Free Brooklyn Secrets by Triss Stein Page A

my car to the bleak cityscape around me, was to remember that I am the white girl here. Grew up with cops. Friends with cops. Safe home in a safe neighborhood.
    That was not Deandra’s world.
    â€œIs there anyone you can talk to?” I made my voice as soft as I could. “Your mom? Or maybe a pastor? Do you have one?” She looked horrified but nodded. “Even Ms. Talbot?”
    She shook her head. “It Savanna secret and I swore not to tell. Not never to any of them. I can’t rat out on that. My mom is…” She looked away. “Me and Savvie, we go to the same church, so same pastor. He an old man, kind of scary. Voice like God. I thought…you said you have a daughter…so maybe you would understand…even if you a white lady….” She spoke in a rush and then subsided to a whispered, “Dumb idea. I am so dumb.”
    â€œNo, no. You are brave to even try.” I gave her my best Chris,-I am-serious-pay-attention stare. Deep into her eyes. “Maybe if you tell me, I will know what to do with it. And I’ll never tell where I got it.”
    She looked up then, not with trust, not even close, but a flicker of something. Maybe hope? She sighed deeply, all the way from her pink shoes.
    â€œSavanna have a boyfriend. Big secret. Her mama would put her in forever lockdown if she knew. And his people would not like it, either, I guess. She say that to me. His people.” She came to a sudden complete stop and then pulled frantically on the door lock. “I got to bounce. Got to go back to work. I sneaked out.”
    She was gone, running, before I could even say, “Tell me more.” But yes, she had told me something and I had the whole drive home to figure out what to do with it.
    I had a lot more to figure out when I was home and keeping an ear on the evening news while I threw together a meal of leftovers. Lots of them. Could we have meat loaf and lo mein and egg salad in the same meal? I hoped Chris’ growing-teen appetite would distract her from noticing what a poor excuse for a supper it was. My mother, queen of the grapefruit starter, meat-and-two-sides dinner, must be turning over in her grave.
    I thought, “Sorry, Mom, but this is my life for now.”
    I heard Savanna’s name on TV, dropped the forks on the table and went to watch. “Four boys have been brought in for questioning for the brutal attack on a teenage girl. Two names, two withheld as juveniles. Detectives describe this as an important breakthrough.” There was video of them being escorted, cuffed, in to the station. Though their hoods somewhat hid their faces, I knew instantly who they were.
    Now what should I do with Deandra’s secret? Was there any point in calling it in if I could not give them a source? So I called Mike the cop. I hadn’t heard from him lately and I thought our not quite romance was probably over. No hard feelings and he could be useful.
    As soon as I said I had a cop question, he chuckled and said, “I’ll be downtown at court tomorrow. Good day to have lunch?”
    â€œBetter than good. I’ll be downtown too, working at the museum.”
    For now, immediately, the clear plus was that those boys could not hurt anyone else. I assumed there was more evidence than today’s line-up. I would go to bed somewhat relieved. I hoped Zora was feeling the same way. Just a little, anyway.
    Chris and I plowed through supper, each preoccupied with our own thoughts. My quantity without quality strategy worked; I don’t think she even noticed what she put in her mouth as she read her chemistry book.
    â€œChris!”
    â€œHuh?” She did not look up.
    â€œPut the book away. You need a break.”
    â€œUm, okay.” She looked up, eyes unfocused. “Anything special going on?”
    â€œNo. Tell me about your day.”
    â€œNothing to tell. School. Homework. Chem test tomorrow. I hate chemistry with the heat