After All (41 page)

“
And how's little
Relondo?”

“
Honey, that little rascal
actin' almost like nothin' happened, praise the Lord.” LaWanda
waved a hand in the air.

“
Amen.” Michelle smiled
thinking of the brown bundle of energy darting around the
apartment.

“
Speakin' of you not bein'
at Channel Twelve, that really sucks. We all know you didn't make
none of that up. And we told it to that Gerald Mansur, too.” She
nodded at Michelle before taking a sip.

“
Say what?” Michelle's eyes
went wide with astonishment.

“
Sure did. Candy and me went
to see the man the day after we found out. Told him in no uncertain
terms what we thought about his funky ol’ station not standing
behind you.” LaWanda shrugged in apology. “Sorry they didn't listen
and give you your job back.”

“
Hey, I appreciate the show
of support. You folks are something else.” Michelle felt good
knowing how much others were behind her. She sat forward eager to
begin the real work of tracking down clues that would lead them to
the men responsible for the attacks on Dominic and Relondo. “Tell
me what you know about the Park Boulevard Posse.”

“
You mean Tia and her boys?
They deal outta the projects over there. They run drugs, guns, do
burglaries, you name it.”

“
Ever hear of Marcus
Batiste?”

“
Yeah, Ike Batiste son. Word
is he's goin' with Tia. Little criminal started workin' at the
Authority and fell right in with them. Lonnie Mason got his gang,
too. But I hear him and Tia's gangs on the verge of a showdown. See
Lonnie thought he was in charge. Now he's findin' out Tia's been
pullin' the strings all along. She just let him think he was top
dog. Fit her plans, see what I'm sayin'?” LaWanda sat back and
crossed her legs.

“
How do you know all this?”
Michelle shook her head in amazement.

LaWanda laughed. “Honey, the grapevine
in the projects is better than any twenty-four hour news
channel.”

“
Then tune me in. I want to
know everything.”

Michelle got a note pad from the dining
room table. For over two hours, she made notes furiously while
LaWanda outlined the intricate pecking order of the gangs,
beginning with how they got started.

***

For the next three days, Michelle
divided her time between the radio station and chasing down facts
surrounding the Park Boulevard Posse, Lonnie Mason, and the
sinister connections both had with the parish Housing Authority.
What she found was alarming. Not even LaWanda and her friends knew
the extent the gangs controlled life in the projects. Lonnie had a
group of ex-cons loyal to him. They organized a crime syndicate of
petty thieves and drug dealers into a wide network with branches in
all of the large projects. Tia's gang was mostly young people who
had grown up in public housing. A battle for control seemed
inevitable. The Park Boulevard Posse was showing signs of
resentment at being ordered around by Lonnie's gang.

Michelle was ready to begin using this
material for a series of reports on crime. The station manager at
WDUP had given her the green light for a news series. She spent
hours writing and re-writing the first report. Once it was
finished, she asked Earl and Gracie to critique it. They sat in a
nearly deserted sandwich shop late one afternoon. The three met
regularly for lunch to share opinions, and insider tips, and good
old-fashion gossip. They took turns choosing where to meet. Poor
Boy Pete's was always Earl's pick. Earl scanned the pages spread in
front of him while Michelle tapped one foot nervously.

“
Well?” Michelle could
hardly sit still as she watched his brows draw together in
concentration.

Earl swallowed a portion of his
sandwich. “Needs something else.” He gazed up at the
ceiling.

“
What?”Michelle leaned over
to peer at the report.

“
Tabasco sauce.” Earl
reached for the bottle.

Michelle groaned in frustration. “Can
you please think about something other than your bottomless
belly?”

“
He's obsessed with food.
That means Cheryl has them on another diet,” Gracie
tittered.

“
My wife is now on an
organic vegetarian kick. We can only shop at this health food
store.” Earl swallowed.”I feel like Bugs Bunny with all the leaves
I've been gnawing on lately.”

“
Well, she's just trying to
keep you healthy. That greasy meal certainly isn't good for you.”
Gracie pointed to the mound of curly fried potatoes on his
plate.

“
Excuse me, but could we get
back to this?” Michelle waved her notes in the air.

Gracie pushed her empty salad plate
aside. “You should get a police interview and some crime stats on
the projects for the past two or three years.”

“
Yeah. Maybe start out with
that instead of the tenants view point?” Michelle took a sip of
seafood gumbo from the small cup in front of her.

“
No,” Earl broke in. “You
had the right idea starting out with that. It’s the human interest
angle that hits home with the audience. But put them together for a
stronger effect.”

Michelle snapped her fingers. “I've got
it. I could say something like the tenants concerns are supported
out by the crime figures in the projects.” Michelle scribbled in
the margins of the page. She finished a sentence with a flourish.
“Perfect.”

Gracie cleared her throat. “Michelle,
did you find out anything about Anthony?”

“
No. So far nothing connects
him to the drug deals or the rest of it.” Michelle stared down into
her gumbo, stirring it slowly.

“
So the guy is innocent?
Good deal, right? No reason you can't get back together.” Earl
looked at her.

“
It's not so simple.”
Michelle did not look up.

“
Remember the story she did
on his uncle?” Gracie jabbed him in the side with her elbow. “Don't
bring that up,” she whispered close to his ear.

Earl flinched. “Ouch! I mean... oh
yeah. But anyway this is good work you've done tracking down the
scoop on those crooks.” He kicked Gracie's foot with his in
retaliation causing her to jump.

“
Oww! I mean, great work,
Michelle. Every bit as good, better even, than the series at
Channel Twelve.” Gracie nodded.

“
Thanks. Now quit beating up
on each other.” Michelle squinted at them through her bangs. “Do I
have `Fragile- Handle with Care' stamped on my face?”

“
Don't blame me.” Earl shot
Gracie a cutting look.

“
It's just that you've been
through the ringer lately. What with your brother getting assaulted
and you being suspended from work,” Gracie said.

Michelle squeezed her hand. “Thanks,
but things are looking up. Dominic is on the mend, and I'm not
suspended anymore.”

“
When did Lockport tell
you?” Earl sat back with a surprised expression.

“
For real? Fabulous. When
are you coming back?” Gracie stared at her wide eyed.

“
Lockport didn't tell me
anything,” Michelle said to Earl. “And I'm not going back.”
Smiling, she looked at them both. “I quit. Turned in my resignation
letter yesterday and left it with his secretary.”

Gracie gasped. Earl let out a long
whistle.

“
I've sold three freelance
articles already. And WDUP is going to do an early morning talk
show. Steve wants me to be the host.” Michelle beamed with
pride.

“
You've got guts. Go on with
your bad self.” Earl winked at her.

“
I'm thrilled for you,”
Gracie said. “I can't wait to see the look on Jennifer's face when
I tell her you've got your own show.” She rubbed her hands together
in anticipation.

“
Okay, but I get to spoil
Jason's day.” Earl grinned impishly.

“
You two are worse than
teenagers planning a practical joke.” Michelle laughed.

***

Michelle worked at the radio station
reading news briefs and lining up guests for the talk show for the
rest of the day. She was happy at least with her career. Being in
control was frightening and exhilarating. Frightening because she
did not have the security of a regular paycheck. Yet the challenge
of setting her own course gave her a charge she had never
experienced before. With a much smaller income now, Michelle
learned to adjust her spending habits down. But she did not mind at
all. The future looked bright. More opportunities were opening up
all the time with help from friends. Michelle sat in her office
totally oblivious to everything as she sorted through stacks of
articles looking for ideas to develop for the talk show.

“
Hello, Michelle.”Dosu stood
in the open door smiling. The dark, gray suit was impeccably
tailored. “How have you been?”

Michelle gave him a welcoming hug.
“Fine. It's so good to see you. What have you been up to lately?
How did you know I was here?” She grabbed a chair and pulled it
next to her own.

“
Steve is a good friend of
mine. As for what I've been doing; a great deal of travel really.
I've just come back from St. Thomas. You would have loved it.” Dosu
smiled revealing ivory teeth set against dark chocolate skin. “I
would have invited you if not for...” his voice trailed
off.

“
I've been very busy
working.” Michelle said a little too sharply. She squirmed under
his amused gaze.

“
Michelle, who do you think
you're deceiving?”

“
Anthony and I are no longer
seeing each other.” Michelle tried to keep her tone matter of fact.
She rearranged items on an already neat desk.

“
You may be apart
physically, but not in your hearts.” Dosu wave a hand in the air.
“An old African proverb says--”

“
Dosu, please,” Michelle cut
him off. “Can we talk about something else?”

Dosu smiled benignly. “Fine. So how is
the news game? You do not miss being before the camera?”

Michelle sighed. She could not deny the
excitement of a live news broadcast was a big part of why she loved
television reporting. “It was an adjustment. The hard part is all
the pitying looks I get from colleagues. They see it as a big come
down.”

“
What about you?”

“
I'm too busy working to
feel sorry for myself. Besides, all I have to do is quote the
demographics for WDUP. I get a kick out of seeing their faces. The
audience of young, working African-Americans listening to our blend
of rap and urban contemporary music equals the size of the audience
tuning into the five o' clock news on Channel Twelve every day,”
Michelle bragged.

“
Yet as you say, it is a big
change.” Dosu inclined his head. “If you need help financially you
have only to ask.”

“
No thanks,” Michelle said
quickly. “I'm doing okay. I'm in no danger of being homeless and
hungry.” She smiled at him with fondness. “You're sweet to offer
though.”

“
Where do you go from
here?”

“
Things are looking up. I've
gotten stories printed in a couple of magazines and my own show
here.”

Dosu studied her for a moment as if
reading her innermost thoughts.”Then why is there a hint of sadness
in your voice?”

“
Well, I don't like the way
I left Channel Twelve for one thing. I didn't falsified those
reports.” Michelle felt the same outrage as the day Lockport
suspended her.

“
Anyone who knows you
wouldn’t believe that,” Dosu reassured her.

“
And I intend to clear my
name.” Michelle's eyes narrowed at the thought of how she had been
set up.

“
No doubt you will.” Dosu
favored her with a confident nod. His expression became grave. “I
understand your Anthony is also under a cloud of suspicion. A most
deadly suspicion of murder.”

“
Yes. There's a grand jury
looking into it.” Michelle bit her bottom lip.

“
He may be indicted for the
death of an employee and trafficking in cocaine.” Dosu rubbed his
chin. “A very bad business.” He glanced at Michelle from the corner
of her eye.

“
Yes.” Michelle's face
became pinched with gloom. “It looks very bad.”

“
You believe these
accusations?”

“
No,” Michelle blurted. She
blushed under his questioning gaze. “And not because of our...
history. The whole deal smells of a set up, too.”

“
But the proceedings are
secret. Maybe they have strong evidence against him.” Dosu nodded.
“Why else would he be a target?”

“
That doesn't mean a thing!
An accusation is not proof of guilt.” Michelle said, her voice hot
with indignation.

“
Such fervor in your words.
You still care for this man deeply.” Dosu held up a hand to
forestall her denial. “It is all over your face,
Michelle.

Michelle exhaled slowly. Her jaws
muscles tightened with irritation. “Dosu, you have a most annoying
way of--”

“
Hitting the nail on the
head?” Dosu gazed at her with affection. “Don’t be angry with me. I
won't point out the truth anymore.”