Grown(55)

Dr. Patrick: I agree. Adultlike decisions don’t make them adults.

Tonia Stevens (Creighton’s mother): Then, might I ask, why did you let her go?

Ms. Jones: We were made promises. None of those he came through with. But she’s not an adult. She’s just a child. My daughter.

Ms. Evens: She’s eighteen now.

Ms. Jones: And she was seventeen when he first started. And honestly, do you consider your eighteen-year-old smart enough to make her own decisions without all your hovering?

Ms. Evens: What are you implying?

Ms. Woods: Oooo, Lawd.

Ms. Jones: Just asking, would you be OK with your daughter seeing a twenty-nine-year-old?

Ms. Evens: No, no. My daughter would never do something like that. I know my child.

Ms. Jones: So do I. But they’re still their own individual. They’re all going to test the limits, and we’re not with them twenty-four-seven.

Ms. Evens: Sorry, but my child wouldn’t do something like that. I can’t speak to how anyone else raises their child, but I know mine.

Ms. Jones: You mean to tell me your mother knew everything you ever did when you were a girl?

Ms. Evens: That’s . . . different.

Ms. Stevens: Are you sure she didn’t tell him she was eighteen?

Ms. Jones: So you calling us liars now?

Ms. Stevens: No! I’m . . . well, we’ve all been there. Hell, I had an older boyfriend in high school. And I didn’t exactly have the body of a sixteen-year-old. So, I could understand if, you know, she told a little fib.

Ms. Woods: Oooo, Ms. Stevens, scandalous! Well, I guess if we’re sharing, I, too, had a little thing-thing back in the day. It was . . . exciting! Remember it like yesterday.

Ms. Stevens: Yeah . . . I was scared to tell him the truth but really lived in fear of the day my mama would find out about us.

Dr. Patrick: Is this really the conversation we’re having right now?

Ms. Jones: But see, there’s a difference. You had boyfriends and, yes, they were older than you. And yes, you might have even lied about your age. But let me ask you . . . did any of them lay a hand on you? Kidnap you? Trap you? Starve you? Keep you from your mother? Make you pee in a got damn bucket?!

Dr. Patrick: Latoya, I think . . .

Ms. Jones: This isn’t some little scandalous fling! He used his money and power to hide our daughter! He abused his power ’cause he had it. If he wasn’t a celebrity, he’d be under the jail right now!

Ms. Evens: Innocent until proven guilty.

Ms. Woods: Yeah, and how many times has that little rule worked in favor of black women?

Ms. Jones: The point is, he’s the adult. We are adults. Don’t care how smart our babies are or how we broke the rules before—we know better now.

Dr. Patrick: OK. I hear you. So what do you need?





Chapter 70


Interrogation #2




Transcript–May 18

Fletcher: Thanks for stopping by on such short notice. So, we talked to Korey Fields.

L. Jones: OK. And? Are you going to arrest him yet? Did you talk to his label?

Fletcher: First, we have some follow-up questions for you . . . crossing our t’s, dotting our i’s, the usual. Korey has been very forthcoming. He takes these allegations seriously. As do we.

Silverman: Korey suggested that you may have been the one who leaked the sex video.

E. Jones: What?

L. Jones: Why would she do that?

Silverman: Fame. Ruin his reputation. Extortion of money.

E. Jones: I wouldn’t do that. How would I even do that?

Silverman: He mentioned you had full access to his home. That you knew where he kept his cameras.

E. Jones: No! I . . . never left my room. Not even to go to the bathroom! I peed in a bucket.

L. Jones: Unbelievable. She’s saying she had to pee in a bucket while being locked in her room, and you’re worried about his nasty sex tapes?

E. Jones: He’s been following me! Stalking me!

Fletcher: So, let’s talk about that. You mentioned, he was outside your high school, right?

E. Jones: Yes!

Silverman: We followed up with your high school, and per security footage, Korey has only been on campus once, during last October’s homecoming dance. The one Korey says you invited him to.

E. Jones: No! I didn’t! I swear I didn’t!

L. Jones: What about Boston?

Silverman: We’re waiting for footage, but there is no record of Korey being in the state at that time. No train or plane tickets. No toll roads or hotel records. Not even a parking violation.

E. Jones: [crying] But Tony was there too.

Fletcher: He also gave us full access to his cell phone. No phone calls or text messages. We did see many with you, Mrs. Jones.

L. Jones: You mean when I was looking for my daughter? Damn right I blew up his line.

E. Jones: He . . . he must have called from another number. Another phone.

L. Jones: So, you think she’s making all this up? What kind of twisted— E. Jones: The showcase! He was in the band!

Fletcher: Korey wasn’t at the talent showcase. There was no drummer. Only a DJ.

E. Jones: What?

Fletcher: There’s no way he was at the showcase. Korey was in Las Vegas with his wife.

E. Jones: His . . . wife? What are you talking about?

Fletcher: Yes. There is video of him and his wife at a nightclub, timestamped the same day as your performance.