right.” Angel jumped in. “The cops don’t really care no’way!”
Doug slowly turned his stare toward Angel. It was the dirtiest, most hateful look I’ve seen in a long time. Angel was an angry person, combative. She didn’t punk out under Doug’s stare. I could really feel an edge to this woman. And that fact
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