Mama's Boy (10 page)

20

Y
et another analyst was dissecting her son's case. Gloria sat watching the news as the newscaster stalled for time. They were waiting on the press conference, announcing the trial was officially being moved to Houston. She assumed a change of venue would give them a fighting chance. But from the tone of the anchor, to the reporter in the field, to the commentators discussing and analyzing this case, her son had already been convicted in the court of public opinion.

It didn't help that there were protests last weekend. She hadn't organized a single one, but somehow ten, then twenty, then thirty people had gathered in front of the Jasper Police Department demanding a fair trial.

Gloria didn't understand it. No one had asked her how she felt about this. No one had asked her opinion on any protests. Dix and Brian were out on bail and milking their fifteen minutes of fame. She'd seen them interviewed many times. In fact, a reporter had just finished speaking with Dix, who reminded viewers that they “weren't bothering anyone when the cop racially profiled them and
got into a fight with Jamal and made Jamal shoot him.” Of course, that sent the crowd into a frenzy, but Gloria wanted to scream. That idiot didn't even realize he was further convicting her son!

She just wanted it all to go away.

The meeting with Riley had gone well and she prayed that he would take on their case. Gloria wished that he had already signed on so they could have a press conference of their own. The picture of Jamal as some careless thug was already being painted and she wanted the world to know the truth.

The sound of the telephone snapped her out of her thoughts. Her phone had been ringing incessantly and were it not for Jamal, she would've cut the ringer off altogether.

Gloria picked up the phone. “Hello?”

“You have a collect call from the Jasper County Jail. Press one to accept,” the automated system announced.

Gloria's heart fluttered and she almost dropped the phone as she pressed one. “Jamal?”

“Hey, Mama.” His voice sounded weak, childlike.

“Hey, sweetheart.”

“Daddy's not there, is he? I tried to call when I knew he wouldn't be there.”

Gloria struggled to stay strong. He had to be having a hard time. Hearing her fall apart would only make it worse right now.

“He's at the church,” she managed to say. “Jamal, I know you're angry with your father but—”

“Ma, no disrespect, but please don't talk to me about him.”

She inhaled, knowing it would be useless to push the issue right now. Jamal was just as stubborn as his father and it was hard to ask Jamal to forgive Elton when she was still mad herself.

“Well, son, just know I'm working as hard as I can for you.”

“Thanks, Ma.”

A beat passed, then she asked, “You okay?”

“Not really. They couldn't put me in a juvenile facility? I'm in here with some hard-core criminals, Mom. And I'm scared.”

She swallowed the lump in her throat. “I know, baby. We're working as hard as we can.”

Someone in the background yelled, then there was a loud scuffle and it sounded like Jamal dropped the phone.

“Jamal?” Gloria called out, her heart going into panic mode.

It took a minute, but he finally said, “I'm here.”

“What happened?” Gloria asked.

“A fight broke out. I thought they were gonna make me hang up.”

Gloria didn't think she'd ever heard her son sound so scared. She had never so much as set foot in a jail so she could only imagine what was going on. “Oh, it just sounds horrible in there.”

“It is. It's only about twelve guys here, but three are in for murder. A couple for gang banging and the rest drugs. These dudes are hardcore, Ma. But they say Houston is worse. They're moving me there tomorrow.”

“Perry got you moved. The criminal element may be worse, but I'd rather that than some racist gun-toting cops hell-bent on revenge. None of us can rest with you there.”

“Yeah, because these cops are looking at me like they want to take me out back and hang me from a tree.”

“But no one has done anything to you, right?”

“No.” He released a long sigh. “But it's just a matter of time. So Mr. Perry said y'all gotta find another attorney. Have you found anybody yet?” Jamal said.

“We're working on it. We met with this man in Houston and we're just prayerful that he'll take the case,” Gloria replied.

“What if he doesn't?”

“We're just going to think positive thoughts, Jamal.”

He was quiet again. “Mama, I didn't mean to bring you shame.”

“You know I'm not the least bit worried about shame.”

He sounded like he was crying. “I know I have to do some time, but I'm not a cold-blooded killer.”

Gloria swallowed the lump in her throat. “I know it's hard and we'll find just the right person to prove that you aren't.”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

She hung up the phone just before a river of tears began flowing.

21

I
t was showtime!

Kay took one last glance in the floor-length mirror in her office's conference room. She gave herself a thumbs-up. Her navy Christian Dior suit complemented her size eight frame and her shoulder-length haircut added just the touch of femininity without messing with her authoritative look. She was ready to show the world that she was ready.

Of course, she'd handled many cases in her ten years as a prosecutor, but this would be the most high-profile case she'd ever had, and she knew that with the election looming, extra attention would be paid to how she handled this situation.

“Are you ready?” Loni asked, giving her the once-over.

“I stay ready,” she replied.

Loni nodded her approval. “That you do.”

Kay's assistant appeared on the side of her and handed her a tip sheet. “I wrote down some of the highlights of the case,” Valerie said. “Not that you need it, since you're so good, but better to be prepared.”

Valerie was right. Kay had studied this case backward and forward over the past week. Cramming wasn't her nature, but between the campaign and trying to wrap up her other cases, she'd had to take a crash course in Jamal Jones. At least the case itself. She'd been so swamped that she hadn't gotten around to his personal life. She did learn that he didn't have a record, but she wanted to know everything about him—he probably was from a broken home and would try to use that as an excuse for ending up in a life of crime.

“Thanks, Valerie. Make sure you pull the personal info on Jamal. I want to know what his grades were like, his mama, his daddy or lack thereof, everything you can find. I want to be prepared for whatever they throw at me.” She wasn't worried about today's press conference because it was just about the case moving to Houston. Technically, she didn't “officially” know that until two days ago.

“You got it,” Valerie replied. “But what if it doesn't go to trial? I'm hearing the tape is pretty cut-and-dry so he might just plead out to avoid the death penalty.”

“Hoping he will,” Kay said. “But I want to make sure we get out front and be ready in case they try to throw a curveball.”

“Well, we're ready to do this,” Loni said. “They have you set up at the podium. They've blown up the pictures of the suspect. And get this, the officer's family is here.”

“Oh, great, so they drove up from Jasper?” Kay asked.

“Yes, it's television gold, complete with his elderly parents, the teary-eyed wife, the cooing baby boy, the adorable little girl with perfect pigtails. Oh, my goodness, the family is so going to up the sympathy factor. I've already instructed the photographers to make sure they get good shots of the family. We've positioned them at the front, at just the right angle to include your photo in all of their shots.”

Kay felt slightly uneasy about using these people's time of grief to further her campaign, but she knew it was pretty much standard procedure in such a case, so she would let Loni and her team do what they did so well.

“Hopefully, like Valerie said, this won't even go to trial.” That would be perfect for Kay. She'd get the publicity, make her boss happy, and shut the case down without a tedious trial. “Where's the boy now?”

“He's being transferred as we speak,” Valerie chimed in.

“Wow, that was fast,” Kay said.

“The family requested that he be moved because they were worried about his safety in the Jasper jail,” Valerie said.

“As well they should be.” Kay wanted justice in a court of law, but she was no fool. Some of those vigilantes in Jasper wouldn't hesitate to dispense their own brand of justice. “Valerie, can you gather up all that information by the end of the day?”

“I'm on it.” Valerie scurried out of the room.

“The officer's family wants to have a word with you before we start,” Loni said. “Is it okay to bring them in?”

“Yes, we have a few minutes,” Kay replied. “I'd love to meet them.”

Loni opened the door and motioned for the Wilkins family to walk in. Just like Loni said, they were an all-American family. The pain they were feeling lingered over them like a dark cloud.

Kay extended her hand to the young woman who was clearly Officer Wilkins's widow. “Mrs. Wilkins, nice to meet you. I'm sorry it's under these circumstances.”

“Thank you for seeing us,” Mrs. Wilkins said. “This is my ­mother- and father-in-law.” She pointed to the elderly couple, who nodded their greeting.

“We just, we just wanted to ask that you get this to trial as soon as possible. We can't take much more of this,” Mrs. Wilkins said.

“I want you to know I won't stop until I get justice for your husband. I've taken prosecutorial discretion and he will be tried as an adult.”

“Thank God,” Officer Wilkins's father said.

The look on Mrs. Wilkins's face crushed Kay's heart. Her eyes were sunken and hollow and it almost seemed like her soul was empty.

“Keith was my everything,” she said. “We've been together since we were fourteen. My babies,” her hand went to her stomach, “including the one I'm carrying, will never know their father.”

Kay was speechless. “I'm sorry. I didn't know you were pregnant.”

Slow tears trickled down her face. “Neither did Keith,” she said. “I found out the day before I buried him.”

Kay felt someone pulling at her skirt. She looked down to see the dimpled little girl tugging at her hemline.

“Are you gonna lock up the bad man that killed my daddy?” she asked.

Kay knelt down to get eye level with the little girl. “Yes, I'm going to do everything I can to make sure we get justice for your father.”

“Please,” the little girl cried as she clutched a teddy bear. “I'm sad. Who's gonna take me to Daddies and Donuts at my school now?”

Mrs. Wilkins pulled her daughter close as Kay stood back up.

“Please, just help us get some closure,” Mrs. Wilkins said, trembling as she held her daughter tight.

Kay took her hand. “I promise you, I will put your husband's killer in jail. I will make him pay, if it's the last thing I do.”

Kay took each case seriously, but for some reason, seeing this fatherless family, she couldn't help but feel this one had just turned personal.

22

G
loria watched in anticipation as the TV news anchor announced that the prosecuting attorney was approaching the podium. The well-dressed prosecutor ignored the flash of bulbs as she took her place at the front of the room. Her shoulder-length hair was pulled back out of her face and she had on just enough makeup to bring out her beauty, but not seem overbearing.

“Good evening. And thank you all for gathering here,” the prosecutor began.

Gloria leaned in and peered at the television. Where did she know that woman from? After a moment, a memory flashed.
Could it be?

Gloria shook the thought off. Desperation was making her delusional.

“Good afternoon, I'm Kay Christiansen with the Harris County District Attorney's Office. Our office has been tasked with the controversial trial out of Jasper, Texas, involving sixteen-year-old Jamal Jones.” Jamal's mug shot appeared on the screen. “Jones is accused in the shooting death of a decorated Jasper police officer, Keith
Wilkins. Jones will be tried as an adult by this office. We want to assure the community that justice will be served.” The camera panned over to what must've been Officer Wilkins's family.

“We want Officer Wilkins's family, his beautiful daughter, his precious baby boy, and his lovely wife to know that their loved one's death will not go unpunished.”

“Excuse me,” a reporter said, raising her hand. “Are you fighting this hard because crime is a platform you plan to pursue if you're elected mayor?”

“I'm fighting this hard because the family of Officer Wilkins deserves nothing less. Yes, I am running for mayor. But currently I am a prosecutor and until the suspect in this case is brought to justice, my only focus is prosecuting this case to the fullest extent of the law,” Kay replied.

To the fullest extent of the law.

Each word cut at Gloria's core. Her son didn't stand a chance. No way could a defense attorney go up against this woman. When she first saw her, Gloria thought that maybe since she was black, they'd stand a chance. But this woman looked like she didn't play and race would play no factor in anything she did.

Gloria studied the woman as she continued talking. When the camera zoomed in closer, all thoughts of delusion were gone. “Oh. My. God,” Gloria mumbled. She bolted from her seat and raced into the back study, where Elton was working. She swung his door open, causing him to jump.

“Gloria, what are you doing? You know I don't like to be disturbed when I'm working on my sermon.”

“You've got to see this,” she said, grabbing the remote for his nineteen-inch office TV. She clicked the on button.

“Look at the prosecutor.” She jabbed toward the TV. “The lady that will be trying Jamal's case.”

Elton stared at the TV, confused. “Okay, so a black woman is prosecuting him?”

Gloria paused the TV and said, “Look closer.”

Elton studied the TV screen for a moment, then shrugged. “I don't know what I'm supposed to be looking for.”

“It's Kayla,” Gloria said.

Elton's eyes grew wide and he dropped the pen he'd been holding. “Oh my Lord.”

They hadn't seen or heard from Kayla Matthews in years.

“That's a good thing, right?” Gloria paced back and forth across the room, struggling to contain her excitement. “I mean, she's the prosecutor. God is looking out for us! I need to go see her.”

“No, you will not!” Elton said, pounding his desk as he stood up. His tone caught her off guard.

“What?” Gloria lost her smile and looked at her husband, stunned.

“I forbid it.”

“This is our son we're talking about,” Gloria said in disbelief.

“What do you think she's going to do? Just let him off ? Put her job at risk? To help us out?”

“But . . .”

“But nothing,” Elton said with finality. “Leave this alone. Now, we can find Jamal an attorney, but you talking to her is not going to do anyone any good.” He was actually shaking as he slid back into his seat. “Digging up the past won't help anyone.”

“Elton, I don't believe you.”

He slammed his palm on his desk again. “You betrayed me by
going behind my back and hiding Jamal.” He stood again, then moved around the desk to face her. “As God is my witness, if you approach Kayla, there will be hell to pay.”

He stormed out of the room, leaving her stunned and trying to figure out what just happened.