Brooklyn Secrets

by Triss Stein

  “Tammy! I got it. That girl’s name.”

  “Tammy? But that’s Tyler’s ex? He said that, didn’t he? She likes to be called Starr but she’s really Tammy.”

  “Believe so. I didn’t make the connection before.” Her attention was elsewhere. She clicked back to the little films of Tyler and watched them several times.

  “I want to hate him. I do. Him and Savanna together. She lied to me because of him. And now…and now…all those hopes stuck in a hospital room…maybe forever.”

  I didn’t know what to say. There were no right words.

  “Sorry, my mouth is running away. I meant to say, I intended to say, ah, crap.” She swore a few times, fluently. That was not her usual style. “I get the attraction. He seems nice.” She swore again. “Nice! He’s a boy from the ‘hood who beats people up for a living. How nice could he be?”

  I smiled a little, I hope sympathetically. “You sound kind of…”

  She jumped in. “Confused? Conflicted??” She rubbed her temples as if she could smooth out the conflicts in her head. “That’s me these days. And it’s not like the usual me, that is for sure.” She looked up and gave me a tiny, wry smile. “There are folks who think I am a pushy attention whore. Imagine that!”

  I wasn’t sure if I should agree or say it wasn’t true.

  “Aw, come on, Little E! You can see I am joking. I don’t care what folks think of me. All that matters to me is my baby getting better.”

  She turned her eyes back to the screen, looked at some things again, kept tapping the keys.

  “Well, it seems obvious to me I need to talk to a few folks. Possibly including a slaps upside their heads. Want to come?”

  “What, now?”

  “No! Have you lost your mind? Even I am not tough enough to roam around the projects at…what time is it?…midnight. Let’s not be stupid. We’d go tomorrow.”

  “You really want me along?” What did I have to bring to this plan?

  “Well, I dunno. It was an impulse, but I’m liking it. You’ll help me remember everything. And it will surprise people. You know what I mean? Throw them off a little. And you’re not a cop so maybe they won’t freeze up.”

  “I’m in.” How could I not be? I had been pulled into this by a series of accidents but now I wanted to know. I wanted to know about Savanna and I wanted to know about Deandra’s murder. I wanted that. It wouldn’t contribute anything to my job life, or my academic life, and there are those who would say it wasn’t safe. That would be, realistically, almost everyone in my life. But Zora was more than street smart. She was street brilliant. This was her home turf.

  Besides, I was pretty sure no one picked on her, ever, from grade school on. Yes, I was in, most definitely.

  In the morning, Chris was too busy herself to have any interest in my day. It was a relief, as I don’t like lying to her. Today I would have.

  Zora came by after breakfast and checked me out.

  “You left a farewell letter behind? In case you don’t come back from the Get-Toe?”

  “Now you’re needling me. I’ve been there before, you know.”

  “Sorry. Just goofing on you. Let’s roll.”

  In my car, she explained her plan. It wasn’t much of a plan. We would go to the project where she lived, look for people coming and going, and ask about Jackie.

  And keep an eye out for Tammy, Tyler’s ex-girlfriend, Savanna’s ex-playmate. I had a moment of sympathy for her, everyone’s ex. Was that why she was so bitchy in her digital world?

  Zora sighed, a huge, heartfelt sigh. “I’m gonna have to accept him, right? If Savanna gets better? No, no, no. When she gets better. I’m going to have to give in on this, aren’t I?”

  “If she gets better, isn’t there going to be a long recovery? Would you do anything to upset her? You wouldn’t!”

  “That’s a given. Anything she wants. Even if it means some boy is always under foot, holding her hand and whatnot.”

  “Probably you are most worried about the whatnot.”

  “Ain’t that the truth! Why did we do it? Go and have babies?”

  I didn’t respond. The reason for Chris was not the same as the reason for Savanna. She went on, “You know I don’t mean it. You know that, right?”

  I knew.

  We were there. Time to park and get started.

  “Is this a good idea?” I wasn’t unlocking the car yet. “Seriously. Are we out of our minds?”

  Her face hardened. “There is a possibility I am out of my mind, between grief and worry and exhaustion. That doesn’t mean it is not worth a shot. I want to find the animals who did that and help their sorry asses go to jail forever. You can come with me, or not.”

  She hustled off, spotting someone she knew, an old man nicely dressed in a too-big topcoat. He put his shopping bags down, they hugged, they talked, all before I caught up. Zora took his bags and carried them to the door of his building, chatting the whole time.

  “This is my friend Erica who came along to help me remember every detail. This is my neighbor Brother James, who knows lots of people.”

  “Please to make your acquaintance.” He turned back to Zora. “Now that Jackie boy, I don’t know a-tall, but that girl? That girl you asking about? Tammy? I do know her, but I haven’t seen her lately. Doesn’t her grandma live where you do? Maybe someone over there might know more.” He put his hands on Zora. “And you tell your Savanna we are all saying our prayers for her.” Then he patted her arm. “Savanna will hear what you say to her. Don’t you doubt it.” Zora helped him get the bags into the building and then motioned to me that we should walk.

  “Now what?”

  “Now we practice some more of the fine art of hanging around.” She saw my expression. “Feeling just the same. We are the go get’em types, not the hanging around types. But we wait for someone to go in or out and then I pounce. But in a nice way, so they will be relieved when they see I just want to talk. Then maybe I can get them to tell me something useful. Maybe not. It’s a fine line between gossip and giving it up to the wrong person.”

  A mother came out with two little girls in tow, rushing and yelling at them. Zora didn’t even try to stop her. A couple of young men said “Good morning, Ms. Z,” but insisted they knew nothing. An elderly lady came along. She had a cane and walked with great caution.

  “I know her,” she whispered. “Can’t hardly see to get her door key in the lock and won’t take any help. No point in asking her anything.”

  People came and went, people she did not know, and Zora tried to approach them with questions. Brush-offs were immediate. Some stopped to listen for a moment, some hurried away without even hearing her out.

  Growing bored, I wandered around. Tall brick buildings. Open front doors, an obvious security issue. Grassy areas with no grass. Graffiti here and there, dark sprays of paint on the beige brick.

  And then I spotted Jackie.

  I was so surprised that I didn’t react, and then I realized I shouldn’t react. I very casually stepped back to Zora.

  “Be cool. Jackie is right there, around that building corner. I think he might be watching us.”

  She nodded, pretended to look around, held her phone up for pictures, and slowly turned so she could use it to view him.

  We moved around a building that hid us, and approached him from behind. Those tall, unfriendly project buildings had their good points.

  “Good morning, Jackie.”

  He swiveled to see us, and then stepped back, ready to turn and run.

  Zora grabbed his jacket by the collar.

  “Don’t you even think it.” She was a big woman and now she had his arm bent behind his back. He looked scared. He should. I would have been.

  “No running, you lying little worm. You Tyler’s brother? You said no relation. You hanging around my daughter’s ro
om. Spit it out, what you know, before I turn you right over to him.”

  She moved his arm a little, and he gasped.

  “I do believe I could break your arm right now if I felt like it. You are a scrawny little thing.”

  She sounded perfectly in control and cold as ice. He couldn’t see her face but I could, sweat on her forehead and mouth a grim line.

  “Little E.”

  “Right here.”

  “Paying attention?”

  “Of course.” I was all eyes and ears, holding my breath.

  “Get a snap to show he was here today. Okay? Wait! Not showing me manhandling him.” She yanked him upright and faked a friendly pose. I snapped away.

  With her free hand, she shook him.

  “What do you know about Savanna? Now!”

  “Her…her and Tyler…they all deep into each other…love, love, love. Sickening.”

  “So what’s it to you?”

  “He’s my big bro, my man. Big future. She a distraction. Bossy little bitch.”

  She jerked his arm, hard, and he cried out.

  “My baby you talking about. Don’t do it again.”

  “She talking to him about going back to school. Putting dumb dreams in his head. I’m right about this. We already got a good dream for him. People counting on it. We always said…rich and famous…and I go right along with him, taking care of things, heading up his posse.”

  “I know you didn’t beat up my girl. You a shrimp compared to her.” She shook him again. “So what do you know?”

  “Nothing. Nothing worth knowing. They said…they said…just scare her. Come on. Let me go.” He was crying now. “Praying for her every day.”

  “Really?” She used her free hand to pin him to the building. “You praying? Sure you are. For the girl you this minute called a bossy bitch?”

  “Ahh, that just talking trash. I didn’t mean nothing by it. You got to believe it!”

  She looked about to bang his head against the brick, and he looked terrified.

  I had no role here, but I was rooted to the sidewalk. I would not have left for a million bucks. I watched while my mind also raced, thinking about what Jackie said. They wanted to scare her? Who did? After him, who else would be most unhappy about distracting Tyler from his career? Maybe I knew who to ask about that. But not now. Now I could not tear my eyes from the drama right in front of me.

  Then Tyler showed up.

  “Yo, Jackie.” He was confident, almost casual. “Why you been hiding from me?” As he approached, he turned to Zora. “Thank you, Miz Lafayette. I got it from here.” He peered into the boy’s face. “You ain’t answer my question yet, little brother.”

  Zora let go and stepped back to me, breathing hard.

  “Come on, Jackie.” Tyler shook him. “You know I could beat you down into the sidewalk without breaking a sweat. Or having a second thought. Done it before. So give it up and save yourself a world of hurt.”

  Jackie shook his head. “Beat me if you have to. You going to beat me if I tell and beat me if don’t tell.”

  Tyler slapped his face. Hard. The sound rang out into the air. “Why don’t you save me the trouble?”

  “I’m your little brother. You thinking about hurting me? We brothers, man!”

  “Should have thought of that before you messed up hurting my girl!” Tyler’s cool was slipping now. “And we only half-brothers. Mom givin’ me your dad’s name don’t make us kin. You just like him, too, sneaking around.”

  At that, Jackie tried to kick Tyler but Tyler never lost his grip.

  A crowd was gathering. A low hum of “Look! Look!” and “Yo, Tyler’s over there.” A few encouraging shouts, soon followed by more, louder, closer, meaner.

  A girl’s voice came screaming out of the crowd. “Tyler, you get your hands off.” A short, round dynamo in a turquoise jacket launched herself at Tyler, fists pounding. “You. Let. Go.”

  He held Jackie with one hand and grabbed the girl’s neck with his other. “You ready to stop now? You know you ain’t gonna win in a fight with me.”

  “Let her go, bro! She just being a stand-up girlfriend.”

  Zora grabbed me. “That’s Tammy. I’d like to have a few words with her myself, but looks like Tyler got it for now. I feel like I am going crazy here.”

  “You called it. Me too.”

  I turned just enough to see the crowd behind us and it scared me more than the fighting. It was surging closer.

  “Fight!” they shouted. “Fight him!” “Show him! Show us!”

  When Tyler realized his life was becoming entertainment, he dropped his hands, looking a little shocked. “You? Come on! With him?”

  Tammy wrapped her arms around the younger boy.

  “Hey!” Jackie shouted it. “Why the hell not?” He stood up straight, but he still looked like a child next to his brother. “She sees something here she wants.”

  “That so?” He pushed his face into Tammy’s. “Then why you keep bothering me? Drunk texting? Sending me those snaps? Girl, ain’t you got no shame?”

  Jackie shouted, “What? What you been doing? You whoring around behind my back?”

  Tyler whirled back to him. “She still meaning to get back with me. What the hell matter with you, taking up with my sloppy seconds?”

  Tammy shoved off cursing and yelling. “I ain’t nobody’s sloppy second. I do what I want, when I want, for myself. And you don’t even care? Aw, Ty, you know you the one. I’m hooking up with your brother and you don’t even care?”

  I was shaking. We had gone from watching The Wire to watching Game of Thrones. A smack on the head reminder that these violent young adults were, after all, still kids.

  He eyed her up and down for a long minute. She looked rough, her flashy jacket wrinkled, her hair messy. The giant earrings were too big for her short neck.

  He finally said, “I keep telling you we are done. Been done a long time. Jackie, you want her, she’s all yours. Good luck with that.”

  “Now I been disrespected right here in public.” Jackie squared his shoulders. “Girl, if you want to stay hooked up with me, some things got to change.” He was trying to seem manly, but the growing black eye and the way he cradled a wrist in his other hand undercut his effort.

  She slapped his face. “I don’t give two cents for you, stupid little moron. Never did. Trying to make my Ty jealous.” She kicked him and then started to sob. “After all I did…after all I did…bad things to keep you…”

  Tyler grabbed her by the arms. Jackie slid down to the ground, hands over his face.

  “YOU did? You did? What did you do? I can put a lot of hurt on you, here and now. And ain’t nobody here think it’s wrong either.”

  Just the opposite. The shouts from the crowd were encouraging him to teach her a lesson. Vile words described Tammy and what he should do.

  Tammy kicked Tyler and pounded on him with her free fist. He didn’t even seem to feel it, putting her in a hammer lock till she finally stopped moving.

  He didn’t let go, but he loosened his hold.

  “What you know about Savanna? Spit it out.”

  “Everybody know. Some men showed here and beat her up.” She radiated resentment like a hot stove. “I didn’t do a thing to that skinny skank. Not her.” I felt Zora, still holding my arm, tighten her fingers. She froze, as the battling teens yelled at each other.

  “She had nothing to do with her.” Jackie spoke as he pushed up from the ground. He faced his brother. He even put his hands on Tyler’s jacket, but quickly pulled back, seeing his hostility. “You got it all wrong. She didn’t do nothing, Ty-bro.”

  “Don’t call me that.”

  “Okay, okay. But you been getting it all wrong. Savanna bad for you. We all got big dreams waiting on you. Mama counting on you to make life better.”

>   “Don’t you bring mama into this.”

  “Okay, okay, okay.” It was a nervous stutter. “But see what I’m saying? You looked like throwing it all away, talking about school and whatnot. Over what? She just a girl. Dime a dozen. You can have your pick. Have the whole dozen at once if you want to.”

  Tammy gasped at that, smacked Jackie one last time and walked away, a little unsteady but determined. As she went, with her back to all of us, she threw her hand above her head and lifted her middle finger in contempt.

  Beside me, Zora was shaking. I was too. In front of me, Tyler crunched his brother in headlock again.

  “Tell. Me. Now.”

  “Let me go.”

  “You think you got anything to bargain with? I could tear your arm off right now. Beat you over the head with it. Enjoy doing it, too. ”

  “How you explain that to Mama?”

  “I told you to leave her out of this.” He gave an extra shake. “Since when you caring about her anyway? She up all night, worrying about where you at?” The hold tightened. “I’d be doing her a favor.”

  “I’ll tell you. Let go.”

  Jackie sneaked a look, calculating what his chances were if he ran. He went limp when he saw they were zero.

  “I see you going down the wrong road. So I told some people…told them…where they could find her…they said, they said, only scare her away.”

  Tyler punched him in the face, so hard Jackie’s body vibrated before crumbling. Tyler kept at it until Jackie broke free and ran, limping. Tyler was on him in a minute. He threw Jackie to the pavement and straddled him. He pummeled him like a punching bag, rhythmically, with a focus that made his fury even scarier. I thought he might kill Jackie right there in front of us.

  By then the two boys were sprawled on the ground, surrounded by a circle of other young men—and some not so young and some not men—cheering them on.

  Then the cops showed up.

  Chapter Twenty-two