Brooklyn Secrets (11 page)

I called up to Chris, “Going out for a bit. I'll be home soon.”

“Okay.” She appeared at top of stairs. “Before you go? Battle of Lexington before or after Bunker Hill?”

I paused.

“Yes, I know I could look it up, but I am in a hurry to get this assignment done. Please just share your infinite knowledge? Please?”

“Before. Be good while I'm gone.”

She was already back in her room.

It was a nice night. It had been a cold spring but as I walked along I passed tiny front gardens where the crocuses and miniature irises were poking their heads up at last. Almost every house has a garden and they are all different. Some were carpeted with ground cover like ivy. Some had clipped evergreen shrubs and some had small trees, a miniature red maple here, a graceful dogwood there.

My own garden space had been paved over by some previous owner. A bonehead move for sure, cheap and ugly. I tried to compensate with big potted plants but I didn't have the time or the green thumb to take good care of them. One day, if we ever had some money, I would remove the concrete entirely and put the garden back. For now, I had to appreciate my neighbors'.

The hospital is a maze, as hospitals always are. I got lost a couple of times but finally found the right unit. I steeled myself before I knocked on the door. I didn't know what I would see.

I knocked again.

“Zora?”

“Here. Come on in.”

The room was darkened, with a circle of light at the guest chair. The curtain was closed and there was a low hospital hum and a slight disinfectant smell. I was more nervous by the moment. Maybe it was not a good idea.

She stood up. “Why, it's little white girl!” She saw my face. “Okay, I'll stop. You're no one's little girl anymore.” I handed her the giant coffee cup. “And thank you and not just for the coffee.”

“How are you doing?”

She gave me a look that said it all. Not good.

“Hoping and praying.” A tiny smile. “And harassing the doctors of course.”

I smiled back. “Goes without saying.”

“So come on in. Do you want to see my Savanna?”

“I don't know. Do I?” But the look in her eyes told me I did. Because she needed another live person tonight, sharing.

Savanna was motionless under her cover and hooked up to machines, bandaged around her head and one arm. Her pretty face was swollen and bruised in an array of colors.

“It was worse.” She said it calmly. “The bruises are fading a bit now. I tell myself that means she is getting better.” She shrugged. “Hoping it is true and afraid to hope, both. Know what I mean?”

I nodded.

“You can say hi to her. They tell me, the docs and mostly, the nurses, that people hear even when they are like…like this. Or a stroke or whatnot. Or maybe they do. So it's good to keep talking. Let them know they are not alone and keep their brains working. I been telling her every story I could think of but I'm running out.”

She smiled sheepishly. “I've taken to reading her celebrity magazine stories. Yes, I have! I never would let her have them in the house. What is a smart girl doing with that nonsense?” Her eyes filled with tears. “If she can ever read again, I'm subscribing to every one for her. You don't want to know the latest on Beyonce, do you?”

I almost laughed at that.

“No, I am not kidding! I know it all. But please don't tell anyone.”

I swallowed hard. “Hey, Savanna. It's Erica Donato. We met at the library and you were super helpful.” I turned to Zora. “Should I tell her about what I'm working on?”

“Why not?”

So I went on for awhile, a monologue in a soft voice, in a scary setting. I talked about work. I talked about my daughter. I talked about college, not that I really knew much about going away to school. There was no response but the occasional flicker of her eyelids. They did not open.

Zora stood on the other side of the bed, holding her daughter's hand, and sometimes responding to what I said.

When I couldn't talk anymore I turned to Zora. “Now I need coffee. Can I get some for you too?”

“The coffee from the machine is nasty stuff. I've already learned that.” She rubbed the space between her eyes. “I don't think I had supper. Let's go to the cafeteria.”

A cup of coffee and a stale muffin for me, a cup of coffee and steam-table mac and cheese for her. She only ate a few bites before she put her fork down. “Bad choice. I'm too stressed to eat this gooey stuff.”

“Can I get you some fruit?”

I came back with a banana and an apple. She ate them both, barely noticing what she had, but after, she looked less drained.

I was somewhat uncomfortable. No, strike that. Very uncomfortable. I didn't know her that well. I barely knew her at all. What was appropriate for me to say? Or helpful? So I went for direct and blunt.

“What are the doctors saying?”

“They have some hopes here. Special machines. Special therapy even now.” She shrugged. “Who the hell really knows?”

Okay. What now?

“How did the demonstration seem to you? Was it at all useful?”

“It gave me something to do. Focus on. Know what I mean? And there was plenty of anger around the neighborhood, like always, and this gave a focus for that too. Will it do anything? Who knows? Some folks are planning another demonstration at City Hall.” She looked at me with a mocking smile. “Want to come?”

“What are they demonstrating for? Or against?”

“Better policing, seems like, or less policing, or both. They haven't quite worked it out. When you live in Brownsville, believe it, you've got your choice of police issues.” She shook her head. “I'm not involved in that. I was really just trying to see if it rooted out anyone who knows what happened to Savanna. Just trying to make a noise.” She smiled for real. “I happen to be good at that.”

“You sure are. You've got that, I don't know? Presence? Plus a voice.”

“Yeah, I can go loud if need be. It all comes in handy in a lecture hall. I'm teaching college now. I never need a mic in the classroom and none of those kids give me any attitude.”

“What? Wait—you're teaching?”

“Yeah. Lecturing at Kingsboro and Medgar Evers, both.” She smiled at me. “Sociology. Yeah, true. After that bad class we took together I felt challenged to do it right.” She stared off as if going a long way back. “Me and Savvie used to sit around the kitchen table, doing our homework together. She was such a bright candle in my life. Is. She IS a bright candle. One more year of teaching. That's all it would take, one more, and I would have enough saved to move us out of the projects for good. My little Wellesley girl could come back to a clean new home on a safe, clean street.” Her eyes filled with tears. She angrily wiped them away with a napkin and stood up quickly. “Time for me to go back. I don't like to leave her alone too much.”

“Are you staying the night?”

“Chair makes up into a bed. Not really comfortable for a tall woman like me, but she's only been here a couple of days. It seems like a pretty good place but I want to be around.”

As we approached Savanna's room, we saw a skinny young man step out, pull up his sweatshirt hood, look both ways and turn down the hall.

“What the hell?”

Chapter Thirteen

He heard Zora's shout and began to run. She shouted again, calling for security, and then gasped and ran into Savanna's room. I was right behind.

Savanna was just as we left her, under the covers, hooked to all the machines, breathing lightly, unharmed.

Zora was breathing hard, almost to a panic attack. “I got so scared. So scared. What if…what if…” By then a nurse was in the room, checking everything and I stepped out, out of the way.

A security guard was walking toward the room, wanting to talk to Zora, and—when he realized I was right there—to me.

But what could I tell him? What happened? There wasn't much to say. Someone had been in Savanna's room without anyone's permission. Could I describe him? It was a boy. Probably. But could have been a girl, and even, maybe, a small adult. Race? I hadn't really seen his face but I had seen his hands as he ran. Dark? Height? Short. Clothes? Dark pants, dark hoodie. Build? Thin.

The guard looked disappointed, edging into disgusted, and I couldn't blame him. Zora had nothing to add, and no, she had no idea who it was.

“I didn't even get a good look at his face, but he didn't look familiar from the back. All I know is he was here in my baby's room, alone, with no permission from anyone. How in hell did that happen when a girl was beaten half to death? Anyone could come by to finish the job. She is not supposed to have visitors at all except me and who I bring.”

Her shaken, whispery voice got louder. “What kind of security do you have here, anyway? Did you catch him?”

“No, ma'am. He was real fast and I was at the other end of the corridor. By the time I heard the shouting he'd jumped into an elevator and was gone.”

The guard was big and uniformed, but she clearly had him cowed. He was apologizing all over the place and promised his boss would come talk to her in the morning.

Zora accepted that, not graciously, and then collapsed onto the chair, fanning herself. “Goodness, I was scared. But all's well that ends well, I suppose.” She chuckled, faintly. “That kid in uniform sure got an earful from me. And I'll be having a conversation tomorrow with his boss, you can bet on that.”

She looked over at me, almost as if she'd forgotten I was there. “You can go home now. I am going to put on my night things and catch some sleep.” She shook her head. “Sorry if that sounds rude. I'm running on empty about now.”

“I got it. Go sleep.”

I walked out through the lobby, and then walked back in. I had seen something. Maybe. Maybe I had seen something, a kid, sitting on a bench, facing the elevator. Hood up, face down in a magazine. He was not turning the pages.

There were lots of people coming and going. I was sure he had not noticed me noticing him. I wanted to keep it that way so I moved away from his line of vision while keeping him in mine, and approached a guard. I whispered the story of the intruder running from Savanna's room, and he nodded and silently sent a text. “Calling upstairs, where you were. I'll get someone down to look at him.”

While we waited, the boy never moved. Was he asleep?

The elevator doors opened to disclose another guard, and also Zora. The two men motioned her to stand back, with me as they approached the box. Then they very quietly moved to stand near the boy. He never noticed when one of them dropped into the seat next to him, but he jumped when a large hand grasped his arm.

“I need you to come with me, son.”

The hood was down and we saw him at last, a skinny kid with frightened eyes. They darted this way and that, looking for a way to get out, but he soon saw there was no chance with a guard on either side.

They motioned to Zora and me to follow them and we went to an office off the lobby.

“Ma'am, could you identify him as the boy you saw leaving your daughter's room? Or Ms….?”

“Donato. And I would say maybe. We never saw his face, so it's hard to say, but the build is right, and clothes are the same. Of course any kid could be wearing a black hoodie and black pants.”

“He looked familiar to me,” Zora said. “What she said about tonight. I kind of remember his shoes, every kid is obsessed with having the right shoes, but there's something else.” She was staring intently at him. “I seen him somewhere. Check his ID and I bet you find him in Brownsville.” He started at that.

“Yeah, I got you, don't I? Right out of the hood. Kind of a long way from home, ain't you?”

He shut his mouth in a grim line but his hands were shaking.

“Now I want to know what you doing in my little girl's room.” While her speech became more ghetto as she talked, her voice grew louder. In the small room, she was approaching gospel preaching volume. “If you know something about her, you best get ready to start talking. And if you don't, what in hell you doing there?”

The guards were looking very concerned, and double teamed her, to get her calm and seated.

Good thing, too. She looked ready to blow up. The guards looked determined and the kid looked terrified. I don't know how I looked, but certainly I was motivated by curiosity. What in the world would happen next?

A guard sat up close, looking right into his face. “You are going to be talking to cops because they will be very interested in how you know Ms. Lafayette's daughter.”

“Aren't you cops?”

“No, you moron. You can think of us as cops here in the hospital but we are private security officers. Our job right now is to figure out what this has to do with keeping the hospital safe. If you help us out here, it might go better for you when cops show up.”

“Nothin'.” He mumbled.

“What you say?”

“Nothin'. I'm not saying nothin'.”

Zora stepped over to him and peered into his face.

“You stupid little kid. You think you're a man, hanging tough? You think wearing your pants down to your knees and a gang tattoo—oh, yeah, I see it—you think that makes you a man? Someone beat up my girl and if you know anything at all, you better speak up. You know what jail is like?”

He shook his head, terrified.

“You being tough now? You have no idea how fast you gonna crumble like a cookie.”

“I wasn't doing anything.” He whispered it. “I went to see how she doing, that's all. I know her a little bit, but my…” He stopped himself and shut his mouth in a tight line.

I was keeping close to the corner of the room, hoping no one would remember I was still there. Probably I shouldn't have been.

One guard turned to me while the other kept a wary eye on both the boy and Zora.

“You the person who saw him first?”

“Yes.”

“And who are you in this?”

“I was keeping Zora—Ms. Lafayette—company in her daughter's hospital room.”

“Okay, you stick around. Cops on their way, they might send you straight home or want to talk to you some more.”

Cops were there almost before he finished, and the small room suddenly became even more crowded.

The officer seemed to be acquainted with the guards who filled him in.

“I need to figure out if we are moving this to the precinct or a private room here—you got one for us?—or arrest this kid. You!”

The kid looked up, fearful but determined.

“You ready to tell us a story?”

He shook his head. “Didn't do nothin'.”

“That would be a matter of opinion. Mostly mine. Being up in Savanna's room, you were trespassing at least. You ever heard of something called a material witness?”

He shook his head.

“Hand over some ID and quit wasting my time. I really don't like that at all. And you really don't want me to be angry at you so soon.” His voice was calm but his expression said no more fooling around.

I doubted this kid was in danger of being arrested, but thought the threat was having some effect.

The boy reached into his pocket and came out with a school ID.

“Jackie Isiahson. That you?”

He nodded.

“Quite a mouthful, that name. Where do you live?”

Mumble, mumble.

“That's right next to us. Another project. I knew I'd seen you around, you little…”

One of the guards put his hand on Zora's arm and she shook it off, angrily, but did not move closer.

“You hang out with that gang mostly taking over the playground at night.” She was angry, breathing hard, but turned to the detective and said, “I can give you names of a couple of his dumbass friends. On the record. I bet he's already known to cops out there.”

He nodded. “So kid, what are you doing here? Long way from home?”

Young Jackie stared back and the detective looked irritated. Before he made his next move, one of the guards blurted out, “Isiahson? You must be related to Tyler Isiahson!”

“No!” He looked up sharply and turned a few colors. “Am not, never heard of him.”

The cop turned to the guard, impatient and annoyed.

“Apologies. I shouldn't have said nothing. I got carried away. That Tyler's the hottest boxer coming up out of Brownsville since Tyson.”

The officer turned back to the kid. “No? Unrelated? You saying there are lots of folks in the same neighborhood with that unusual name? Ms. Lafayette, does any of this ring a bell to you?”

“I have more useful things to do than follow boxing. Boxing! And he still hasn't said what he was doing being anywhere near my baby.”

“Don't think I overlooked that. So we've got good statements from these two ladies? Ladies, you can go and we are moving this to the precinct. Stand up, kid.” In an instant he was being marched out the door. “We are going for a ride.”

Zora stood up. “I'm coming too. I want an answer. And my friend is coming with me.” She stood tall and straight, a woman who was not taking no for an answer, but her eyes were begging me to agree with her.

“No, you're not. And Ms. Donato, you're not either.” He sounded deeply irritated and not a little surprised. “You can't be in the interview room. Even this kid has some rights. Besides, you'd only be in the way.”

She took a deep breath. “But there is something I can do. I have Savanna's friends in my phone now. I can text them all, asking if they know him.” She made a dismissive gesture. “Don't tell me that wouldn't be useful.”

“You can wait in the lobby.” He looked exasperated. “But you get there on your own dime, not in a patrol car.”

We could walk it. Zora walked fast; I could hardly keep up. She wasn't talking. I wasn't sure why I was coming along, but I was swept up in the moment.

Finally she said, “Sorry, I've been lost in thought. I really, really don't like that he was in her room. Who the hell is he, to be visiting her like that? And lurking after? You saw him in the waiting area. He was lurking, wasn't it?”

“Yes, I'd say so. He was watching the elevator.”

“To see when I came down? So he could go back?” Her voice started to crack. “Who could possibly hate my baby so much? And why him? I don't believe she even knew him, that pitiful excuse for a man.”

And then I wondered what other secrets Savanna might have. Did this connect with what Deandra had told me? Could this twerp be the confident Savanna's secret boyfriend? Not a chance.

I took a deep breath. “Do you believe you knew everything about her life?”

She stopped dead in the middle of the sidewalk. “Mostly, I do. I mean, she's at school and it's a magnet school, too, so her friends are from all over Brooklyn. I wanted her to know there's a world outside of her 'hood, you know? So I'm not there following her every day. But I know where she went and with whom and what time she was coming home. She knew not to mess with a curfew. And all her school activities too. Everything I can be sure about, I did.”

I was not so sure and I could see that now she was not either.

She gave a decisive nod. “We go to the precinct—lord, I hate being there but I want to hear anything they learn right away. And I have a phone picture of that Jackie. Off it goes to her best friends.”

“What if they know but won't tell?”

“Next step is I go and beat on their doors. They will be more scared of me than whatever else is stopping them.” She smiled. “There are some good things about being a tall woman. Intimidation does come naturally.”

I remembered her in class, all those years ago. She was telling the truth about that.

We sat in the uncomfortable chairs in the waiting area. She worked her phone, and I watched for the emergence of the detective, took notes, read the book I carried, sent a note to Chris.

I wondered how I could tell this hard-working, desperately worried woman that her daughter had a few secrets? To be honest, that conversation was a scary thought.

“Did she ever mention a friend called Deandra?”

“Mmm.” She was still busy texting. “Mm, no. Not that I…” She finally looked up. “From the library?”

“Yes. Younger? A nervous kid?”

Zora shrugged and went back to her phone. “She kind of adopted her. Not much of a home life there, I heard.”

I took the plunge. “She told me something about Savanna you might not know.”

“
What
did you say?” She wasn't looking at her phone now.

“After Savanna…I was there at the library and she had something on her mind. She was anxious to just tell someone and she chose me.”

“You? Why was that?” She did not look friendly.

“I was safe, I guess. She thought I wouldn't tell anyone in her world.”

“Give it up or I go scare it out of her myself.”

I looked right at her for a minute, not saying anything, and she started to crumble.

“Deandra? Oh, no. Oh, hell. Is she that little girl they found…? I heard about it. Oh, no. Poor baby. I did meet her a time or two.” She straightened up. “Now. Are you going to tell me what she said?”