As the Wicked Watch(117)

Pop-pop.

One of the bullets sounded as if it ricocheted off something made of metal. Then Brent Carter stepped up on the ledge, held his arms in the air, and surrendered, his body in free fall until it hit the ground.





18




Jordan: Today, we close a very sad chapter, remembering the lives of Masey James and Tania Mosley, both victims of Alexander Brent Carter. In the end, Carter took his own life, after confessing his crimes and saying his goodbyes to disgraced community activist Louise Robinson, the woman who’d raised him, who tried to help him escape, and who now faces criminal charges for aiding and abetting a fugitive. Today there’s also reason to celebrate, as the Bronzeville community welcomes home the eleven-and thirteen-year-old boys who were wrongfully accused of Masey’s murder.



Although Derek Harvey had been charged as an adult and his name had been announced in connection with Masey’s murder more than a dozen times, the innocent boy, who would turn fourteen in a few days, deserved to resume his place in obscurity. At least I hoped that one day he could.

Diana Sorano: How do the families plan to celebrate, Jordan?

Jordan: I asked their attorney today what this day was going to be like for these two families. This is what she had to say:

Adele Constanzo: People were willing to destroy these boys. Justice is more than just being set free. The city will pay, but for now, Jordan, this is a day to be thankful.



Her voice cracked, and the no-nonsense attorney’s tears of joy could no longer be contained. Neither could mine. When I arrived in the newsroom, my colleagues erupted into applause.

Nussbaum approached me and offered me his hand. “You made us look like rock stars out there, kiddo,” he said.

“Thanks, Peter.”

And as far as splitting the beat was concerned, that problem took care of itself.

“Keith resigned this morning, by the way. He got offered a position at a cable network based in Atlanta.”

Where he would be even lower on the totem pole than he was at Channel 8.

“Well, I’m happy for him.”

As I was about to walk away, I turned back around and said, “What’s that you say? A raise? Yeah, we can talk about that. Oh, and one more thing,” I went on. “I’m taking a few days off for a little R&R.”

Things between Ellen and me still felt strained. But some wounds needed time to heal, and today that was something I was short on. I had a celebration of my own to get to.

I picked up two giant helium balloons on the way up to the rehab center. But Bass’s room was already filled with them. He was sitting up in a chair with a chest harness strapped around his body.

“Jordie!”

“Bass Man!”

“Ah, don’t hug me too hard,” he said. “You see this?” He pointed to the vest. “It’ll be part of my wardrobe for a little while. It’s holding me together.”

“Don’t pay any attention to him,” said Sabrina, who held their daughter, Holly, in one arm and hugged me with the other.

“Can I get a hug?” I asked Holly, who nodded and wrapped her little arms around my neck.

“Mommy, I’ve got to go to the bathroom,” she said.

“You two need a minute anyway,” Sabrina said.

I sat down next to my adopted baby brother and took him by his hand, and I thanked God over and over again.

“You know that night . . .”

“You don’t have to talk about it,” I said. “I already know what happened. You saw me come in, and when I didn’t come downstairs, you came looking for me.”

“Nope!” he said playfully, and we both laughed.

“I did see you come in, that’s true. I had a package for you at the desk. I left a note on your door, but when you didn’t come down or call, I went to your apartment. When you didn’t answer, then I went upstairs.”

None of that mattered now.

“I love you, Bass.”

“Love you back, girl.”

I looked around the room like I had lost something.

“What’re you looking for?”

“The preacher man. Ain’t y’all getting married today?”

There was a wedding in the offing, just not Bass’s. When I told Lisette I was taking a couple of days off, she said, “I’m on a plane.” We met Courtney, Zena, Amanda, and María Elena at the Four Seasons for brunch.

“Are you sure you don’t want to go to my favorite spot?” Lisette asked.

“The District? Yes, I’m sure,” I said.

She ordered two bottles of champagne. “One won’t be enough,” she said. “I have an announcement to make. So grab your glasses, ladies.”

She turned around the plain gold band on her finger to reveal a 2.5 carat diamond. “You’re going to be a sister-in-law,” she said.

Our shrieks and laughter filled the room. It felt good to smile again, to move away from the dark end of the street and the terrible secrets and consequences when people came face-to-face with the evil that was always watching.

“I raise my glass to you, Jordan,” said Courtney. “Here’s to saving lives.”

According to Joey, I had earned the respect and trust of many of his colleagues at the CPD.