The World in Reverse (37 page)

Ferris didn’t bother to look at the mayor. “Numbers don’t lie, Thompson.  Numbers don’t lie.”

When he was finally alone, he dwelled over the rest of the events in front of him measuring out the outcomes in his head.  Cancelling tonight’s appearance was not an option.  He and Cane had already hatched a plan.  He was to use tonight’s vigil as his personal stage.  He would publicly condemn Amway and Thompson, while pulling votes and giving spectators something very special, a show that they would not forget. 

***

The people of Memphis were in complete outrage about the untimely death of the beaut
iful Sgt. Carmen Magnelli.  A decorated officer, mother and friend on the force, the media hailed her as a fallen hero who had been struck down in her prime by a mysterious but deadly criminal faction, possibly retaliating against the detectives on the Baby Boys case. 

In remembrance of Carmen, the mayor asked the city to fly the American and Tenne
ssee flags at half-mast.  Officers covered their badges with black bands and homes across the county put candles in their windows.  Every talk radio station across the city only wanted to discuss one issue - the Baby Boys case. 

Ivy’s interview aired to the most viewers in the station’s history at five o’clock on the dot.  National media outlets remotely broadcasted from outside of the police station among the nearly one thousand people who protested, demanding justice for the children who had been killed.  People held up signs asserting that in light of all of the chaos, the city had forgo
tten its responsibility to find the killer or killers.

Plus, no one knew where Agosto was.  Even after searching the city for an entire day, there was no sign of him or his family.  And while the autopsy reports from the bodies recovered from the fire confirmed that he and his family weren’t among them, the question many people had was had they been abducted.

Ready for payback, police officers patrolled the streets in full force, on guard and anxious to get revenge. They were locking up anyone who gave them a hard time, filling the jails to capacity.  Criminals, used to guarding their territory, opted to abandon their posts on the corners to seek safer shelter inside of homes and store fronts.  Word had gotten out.  Amway had let his hell hounds out and he wanted answers.  Those who didn’t know anything were afraid of being mistaken for those who might.  So the normally packed places like basketball courts, car washes, parking lots, bars and clubs were empty.  Every pedophile with a record was being or had been hauled in for questioning and every possible hitter in the city was being monitored. 

Memphis had finally reached fever pitch and was on the country’s center stage for everyone to witness a complete meltdown.

In preparation for the candlelight vigil at city hall and the large group protesting from one end of the police precinct to the other, the riot and TACT unit had been activated.  The goal was to move everyone from off the streets in front of the police station and get them to disburse quietly.  Since there had not been an application submitted for a peaceful protest to take place. Knowing what could happen, he had to act swiftly. 

However, he also had the difficult task of not disturbing the vigil only blocks away, where the city’s top leadership, mourning friends, family, and concerned citizens were gathering for the hour-long memorial. 

The last thing he wanted was for the wrong people to be harassed, while one troublemaker got away with inciting a riot.

With heavy protection on the mayor, he and about 100 police officers as well as the entire city council, county commission and part of the Magnelli family gathered in front of hundreds of people holding candles and signs.  The mall was completely covered with people as they prayed and watched on waiting for a word from their leadership.

About ten blocks down, the only place that parking was available due to the large crowd, Collin parked his unmarked and got out to walk with the masses head to the vigil.  He had put a call into Cane and told him that he was coming, and asked about any news that he might need to know.  Cane had told him very specifically to go dark with communication until later.  While he didn’t know exactly what had happened, he knew that all of his men from the hit were dead and that Agosto was missing.  The news was enough to shake Cane up and make him tighten up his operations until he could figure out how to finish what he had started. 

Cane had, however, looped Collin into the last of his favors/stunts for Ferris.  Evidently, the two of them were orchestrating a riot at both the peaceful vigil taking place at city hall and at the police station using the same calling card from the night before.  Ferris felt that it would throw the scent all the way off of him and onto a more mysterious figure.  He also felt it would make the powers that be look even more incompetent, just what he needed for his big announcement tonight. 

In return for Cane’s favor, Ferris had promised to deliver him Amway’s head on a plate via heavy litigation and a part of the settlement from the city. In the past, Amway had busted up and locked down countless of their stash houses around the city and locked up his men, which is why Collin had been recruited in the first place - to give him sensitive Intel to stay ahead of the prick. Also when the time was right, Ferris would also go after any of the police officers in special units who had been a problem for Cane, once he was in office.

Collin would never understand politics, but what he did understand was that based upon the climate of the city right then, if a riot broke out, it just might burn down.

Unwilling to take any chances, he brought his department-issued weapon with him, looking out for any familiar faces that might be imbedded in the crowd to start the ruckus.

When he got to the packed courtyard, he saw his father standing near the front of the large crowd of dignitaries facing the crowd in full uniform.  Headed up to him, he also saw a man pushing Ferris in a wheelchair towards the podium.  Avoiding even looking Ferris’ way, he made his way to his father and shook A
mway’s hand.

“Director,” Collin said nodding.

“How are you holding up, Collin?” Amway asked concerned.

Collin shrugged.  “We’ve all seen better days.”

Deputy Magnelli locked eyes with his son as soon as he said the words.  Forcing himself to seem civil, he moved to the side. “Come and stand by me, Collin.” When he saw Ferris, he leaned into Amway. “I know you and I had our words today, but you can’t let that son of a bitch speak at my daughter’s memorial.”

Without flinching, Amway agreed.  “I had no intention of it,” he said,  cutting his eyes at Ferris while  he shook hands with the oblivious participants soaking in his bullshit.  There was no question in Amway’s mind that he didn’t like Magnelli.  He was a closet bigot and hyp
ocrite who had been exposed over the years as being biased and preferential.  But the man had never pretended to be anymore than what he was.  However, Ferris was a different type of monster.  He cloaked himself with flowery words and promises that he never intended to keep all while advancing his own personal agenda. 

The golden, yellow sun was starting to set on the nearly seven hundred people who had come downtown to show their respects. It was a mix of races, ages and sexes all peacefully gathering near the trolley line all the way up to the front door of city hall.  Musicians played their saxophones and guitars, singing songs of loss. Others held up homemade signs. 

In the backdrop of the Mississippi River, surrounded by riot police and lowered flags, the program began. 

Bishop Hall, head of the local Catholic Di
oceses, walked up to the podium, placed right beside a large photo of the fallen officer and began his prayer, a heartfelt dedication to the passing of Carmen Magnelli.  People bowed their head in silence, wiping their eyes and holding hands.  Officers hugged each other and wiped the sweat from their brow.  And even despite the sweltering heat, people didn’t complain like normal.  Their sorrow was overwhelming. 

Collin looked around and finally felt the full brevity of what he had done.  All of these people could not have been wrong.  He plucked down a future leader of this city and pillar in his family, the only child of his stepmother and the only daughter of his father all because he wanted something that he could not earn on his own.  His own greed and jealousy had caused this and there was nothing he could do to fix it.

As he listened to the speakers, Collin began to wipe tears from his own eyes welding up in the corners of his eyes.  Remembering her face, her smile, their many years together growing up in the house together, serving on the department together, laughing and debating at his father’s house all washed over him like a river of guilt.  Suddenly, he began to buckle. 

He glanced over at his father, who had not shed a tear and knew that something was wrong.  The man stood with a scowl on his face, so angry until the lines in his cheek seemed etched.  His gaze was locked on Ferris and he was willing to bet that he hadn’t heard anything that the speakers were saying.

Was it possible that his father knew? How could he? 

Just a few blocks over at the police hea
dquarters on Poplar Avenue, riot police were moving against a now hostile crowd.  They gave orders over their loud speakers and pushed the masses away from the front of the police station as they held up signs demanding justice for the four murdered children and demanding Agosto and Johnson’s arrest for DeMario Washington’s death and Councilman Ferris’ attack.

News cameras snuck behind the lines to get a better view of the crowd.  The shouting and screaming was deafening in what seemed like minutes what was a peaceful group had turned into a mob.  People pushed and shoved against the police, trying to get to the doors of the station.  Others stood across the street holding up signs and cursing at the police, refusing to move.

“Disperse immediately or you will be arrested,” the officer said over the loud speaker.

“Fuck you!” one of the white men towards the front of the crowd screamed.  “You pigs can’t keep us from a peaceful protest!”

Standing behind their riot gear, the police pushed the crowd, prepared with their less than lethal weapons to begin arrests.

The lieutenant running the operation gave the word and officers slipped their gas masks over their heads.  Tear gas bombs were released into the crowd and the officers lined up and advanced against the front line of protests.

Other officers grabbed those who had begun to throw bottles and arrest them. 

However, in the middle of the crowd, a group of young men were not there to protest but to wreak havoc.  Sent by Cane, they e
mbedded themselves in the center of the crowd of people with their backpacks and hoodies.  They had been waiting for the tear gas, waiting to be masked by the coughing and wheezing masses to pull out their Molotov cocktails.  Pulling down their ski masks, they pulled out the bottles, lit them and began to throw them toward the front of the police line and towards the buildings on the opposite side of the street.  As soon as the fire bombs hit the ground and the shield of the police, they exploded.  The bombs that were thrown through the windows of the bail bonds businesses and law offices on the other side of the street exploded as well creating a large plume of smoke that could be seen over city hall. 

Mass hysteria broke out immediately not o
nly at the riot occurring at the police station but also at city hall.  Seeing the smoke and hearing the hundreds of people only a short walk away caused panic in the crowd.

Amway put his hand on the mayor’s shou
lder as he spoke and interrupted.  “You have to go inside,” he whispered into his ear.

The mayor at first resisted.  There was no way that he was going to let common thugs and rabble-rousers make him flee his own podium.  Looking out at the crowd, who was torn b
etween listening to the mayor for direction and looking at the burning streets behind them, he pulled the microphone closer.  “We can’t let them win,” he said, forgetting his speech.  “Right now, you need to leave and get to your cars and then to your homes safely but make no doubt about it, we cannot and will not let them win.  This is our city.  Memphis is our home, and we can’t give it up to those who would simply use it as their criminal playground.”  He looked over at Ferris and snarled.  “Or to push their own agenda.”

Amway stepped in. “You have to go now,” he said forcefully as officers flanked the mayor and pulled him back into the safety of the building.  While the city dignitaries were e
scorted inside the glass doors, Amway spoke with his men to get situational report.

Sirens erupted as officers dealt with chaotic crowd control.  Firefighters rushed to the scene to put out the building directly across from the police station while ambulances rushed to help officers and protesters who were burned by the small handheld bombs.

Carmen’s memorial had been thoroughly ruined.

Amidst the crowds moving and the police locking down downtown, Ferris took the oppo
rtunity to get his five minutes of fame.  Having supposed to have been placed on the program and then abruptly taken off, but still a member of the city council, he too was taken into city hall along with several cameras and reporters who slipped in to get response about the riots from public officials.

“Councilman Ferris,” a female reporter asked, walking towards him.  The cameraman followed her.  “Do you have any comment regarding the attack on you earlier today by Detective Luke Johnson?”  She shoved her microphone into his face.