All I Want Is Forever (28 page)

“Excuse me, ma'am. You got a pass?” A short, stocky female prison guard studied Talia intently.

“Sure,” Talia said smoothly. She pointed to the light blue visitor's tag clipped to her jacket. “I'm waiting for someone if that's okay.”

The woman looked at the tag. “No problem. Just checking.”

“I understand.” Talia smiled at her. The woman moved on to scan the rest of the scene.

“Thank God for public meeting laws,” Talia murmured as she watched the woman leave.

Because the meetings were public, Talia and Derrick had been able to attend without arousing too much attention. She made a circle in the hall at least three
times before Hines showed up. He strode toward her with a dour look on his chocolate brown face. A butterfly bandage on his left cheek and a slight limp were the only signs of the attack he'd suffered. Talia watched him approach. When he was about three feet away she glanced up from the yellow legal pad she held.

“Excuse me. Jerome Hines, right?” Talia blocked his path.

His ebony eyes narrowed. “Who are you?”

“Talia Marchand.” She held out a hand.

“We've never met, and I don't talk to reporters.” Hines ignored her attempt to shake hands. “I'm running late for the meeting.”

“They haven't started. Monette Victor's case isn't the first one anyway.” Talia didn't move out of his way despite his forbidding scowl. “And you know I'm not a reporter, Mr. Hines.”

“Sorry, but I have no idea who you are, miss. Now if you'll excuse me…” He started to go around her, but Talia moved to head him off. Hines stared down his nose at her for several seconds. “Honey, this is flattering. Problem is I'm a married guy.”

“Nobody here knows I'm Monette's daughter. Don't worry.” Talia spoke in a low voice. “You called me. Does Barron know?”

Hines cast a quick glance around them. “I don't know what you've been smoking, young lady, but give it up. Now please move outta my way.”

“No, he must not, or you wouldn't be able to walk,” Talia went on smoothly. She marveled at her own audacity.

“Listen, little girl, don't play grown-up games. You don't know the rules.” His dark eyes glittered with anger.

Talia noted the sheen of sweat forming on his top lip. “He'll stab you in the back anyway. Did you know
I was living with Monette around the time Earl Glasper disappeared? Those were some wild days. Men coming and going like buses in a busy city. Monette didn't miss a one.”

Hines licked a dry bottom lip. “What are you talking about?”

“Earl was pimping for the district attorney, your boss. You know, an informant using his pals and getting paid by Barron.”

“You've lost your mind. I've got no time for crazy talk from some woman I've never seen before.” Despite his words Hines didn't leave. He seemed unable to look away from her.

“Didn't y'all meet around that old house on Bayou Road? Monette and Earl used to be over there all the time.” Talia had spent hours dredging up memories she'd been repressing for years. She was surprised at the details that flooded back.

“I used to follow them, trying to keep up with her. Just a dirty little kid trying to get attention from my mama.” Talia felt a tiny stab of pain at the grain of truth mixed in with her bluff.

“Oh yeah?” Hines breathed hard.

“Sure did. I grew up fast, had to with Monette for a mother. I learned a lot.” Talia looked left and right before she went on. “I kept a lot of Monette's old papers from back in the day. Yes, I remember a lot from those days. Stuff like the house on Bayou Road, the long black car that used to come and pick Monette up. If I think hard enough, I might remember seeing you.”

“To hell with this,” Hines snapped, and pushed her aside.

In a panic that she'd handled him wrong, Talia grabbed his arm. “Listen, Barron has already proved he'll turn on you. Do the right thing, Mr. Hines. You were willing to before. Why the change?”

Hines stopped. He looked around, then motioned for her to follow him outside. Talia prayed the high tech microphone had a long enough range. Hines led her away from a group of three men smoking under a covered walkway. The trio put out their cigarettes after a few seconds and went back into the building.

“I don't know what your game is, but Winn Barron is a man of integrity and—”

“Skip the speech. I'm not wearing a wire.” Talia took off her jacket and turned in a circle. She patted her white cotton blouse. “See?”

He stared at her hard. After taking a deep breath, he walked back and forth, rubbing his face. “He's probably got somebody about to show up any minute.”

“To keep an eye on you.” Talia's pulsed picked up.
Here we go.

“Bastard!” Hines paced more. “I'm no angel, okay? But I have never set up anybody for something they didn't do. Never would.”

“Then tell them what happened,” Talia said with force.

“No way. Barron is really desperate. I've been waiting for him to fall out of power. He keeps climbing.” Hines stood still and tapped a fist against one thigh.

“My mother has been in prison for fifteen years. She can't wait forever! You can knock Barron off that ladder.” Talia walked close to him.

“Forget it. He'd step on me like a bug and still come out just fine.”

“Then help me.” Talia clutched his arm again.

“Barron would know it was me. Nobody else involved can or will talk. They know better. Come to that, so do I.” Hines gazed up at the cloudless sky above the prison buildings. He sighed. “Sorry, but I gotta think about me.”

Without another word or looking at her, he strode
back into the building. Talia bit her lip to keep from screaming. She'd done all she could. Maybe she should follow Mama Rose's advice and go home. Was D.C. truly home? Tears made the scene around her waver out of focus. She felt adrift, lost, with no clue about finding a way to a familiar place. Derrick emerged from the hallway.

“Hey, baby girl. I'm real sorry. You gave it your best shot.” Derrick forgot about being cautious. He put one strong arm around her shoulder.

“I was hoping he'd give some hint, something you could track down.” Talia sniffed.

Derrick went inside for a few seconds and came back. He handed her a wad of tissues. “He's a hard-ass.”

Talia dabbed her eyes and blew her nose. She tossed one tissue into a nearby trash bin with an angry snap of the wrist.

“I was kidding myself, playing at detective. Barron wouldn't crack either if I tried my stupid idea with him,” she said bitterly.

“Probably not,” Derrick agreed. He put a hand under her arm. “Like I said, he'd get someone to scare you, and we'd never be able to connect him to it. With his influence he might even try to destroy your career.”

“I hate feeling this way, Derrick,” Talia blurted out. “When I was a kid, all the kids with money and status treated me like dirt. They could step on us poor kids, and the teachers would back them up. I swore nobody would make me feel like less than nothing again!”

“Nobody can without your permission. It's about feeling good, knowing who we are. I had to struggle with that for a long time. Still do on bad days,” Derrick said. “You can go back to D.C. knowing you did all you could. I'm going inside. You coming?”

“In a minute.” Talia gave him a weak smile.

Derrick gave her arm a squeeze. His dark eyes reflected caring and empathy for what she was going through. Talia watched his graceful stride as he left.

“Can I have a minute out here to smoke?” Monette said to the female corrections officer with her.

“Yeah, they're on the third inmate anyway. I figure you have time, but not much. Nobody came to speak about them others.” The officer took a pack from her pocket. “Here ya go.”

Monette took out one cigarette. The officer lit it for her. She didn't look at Talia. “Thanks.”

“I'll be listening to the board.” The officer strolled a few feet away. She stood where she could listen to the proceedings and still see Monette.

“I ain't goin' nowhere,” Monette quipped. When the woman disappeared through the doorway, she turned to Talia. “I told you not to come. Mama Rose and Derrick should have stopped you.”

“They tried, but I wouldn't listen.” Talia looked away.

“Nothing you can do. I wanted to see you, but not this bad. Get out of here.”

Talia ignored the command. “What about Earl?”

“If it comes out, I'll talk.” Monette gave a gruff laugh that lacked humor. “Screwing up been my life's work. I got it down to a fine art.

“I can't argue with you.” Talia bit back more biting words. She heaved a deep sigh. “I shouldn't have said that. Here you're fighting for your freedom, and I'm giving you smart remarks.”

Monette laughed again. Her voice sounded lighter. “Hey, you ain't my daughter for nothin'. 'Sides, we both know you meant it.”

Talia smiled and shook her head. “Yeah, I did. But I want you to know…” She couldn't go on. Without warning the tears came back.

“Derrick and Karl told me all you've done for me. You made me feel real proud, and loved, too,” Monette said softly. “Ain't felt loved a lot in my life before now.”

“I know.” Talia clenched her teeth. She'd felt that way herself more times than she could count. What a sad inheritance.

“I didn't deserve such great kids, didn't have anything to do with it really. But I'm damn lucky to have good kids like y'all.” Monette puffed on the cigarette. “Nah, it wasn't luck. It was a blessing. God had angels watchin' over my children even when I didn't.”

The guard appeared in the doorway. “Hey, Monette, they just finished with Yvonne. Come on, you're the star of this show.”

Monette cleared her throat. “Okay. How'd it go for her?”

“They approved her parole. Maybe they're in a generous mood,” the officer replied.

“Humph! That'll change once I get in there,” Monette said with dark humor. “I'll be there in a minute. Got a couple of puffs to go.”

“Alright.” The officer turned and started talking to someone.

“Don't hang around. I think we both know how this is gonna play out. Get on a plane and go back to the good things you earned. You stand out like a sore thumb in my world.” Monette swept a gaze around the prison grounds. “Thank the Lord.”

“Monette, you deserve a lot better, too.” Talia tried to say more, but her voice caught.

“Thanks, baby.” Monette ground out her cigarette. She grinned as she walked backward. “Love that outfit, girl. Damn, you got style!”

“I got it honest.”

Talia's answering smile stretched tight across her
face. She watched Monette enter the building. As a child she'd indulged in a lot of escape fantasies, mostly from her family and especially from her mother. For the first time in years she dreamed of taking Monette with her. Monette's grin faltered when she crossed the threshold and a shadow crossed her face. The guard spoke to her, and Monette nodded though she still gazed at Talia. Then she turned abruptly and went ahead of the guard into the room. Derrick came out again.

“I'll call and tell you how they voted.” Derrick glanced over his shoulder. “So far nobody knows who you are. Go, Talia.”

Talia nodded. “Yes,” she whispered.

Derrick touched her arm. “Honey, it's okay to leave.”

She could only nod a second time. Derrick seemed about to speak. Instead he went back inside. Talia's heart pounded as she stood rooted to the spot. Every fiber of her being wanted to run. She heard the parole board chairwoman speaking into the microphone.

“Ma'am, they're about to start. You'd better come on in. We don't let folks wander in and out too much,” a male corrections officer said. He gestured toward the room.

“I, uh,” Talia stammered. “In a minute.” Sweat rolled down her back.

“Just got two or three seats left. This next one is drawin' a crowd.” He gazed at her with a mixture of curiosity and impatience. “You family?”

Talia gripped her purse as she stared at him for several moments. She nodded slowly, then walked past him into the hearing room. Rows of chairs were filled. Cameras clicked away as reporters aimed at Monette and the parole board. Larry Perrilloux sat on the first row ready to testify. Her legs felt like lead, but she put one foot in front of the other all the same. Derrick came to her.

“What are you doing?” he said close to her ear.

“I've got to be here,” Talia replied.

He frowned, but let her have his chair. Derrick stood behind her. Talia was grateful for his supportive presence. The chairwoman first allowed prison officials to give information on Monette's behavior. Jim, dressed in a navy pin-striped suit, sat next to Monette. From time to time he whispered to her. Then Monette spoke. Her normally strong voice wavered a few times from nervousness. Dressed in a starched denim shirt and jeans, Monette's dark hair was pulled into a neat French twist.

“I won't go over again about being framed. Y'all heard it before,” Monette said.

Jim said something to her. His expression was tense. Monette shook her head. Talia wished she could hear what he'd said.

“Monette, what are you up to now?” Talia mumbled low.

“Like I was sayin', I didn't smuggle them drugs. But that ain't the point. I've made somethin' outta myself in this institution, took advantage of opportunities. Got my high school certificate, earned almost half the credits I need for a BA degree. I got a reason and a way to make my life better than it was in the free world. I'm hopin' y'all give me a chance to prove it. That's all.”

Her short speech caused a hum of conversation in the audience. A sharp tap of the chairwoman's gavel resulted in silence again. Talia glanced at Derrick, who lifted a shoulder.