Chapters 22,23,24, and the end, Chapter 25

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Chapter Twenty-Two: Help Comes

The ride home from Jimmy’s visit was non eventful. Jerld told Mr. B. that Jimmy would put him on his visitors list and that he also wanted to add Mrs. Wells. That was met with a questionable look by Mr. B. so Jerld decided it wouldn’t hurt to tell Mr. B. all about the relationship that had developed between the two of them. After he had finished telling all about the cooking lessons and the Soaps, Mr. B. broke out into a big grin.
“Good for him, Jimmy needed another friend to confide in and enjoy their company. It’s a shame this had to happen to Jimmy now, because he might have enjoyed a new career as a cook. We could have used him in the kitchen at the hotel.”
Jerld had to smile he just couldn’t picture Jimmy in an apron let alone one of those tall white hats.
By time Jerld had finished telling Mr. B. about Jimmy and Mrs. Wells they were pulling into their driveway.
Mr. B. got out of the car and turned to look Jerld straight in the eyes.
“Jerld, the girls are going to have a lot of questions, just answer those that you feel comfortable with. They will understand.” Jerld nodded.
Rose was standing just inside the front door, with a smile she said: “My world travelers are home, and dinner is on the table, let’s go sit.”

As usual Rose had set a table fit for a king. She had prepared everything that Jerld had said he liked, fried chicken, broasted potatoes, navy bean soup and all of the trimmings. To top it all, in the center of the table there was a large basket filled with fresh baked bread.”
The smell of the meal would perk up anyone’s spirits, and the sweet warm smell of the fresh baked bread reminded him of his mother’s apron. When he was very young, barely yet able to walk, he would hide in the folds of his mother’s apron while she mixed the dough and baked their daily bread. That apron was his security blanket and his place of comfort in the run down apartments that they had to live in. It covered up all the smell of housing project living. The urine soaked hallways, the marijuana odors that drifted out from under many of the apartment doors. Most of all her apron was his protector from all of the illegal temptations that beckoned him as he grew up. Now he wished he could relive most of those years and sadly he understood that would not and could not ever happen.
Everyone around the table was devouring the food set out before them. The only sound that was being repeated was that of food being consumed. Every once in a while someone would raise their head long enough to say: “Pass the chicken,” or whatever else that had disappeared from their plate.

The tinkle of the forks against the plates was slowing down and the last bit of gravy was being daintily sopped up. Jimmy or the day’s trip had not yet been mentioned. Jerld knew that the questioning was to come and he had mentally prepared himself for that time.
Of course Olivia would be the first to break down the verbal fence that seemed to surround the table.
“Jerld why is Jimmy in jail?” Short and to the point that was Lig.
Jerld took a deep breath and began: “Jimmy is being held right now for a theft of a car. It wasn’t really stolen but was supposed to be lent to us by a female friend of ours. Jimmy and I had a guy chasing us who was trying to kill us.”
The girls gasped and Rose lowered her head and started to wipe her nose.
Mr. B. interrupted: “I have told Jerld that he doesn’t have to tell us any thing that he doesn’t want too. Whatever his chooses to tell us is to remain in confidence no matter what it is.
We are family and we will do whatever we can to help Jerld and Jimmy out of this situation. Go ahead Jerld.”
Jerld continued: “Jimmy and I have been dealing drugs for the last couple of years.

I know that it was not the right thing to do but we both had left school when we were in the ninth grade, and there aren’t many jobs in Gary for anyone, let alone two young black kids, since the mills began cutting back. We weren’t big dealers, but it did give us our spending money and where we come from dealing and prostitution is a way of life. The money’ was good and it beats begging on the streets.”
Johanna and Kaylee sat with their hands folded in their laps listening to every word. Lig had both elbows on the table and was cupping her chin. She sat enthralled by what Jerld was saying. Looking at Jerld she asked: “Did you make thousands of dollars?”
Rose looked up and said: “Olivia let Jerld talk.”
Mr. B. sat as if he was just being told what he already knew. He didn’t smile, he didn’t frown, he just sat and stared at the now half empty basket of bread.
“Continue Jerld” Mr. B. instructed.
“No Lig we weren’t making thousands of dollars.” Jerld answered.
“We were dealing for a dude they called Ronnie K. He would give us the dope and we would split the profit, with him getting the biggest share. We didn’t know or care where he was getting it as long as he treated us right.”
“One day we had run out of dope and did the stupidest thing.

We went to his pad with out calling first and his supplier was there.”
“We knew we were in trouble the minute we saw the three white honkys in suites. The place where Ronnie K. flopped was not a place to go if you were white unless you had business with Ronnie. He had a fortress guarded by his army of kid killers.”
Again there was a gasp and Kaylee looked up and asked: “He had people who killed young children as his guards?”
Jerld looked around the table: “No these were kids between the ages of six too twelve years old that he had trained to shoot anyone or anything that he told them to. This is quite common in the drug world. If a kid kills someone in Lake County the chances are he will at the very most have to serve time until he is eighteen years old, and the majority of that time he will serve it in a juvenile detention center.”
“Even little girls of that age were sometimes used as barter; some doper who needed a fix would trade his young daughter to a drug pusher to use and abuse for some dope.”
Then the kid will become a pusher for the dealer. If the little girl gets caught there is a good chance that she won’t even have to go to a detention center.”


“The courts will feel sorry for the poor little girl and will just put her in a foster home. Some of the best dope runners and pushers haven’t seen their thirteenth birthday yet.”
“What’s a runner?” Olivia asked.”
“It’s a person who only delivers dope for a dealer. Kids make the best runners because they are too scared of the dealer to steal any of the money or dope they are delivering. Anyone who is strung out on any kind of dope can not be trusted to deliver it and not cut the bag or keep part of the money.” Jerld answered.
Again Olivia piped up: “What kind of drugs or dope did you and Jimmy sell, Jerld?”
Mr. B. interrupted: “Never mind that Olivia, please continue Jerld”
“The minute we saw the three white guys we knew they were Ronnie K’s suppliers. We waited a few minutes after they had left, when one of his kid killers came out and started shooting at us. We took off and ran.”
“In Gary if someone is looking for you, a few dollars put out on the street, will get everyone looking for you.” “We made arrangements to have a girl we knew meet us and bring us some money. Instead she told Ronnie K. and he sent one of his hit men to take care of us.”


“When they got there we found out we had been set up and a shooting took place and the hit man, Nads, was killed. We ran taking the girl’s car and wrecked it south of Gary and were arrested for fleeing the police and resisting arrest. We had thought we were being chased by some more of Ronnie K’s killers and had no idea it was the police.”
“We bonded out with the money the girl had brought us and that is how we ended up here.”
There was total silence at the table. Mr. B. still sat looking straight ahead and Rose, Johanna and Kaylee didn’t move.
Olivia, who still had her head cupped in both hands, looked up and said: “Jerld, you and Jimmy didn’t have a choice it was either kill or be killed and the police should understand that.”
Mr. B. stood up and said: “Jerld that’s enough for this evening, we have to get back to work in the morning.”
“Tomorrow morning at breakfast we will discuss where we go from here. Now everyone remember this stays at this table. Now everyone lets go to bed.”
Jerld couldn’t believe what he had just done. He had emptied his soul and now he was questioning if what he had done was smart. If he was going to trust anyone with his life he felt, it was Mr. B. and family.

Jerld went up to bed and for some strange reason he thought he heard Jimmy talking to him, “It’s Ok, Jerld I’ve got your back covered, remember we do everything together.”
Jerld closed his eyes thinking of all the good times Jimmy and he had enjoyed, he slept well.
Everyone was already sitting at the table when Jerld got there. There were no happy “Good Mornings” and the meal just didn’t look as appetizing as it usually did. All the same foods were there and the quantity had not changed. But this was a meeting, not a breakfast to be enjoyed.
“Jerld,” Mr. B. started off: “Rose and I have discussed your situation and we want you to stay here with us until this mess is all taken care of. We are not sure of what is best direction to follow at this time.”
“So we are going to pray for some guidance and hope that God will lead all of us in the way that is best for everyone. We will do our best to just carry-on with our lives until we know what God wants us to do.”
In a voice that would make the dead take notice Mr. B. said: “This matter will not be discussed with anyone outside of our family, am I understood?”
Everyone nodded their heads yes and to Jerld’s surprise so did he.


“Jerld its time we went to work and you must carry on as best you can so no one will in anyway will assume you are involved in Jimmy’s problem. Let’s get to the car before we are late.” With that M. B. got up and walked out the door.
The morning ride to work was accompanied by the usual gospel music.
Mr. B. did not sing as he usually did, but any conversation they had on that morning’s ride to work was devoid of any reference to Jimmy or his arrest.
When they got to work Mr. B. said to Clarence: “Jerld will be working the third floor alone, if he needs help I would appreciate it if you would see that he gets it.”
Clarence said: “Yes Sir.”
Jerld was impressed that there was no questioning about where or what happened to Jimmy. If Mr. B. wanted Clarence to know he would have told him. Since he did not, Clarence accepted that without any further explanations.
Jerld went up to his office and when he walked in the first thing he saw was the message light blinking.
He picked it up and heard Mrs. Wells voice. She seemed concerned as she said: “Jimmy or Jerld please come see me as soon as you get in.”

Jerld check his other messages and none were of importance. He decided he would go get Mrs. Leslie’s paper then go see Mrs. Wells.
When Jerld reached Mrs. Wells’ door he was a little hesitant to knock, but he did.
Mrs. Wells voice called out; “The doors open come in.” When Jerld walked Mrs. Wells was dressed in her usual white terry sweat suit. It clung to her body as if it had so much static electricity in it, that it was being absorbed by her golden brown skin. Jerld could see the disappointment in her face as she asked: “Jimmy is not in today?”
Jerld decide to get the unpleasant task of telling her about Jimmy over right away.
He said: “No Ma’am, Jimmy probably won’t be around here any more.”
The color drained out of her face and she grabbed at her chest and said: “Oh my God, he is OK isn’t he, was he in some sort of accident?” Sitting down on the white tufted couch she patted the space beside her and said: “Come sit, tell me what has happened to my dear sweet Jimmy.”
Jerld decided that since Jimmy trusted and had shown a great deal of care for this woman.


He would tell her as much as he thought she could handle with out destroying her and Jimmy’s relationship. As Jerld started to talk he could see a complete change coming over this pleasant devil may care woman. She only stopped him once as he was unloading the entire situation from beginning to end. That was when he was telling her of the hardships that Jimmy had had while growing up in Gary.
She asked: “Does Jimmy have a father and mother and are they poor. “
Jerld responded with; “He has never known his father and his mother is a prostitute working the streets and bars in Gary.” She nodded and Jerld continued. When he had finished he saw a completely different woman sitting next to him.
She said: “Jerld don’t worry I will get Jimmy and you if you need one, the best lawyers money can buy. You are the result of a society that is prevalent in towns and cities like Gary. It isn’t your fault that you both had to grow up in an atmosphere of despair, distrust and a depressive social surrounding. I came from that type of environment and I know what it’s like and what it can do to you. Jerld leave this in my hands and we will see what we can do.”
Jerld could see the anger in her eyes and hear it in her voice.


There was no doubt that this was not a women who just got her kicks out of being eye candy for any male from sixteen to sixty.
“Jerld I want you to contact Mr. B. and please have him here at three o’clock to meet with you and I and my lawyers. Please go now I have a lot I must do before then.” With that she excused her self and walked over and picked up a gold colored phone. Jerld left.
Jerld had told Mr. B. of the scheduled meeting and as he was leaving his office, Mr. B. said: “Jerld you have done something terribly wrong, and God is the only one who can judge you and Jimmy on the righteousness of your actions. What you do from this day on will have a lasting affect on both of your lives.”
“Whenever you are required to answer questions about these actions think carefully about everything you say and who you are saying it to. Remember justice is not always interested in finding out the truth. Many times it is more interested in expediency then the factual discovery of the truth.”
Jerld paused at the door and said: “Mr. B., whatever happens I want you to know that living with you and your family has been one of the most enjoyable times of my life. I only wish Jimmy and I had this opportunity several years ago, we probably would not be in the situation we now are in.”

As Jerld turned to leave he saw a slight watery glaze come to Mr. B.’s eyes. Jerld’s eyes also begin to water and he bowed his head so no one could see. Tears were not acceptable on the streets of Gary where he grew up.


















Chapter Twenty-Three: The Trial Team is Assembled
Jerld and Mr. B. were standing at Mrs. Wells’ door as the big hand on the hallway clock begin its slow pass over the number twelve. Mr. B. had rang the apartment doorbell and they were waiting for a response.
The door opened and there stood a woman that Mr. B. and Jerld had never seen before. She had a skin color that could only be described as golden mahogany. It was as if God could not decide if she was to be born a red, black or white woman, so he combined all three. Her hair, what you could see of it, was silver. It was pulled back so tight against her temples that only from the back could you see that it had any body to it at all. To Jerld it looked like she was dressed in a dark blue man’s suit that had very fine vertical gold stripes spaced every have inch covering the entire suit jacket. As Jerld let his eyes drift downward he then noticed that the bottom of the coat did not meet with finely tailored pants as most men’s suits do, but started the cascade of a matching skirt that flowed to the floor as if it was a beautiful drape meant only for the finest windows.
To Jerld this was not a woman you would talk with, but was a window mannequin meant only to be stared at.
The window women spoke: “”Good Mr. B., I am glad you and Jerld were able to meet with me.

Please come in, I have someone I would like you to meet.”
To Jerld the voice was somewhat familiar, but he just could not place it. As the nicely dressed mannequin turned to walk away her hand full of diamond rings caught Jerld’s eye. Mrs. Wells, he thought this is Mrs. Wells. At that moment he realized that this was the first time he had ever seen her dressed in anything other then her white sweats, or in some stage of undress. Usually her beautiful hair was cascading down to her shoulders in tight little silver curls. He marveled at the way she looked, so business like and confident in herself and her purpose.
“Mr. Bailey, she said, I would like to introduce you and Jerld to my legal staff.” Pointing towards the two men and a woman, sitting on the white couch. It was a strange looking trio.
The first man sitting the closest to them looked as if he was possibly in his seventies. He had graying hair that curled over his ears and the frayed collar of his pale blue shirt. It was obvious that the suit that hung on his body had hung there for a few days; maybe it had been worn for a month, a year, or forever. It was impossible to tell.
The wrinkles on his jacket had wrinkles, and the only creases in his pants were the ones worn thin covering his now bent knees. The suit, in its better days, would not have been on the good rack in any clothing store.

The one thing that made you look twice was his tiepin. It was huge for a tie stickpin, about the size of a half dollar, and a very bright gold colored. It was a statue of blind folded woman wearing a long dress that hung to the ground. In her right hand she held a sword that pointing to the ground. In her left hand was an old scale, one like Jerld had seen in the fruit stand where he had worked as a kid. Jerld recognized this as being something like the plaque he had seen hanging on the wall in the lobby of the jail that he had just visited the day before. What was different with this one was that from both scale trays you could clearly see money falling into a large pile at the statue’s feet. The statue had a grin on her face that went from ear to ear.
The man sitting in the middle of the couch was black. Coming from Gary Jerld had seen many different degrees of black skin. Some blacks had a complexion that could pass for white, then there were others so dark they could not be seen at all on a moonless night. This man had the darkest skin color that Jerld had ever seen; it appeared to be as black as ebony wood.
His face was blank, no expression or sign of recognition could be seen. There was not a wrinkle, a line, or even a lip line to be seen. There were no eyebrows, hair or blemishes anywhere on his face or head. His glasses were just that, no frames, no nose or earpieces to hold them up or on. They just sat perched on the bridge of a wide ski-sloped nose.

He wore a black turtleneck sweater, with a tiny gold chain and cross hanging around his neck. His black pants were sharply creased and they draped to his ankles forming a tight ring of material just above his shoes. His shoes were white and they looked as if they were made out of some type of unidentifiable leather or skin. He stared at Jerld with eyes that Jerld had seen many times on the streets of Gary. They were looking for a fight and they belonged to someone who always won.
Then there was this little bit of a woman sitting at the far end of the couch. She had on a blue skirt and a white blouse and a light blue sweater hung around her shoulders, and a big blue band tied around her pulled back dirty blond hair. Her shoes were black with rounded toes and a silver buckle connected the straps. She reminded Jerld of the one of those high school girls that would come to Gary to see their all white basketball team get their asses kicked by an all black Gary school’s team.
They would giggle and tee-hee during the entire game. After the game was over they would form into a large group and a teacher would lead them out to their bus parked in the school lot. They acted as if they were afraid that some big black boogieman would jump out of the bushes and rape all of them.


If they only knew, most of the black kids in Gary wouldn’t have wanted to piss on them, let alone screw one of their white asses. Jerld thought to himself: “This lady did not belong on the couch; she belonged behind a counter at a drug store somewhere. She didn’t look up, she sat with a pencil in her hand and a tablet on he lap. The pencil was moving rapidly across the tablet.
Mrs. Wells said: “Mr. Bailey, these are the three attorneys that will be representing Jimmy in his trial and any other hearings that he or Jerld may need them for. They are the best that there is; don’t let their appearance fool you. They don’t lose.”
“The older gentleman is Mr. B.T. Graves; he has been my attorney for forty years. The next gentleman Mr. Kyle Tangent is the son of my gardener, who passed away twenty-three years ago. Since that time I have raised him as a son and seen to it that he received the best education he could get.
He is a graduate of Purdue and Harvard Law School. Kyle and Mr. Graves have been law partners for the last nine years. Mr. Graves has taught him well. By the way Kyle is totally deaf. He reads lips and can speak, but he prefers to use sign language. He fell from my front porch trying to catch my dog for me, suffering a brain injury. You will find that Kyle is one of the most intelligent individuals you will ever meet.

His not hearing or speaking is not a handicap it is an asset, as you will soon find out. If you notice Kyle wears all black except for the gold cross and the white shoes. The cross reminds him of how much God has given him. He says he wears the white shoes to remind him of all of the support he has been given by the white friends he has met and learned to love. They also remind him that those white people who have shown a prejudice towards his skin color or because of his hearing impairment deserved to be stepped on and then left behind.”
Mrs. Wells continued: “Last but not least is Miss Tail, her first name is Judith but she prefers to be called M.T and I would suggest that you remember that. If you don’t, you will see a side of M.T. that you will not like. She is also a graduate of Harvard Law and was the top of her class in scholastics and in aggressiveness. She dresses the way she does for a purpose; don’t let her appearance or her softness fool you.”
She has a photographic memory and remembers everything she hears, sees, or reads. Her talents will not only impress you but as you will see they also intimidate opposing attorneys.”
“M.T. How many murder trials have there been in the United States in the last ten years and how many ended in a convictions?”


With out a second of thought M. T. responded: “”Would you like the numbers by state or in chronological order?”
Mrs. Wells just smiled and said: “Never mind I am sure you know and we don’t have the time right now.”
“Mr. Bailey, and you too Jerld, deserve to know a little about me since we are going to be working closely together on Jimmy’s defense. I was born in Jamaica sixty-two years ago. My family and I lived in a very small village that had no running water or electricity. Our home was a mud brick and thatch roofed one room shack. But to us it was home and my brother and I felt like we were as well off as any of our other neighbors. This was because my mother and father taught us to be thankful for what ever God had given us.”
“When I was thirteen and Judie, my brother, was eleven years old, my father decided that we would move to the United States. So with only twenty-six American dollars and the clothes on our backs we left our home.”
“Both my mother and father got a job on a boat scrubbing the decks on their hands an knees in return for our passage to the United States. We had no papers of any kind and it was made clear to us that once we got to the U.S. we would just be dumped and we would be on our own.”


“We ended up landing in Miami and were taken off the boat in wooden crates. After nightfall we were able to loosen an end of the crate and get out. We scurried from crate to crate, so as not to be seen, until we were able to get off the dock. As we huddle together on a street corner not knowing what to do or where to go, a black man approached us. After a short conversation he pulled out a knife and robbed my father of our twenty-six dollars and his shoes.”
“Terrified we just started to walk. The area we were in was poorly lit and dirty. The streets were lined with clapboard rundown houses separated every so often by just as unsightly little taverns My father walked into the first tavern we came to with all of us in tow.”
“Bare bulb lights hung from the ceilings and there were several black men sitting at a hand built two by four bar, covered with plywood. Orange crates were the only other seats and they were scattered everywhere.”
“Many were stacked up against the dirty walls, that had not seen paint or a dust rag for many years.”
“At the rear of the bar hung was a large very dirty red curtain and men were lined up in a row waiting to step behind it.”
As we all watched, “Suddenly the line of men dispersed and from behind the curtain walked a woman who appeared to be a doll.

Her face was white as milk and her lips had red smeared lipstick from each corner of her mouth. Her blond hair was tied up with a red ribbon, but both it and her hair looked like they hadn’t been washed since the walls had been. “She was dressed in a bright red shinny dress, black net hose and wore purple high heel shoes.”
“This woman after straightening up her dress and pulling up her hose walked straight towards us. Approaching my father, her voice gargled out:
“You ain’t got any money and you are looking for work ain’t ya.” It was not a questioned it was a fact that no doubt she had stated many times before.”
“Well I don’t need any of you except that there pretty little girl,” she said, pointing at me. “Leave her with me and the rest of you can go out back and pick out one of my sheds to stay in for the time being. I’ll send out some beans and pork for you to eat.
There is a toilet and a wash bowl in the corner, so stay inside until the little lady is done working for the evening.”
“My father and mother look at each other with a look of helplessness and then turned, and with my brother in hand, walk out the back door not saying a word to me.”
“Missy you can call me Mother Bell and if you do what I tell you, I will pay you two dollars every day.” “Do you understand?”

Mrs. Wells continued: “I had never been paid even a penny before and for two dollars I could by enough food to feed my whole family, I decided I would and could do anything for that much money. I nodded and looking down at the floor said; “Yes.”
“I grew up quickly over the next few months, because Mother Bell not only owned the bar she was its only prostitute, until I came. The first couple of weeks were horrible, but true to her word and the end of each evening she would hand me two one dollar silver pieces. She continued to feed my whole family and let us live in the shack. So the two dollars was ours to save or spend as we wished. My mother and father never entered that tavern again or asked me what I had to do for the much needed money. They along with my brother each got jobs on the dock making fifty cents a day.”
Together we were making three dollars and fifty cents a day. Each evening my father collected it and placed it in a can under the floor behind the toilet stool.
We had spent a little over a year living in that old shack, when one day my father said: “Tomorrow we are riding a train to Chicago. Be ready to leave before day break so we can be on the train before Mother Bell gets up.”
“My mother had learned to write a little and sat down and scribbled out a note for Mother Bell.

It said: “We are a proud family and know that without your help and kindness we could not have stayed together, thanks.” “Then my mother signed it by drawing a pair of praying hands. She then folded two silver dollars up into the note and laid it on top of the table.”
“When we had gotten to Chicago my father had almost a thousand dollars left after paying for the train ride. We started to walk away from the train station when we past a small restaurant that had a sign in the front window that said: “For Sale.” Without a moment of hesitation my father went into the restaurant, with us in tow, and asked to see the owner. A small balding Italian man came out and my father in very broken English asked; “How much you want. I give you six hundred for whole thing.” The balding man smiled and said; “It’s the best offer I have had today so it’s yours.”
The restaurant was named The Wells Street Inn and from that day on everyone referred to us as the Wells who own the restaurant. That became our names and I was to become Jessica Wells from that day on.”
“I cooked in that restaurant seven days a week and enjoyed every minute of it. After a few hard years the restaurant became very profitable and my father continued to buy old houses and businesses in the neighborhood.”


“One day a white gentleman came into our little restaurant and offered to by all of the properties that our family owned which at that time sat in the center of downtown Chicago. My father took the offer and then through very prudent investments he along with my mother, brother and I became very wealthy. My Mother and father have now passed away and my brother was killed by a drunk driver, so I became the soul heir to all the family’s wealth.”
“Now that we all know each other, Jerld I want you to tell us everything that you know about Jimmy’s trouble, and do not leave out a thing. We may stop you from time to time for a clarification, but keep in mind we need to know exactly what happened.”











Chapter Twenty-Four: The Pre-Trial Work Begins.
Jerld search his mind looking for a starting point. He decided he would begin from the day Jimmy and him walked out of school for the last time and their drug dealing began. He slowly told of their first attempts and how after awhile it became a job and they never really thought of the consequences.
The money started to come in slowly at first and then it grew to the point that they were not able to find enough street drugs so they started looking for a supplier. It was only a matter of time until Ronnie K. contacted them. He was known to them by reputation, and they knew that he could get them what they wanted and as much as they wanted.
Mr. Graves held up his hand, palm facing Jerld and said “Stop, Tell us how you first met Ronnie K., I want to hear where, how and what was said. This is very important don’t leave out any thing.”
Jerld thought for a minute and then he began. “It was about two and a half years ago and it was a very hot evening in July or August. Jimmy and I had picked up five or six lids of heroin from a small time Smack dealer from the Miller section of Gary. We had cut them in half with milk sugar, in hopes of doubling our investment.”
“It didn’t take us long until we had sold all but two lids.


We were standing on our usual corner at Twenty-fifth and Broadway when we saw the ugliest Cadillac you could ever imagine pull up and stop down Broadway a few yards north of us.”
“Out of this roach-machine jumps a huge black brother. In a few steps he was in Jimmy’s face complaining about the “Shit” Jimmy and I had sold him and that he was going to get his money back out of our asses. You don’t talk to Jimmy that way no matter haw big or tough you think you are. Without a word being said Jimmy kick this big buck right between the legs and down he went rolling on the ground and screaming at the top of his lungs.”
“You kicked me you son-of-a-bitch, you kicked me you son-of-a-bitch.” the big guy squealed.
“Jimmy was just about to kick him again when a bullet flew over his head striking the corner of the phone both. Jimmy stopped in mid-kick and looked up and saw Ronnie K. standing along side of his puke bucket of a car. Ronnie had a semi-automatic handgun pointed at Jimmy’s head.”
Ronnie K. said; “Whoa boy, that’s my man you’re kicking.”
“To the man on the ground he said: “Enough get back in the car.”
Like a gorilla straightening up to his full height, to intimidate a foe, the brother got up.

Glaring at Jimmy he said: “Next time Brother,” then he walked to the car and got in.
“Ronnie K. still with the gun in his hand said: “You don’t have to sell that shit, I’ll fix you up with some good quality.”
“He then handed me a card,” Jerld said, and then as he was walking away he said; “Call Me.”
I then looked down at the card that he had handed me and it said in big bold letters: “Wholesale Supplier of Everything. Call Anytime R.K.” followed by a phone number.
I handed the card to Jimmy and said: “Were in business now.”
From that moment on Ronnie K. supplied with whatever we needed. We started with a twenty five- seventy-five split, but eventually we ended up splitting sixty-forty, with him getting the largest share.
All the time Jerld was explaining Mr. Graves was nodding, Kyle was staring straight at Jerld’s lips and little Miss Tail never quit writing on her lap tablet.
Jerld continued trying not to leave anything out. He told of their unexpected visit to Ronnie K.’s pad and the three white guys in suits.
How the little kid killer tried to shoot them a short time later. He tried to cover everything and told it as best he could exactly as it happened.

Every once in a while Mr. Graves would stop and ask a question. Kyle stared and M.T. wrote. He told of the shooting and the stolen car, the car chase and their arrest in Jasper County. Briefly he described what happened to him and his cellmate Harris.
He quickly explained the episode with the tow truck operator, and finished with how he ended up in Chicago, with Mr. Bailey and his family.
When he had finished Mr. Graves said: “Jerld you will never again talk about what you have just told us tonight unless I am with you, do you understand?” Jerld nodded. Mr. Graves looked around the room and repeated the same thing to everyone else in the room and they all nodded in unison.
Graves looked at Miss Tail and asked: “Well?”
M.T. stood up and said: “It will be difficult but we not only can win this we may even be able to keep Jerld from ever being charged. It will be tricky and we may have to call in some favors but it’s doable.”
Mr. Graves turned to Mrs. Wells and asked: “Jessica do you have any questions or anything you want to add?”
Mrs. Wells just said: “Win it and there will be a hundred “Gs” in it for you and your staff B.T.”


Graves smiling said: “You will get your money’s worth Jessica, I promise you.” With that he nodded to Kyle and M. T. and they got up and briskly walked out the door.
Mrs. Wells turned to Mr. B. and Jerld and said: “Jerld you and Jimmy are in good hands now, and whatever the out come is I want you to know that I will always be in your corner. Young men like you and Jimmy are born with two strikes against you and the third strike is heading toward home plate every day and every minute of your lives. I now have the ability and the finances to have some control on all those third strikes that have been thrown at our race for so many years. I’m not an umpire in the ballgame of life, but I sure can be one hell of a backstop. Mr. B. I trust that you will see that I am kept informed and that you will see to it that Jerld’s needs are taken care of. Now gentlemen it is time for me to get out of my working clothes and into my sweats.”
With a smile and a friendly wave of her hand she motioned them to the door.
Jerld and Mr. B. continued with their regular schedules except for Wednesdays and Saturdays when they would make their weekly trips to see Jimmy.


Jimmy was adjusting well at the county jail and at each visit he would describe some meal or desert he had learned to make. He was especially proud of his cakes and bake goods. He said he always did his best to see that the food he was assigned to prepare was the best he could make it.
To both Jerld and Mr. B. it seemed like Jimmy was not at all bothered by being in jail. As he described the long hours he spent in the jail’s kitchen, you would think he was working in a little corner restaurant where everybody knew each other and would stop in every day for the blue plate special.
Jerld also saw something else in Jimmy’s demeanor, he saw a growing confidence and pride in Jimmy, and it was as if the chef’s hat Jimmy wanted to wear someday would soon be his. Jerld felt bad for Jimmy having to take the rap for Nads’ death, but he could see happiness in Jimmy’s eyes, that he had never seen before.
Almost daily during or the next several months Jerld would receive a call from Mr. Graves or M.T. to clarify something or for some additional information.
He also learned from his visits with Jimmy that at least once a week Mr. Graves and M.T. or Kyle and M.T. would visit Jimmy and discuss the case.

Jimmy’s would only say that they would ask him a lot of questions that he had to think awful hard about to even remember.
Seven months had gone by when Jerld was called by M.T. and told that he was going to have to go down to the Gary Police station to give a deposition. He asked what that was and she said that the prosecutor, the man that was going to try to put Jimmy in jail, wanted to ask Jerld questions about Nads” shooting. M.T. told him not to worry, Kyle and Mr. Graves would be there with him and they would help him through it.
It was a cold fall day and the wind was blowing very hard down the corridor created by the downtown buildings along Broadway. Jerld prepared himself for the cold by pulling his sweater collar up around his neck, he shivered and hunched down in the front seat of the car. He didn’t want to admit it to himself, but the shivers were not just from the cold, he was afraid that he might be seen by some of Ronnie K’s people. If that happened whoever saw him would make a beeline to a phone and drop a dime on Ronnie K. To Ronnie K. a police station was as good as any place to get his revenge. If he knew Jerld was in town every window and every street corner could have Jerld’s executioner waiting and willing to do Ronnie K‘s dirty work.


Thanks to Kyle he didn’t have anything to worry about, the car Kyle had picked him up in had tinted windows and when they got to the police station Kyle drove around back and into the police garage. There waiting for them was Mr. Graves and M.T., both looked like they still had on the same clothes that they had wore the first time he had met with them.
Graves smiled and offered his hand to Jerld and said: “This will be OK. I will be sitting across from you beside the prosecutor.”
“Before you answer any questions wait a few seconds to give me a chance to object. If I don’t just tell the truth as best you can remember. If you don’t remember exactly just say: “I don’t recall.”
The three of them walked into a door that led to some stairs and then up to a small hallway with several doorways, all were closed. As Jerld walked down the hallway he saw a big sign that read Chief, next to that was another door with a sign that read conference room.
Mr. Graves paused at this door and turned to look at Jerld and asked: “Are you ready?” Jerld Just nodded.
The room was brightly lit and was the about size of the bedroom that Jimmy and Jerld had shared at Mr. B’s. Instead of a couple of beds there was a large oval table that appeared to be in pretty bad shape. The wooden edges were discolored and scared.

The table top, which originally must have been some type of wood veneer, now had a cracked and peeling surface that at the present time was covered with stacks of papers. The table was surrounded with six high back fake leather chairs and one wooded straight-backed armless chair sitting in the middle of one side of the table. Three of the chairs were already filled with three white men. Each was wearing an identical suit, grayish with little thin blue lines. The suits reminded Jerld of those that Mr. B. wore to work everyday. Two of them had on white shirts and their bellies were covered with thin red and white striped ties.
Sitting in the center of the other two was a strange looking little man. Instead of a white shirt he wore a light blue shirt with a small white collar. He was very thin and had hair that looked like a recently plowed field. On the top of his head were several dark lines of hair separated by furrows of bright shining skin. He wore large black-rimmed glasses that looked as if they should have a plastic nose and a mustache attached to them.
The glasses only enhanced the comical look of the huge red bow tie he wore around his neck. Mr. Graves pointed to the uncomfortable looking wooden chair and said: “Jerld you sit there.”
“Kyle and M.T. you take the other two. I will sit over here with these fine gentlemen so I will able to hear them better.”

Then looking at the other three he said: “Gentlemen I am somewhat hard of hearing so if you don’t mind I will sit on this side of the table so I can hear everything clearly.”
The little man with the bow tie nodded OK and said: “Lets get on with this we have another hearing in court in two hours.” “Mrs. Kelso,” he hollered, “You can come in now.”
A door at the other end of the room opened and in walked a sixty plus year old women carrying what looked to Jerld as if it was some type of small typewriter and her own stool. With out a word she walked straight to the end of the table, set the stool down and then plopped her very large ass down on it. Then she straightened her glasses and set what looked like several miniature rolls of toilet paper on the table.
Looking up towards everyone she said: “Mr. Buffman I am ready.”
The little man started to talk and as he did the toilet paper lady’s fingers begin to type.
“Jerld Dewayne Mitchell that is your full name is it not?” bowtie asked. “My name is Ray Buffman and to my left is Jon Burkette and to my right is Thomas Manes.
I am the Lake County Prosecutor and these two are assistant prosecutors. Do you know what a prosecutor?”

Jerld looked at Mr. Graves and after a few seconds said, “No Sir, I don’t.”
“Well Jerld we are attorneys and we will be the ones who will be in court making every effort that we can to see that your friend Jimmy Tyler receives the punishment he deserves for killing Mr. Jerome Styles. Better known as Nads.”
Jerld started to say something but then a look in Mr. Graves’ eyes told him to be still.
“This is called a deposition,” bowtie continued: “That’s where we will ask you several questions and you are required by law to answer them truthful and to the best of your ability.” “Do you understand or have any questions before we start?”
That look was still in Mr. Graves’ eyes so Jerld did not answer.
Looking at Mrs. Kelso he said: “Swear him in and let’s get started.”
Mrs. Kelso looked at “Jerld and lifting her right hand palm forward she said: “Raise your right and repeat after me.”
“I, state your full name, do here by swear to tell the truth and nothing but the truth so help me God.”
Jerld mimicked her words and as he did he wondered how she would know if he was telling the truth or not.

When he was done Buffman said: “State your name and spell it for the record.”
Jerld complied.
Buffman continued: “Mr. Mitchell were you acquainted with Mr. Jerome Styles better known by the name of Nads?”
Jerld didn’t have a chance to answer Graves interrupted with: “Mr. Mitchell invokes the fifth and refuses to answer on grounds that it may incriminate him.”
You would have thought that Graves had just threw a round house punch hitting all three men at the same time, only stopping when it neared Mrs. Kelso. Her expression never changed, she just kept typing as the small roll of toilet paper uncoiled from the typewriter and tumbled to the floor.
Buffman jump from his chair and said: “What’s this bull shit, is he going to answer any of our questions today?”
Graves stood up and as he did he gathered the papers that were stretched out in front of him on the table.
“Mr. Buffman,” he said, not looking in his direction; “Mr. Mitchell is my client and my advice to him is for him to take the fifth on any of the questions you may have for him. Let’s cut through all of this and get down to why we are here today.”

“You want my client to give you information that will help you prosecute Jimmy Tyler. “We are willing to give it to you in fact I am sure with what Mr. Mitchell can tell you, I can almost guarantee that you will send Jimmy Tyler to jail.”
“My client is willing to tell you everything he knows about Jerome Styles’ death, but only after he receives full immunity from prosecution on this case any other charges that my develop as a result of his testimony.”
“We want that in writing and it must be approved by the court of jurisdiction before we will give you any information.”
Graves sat back down in his chair and said: “We will wait.”
The three men got up and went to the furthest corner of the room and started to discuss the matter in whispered voices. By their actions it was evident that there was a disagreement as to what was being said by the Prosecutor. As they talked their hands and arms looked like tree limbs in a strong wind, up, then down, and then waving back and forth.
After a few minutes the taller one that had been introduced as Jon Burkette turned, and shaking his head from side to side, walked away. That left the shorter one Thomas Manes, and the prosecutor standing nose to nose in what appeared to be strong disagreement.
Suddenly Buffman abruptly turned and walked back to the table.

By this time Burkette had already sat down in his chair. Manes still stood in the corner of the room with hands on his hips as if he was mad and didn’t want to be part of what was going to happen.
As Buffman was straightening his bow tie he said: “My assistants and I have agreed to accept your offer. We will have the immunity pre-offer prepared to take before the judge this after noon. We will be ready to have you review it and have your client sign it by ten tomorrow morning.”
Like a tiny bantam rooster, Mr. Buffman, stood up as tall as he could and with a smirk of a smile said: “Mr. Graves we expect you to have your client here at that time ready to tell us everything. Do I make my self clear Mr. Graves?”
As if his chair was a Lazy-Boy rocker Graves leaned backward almost to the point of tipping over and with smile ear to ear he responded: “Settle down Ray before that vein in your neck bursts and your cute little bow tie flies off. We will be here.”
With that Buffman and his two now somewhat pissed off assistants got up and walk out of the room.
Graves looked at Kyle and M.T. and winked and said: “Let’s go.”
Down the hall and the stairs, Graves and his little parade walked as if they were heroes returning home the war.

Not a word was being said, but every one of the four marchers knew that they had won the first battle.
When they got to the car Graves said: “Now you are going to see why Kyle and M.T. are so valuable to this team.”
Kyle got into the drivers seat, Graves the front passenger seat and Jerld and M.T. shared the back.
“Graves said: Kyle lets drive.”
M.T. started turning pages in the yellow note pad until she found a blank one and said: “OK Kyle I’m ready.”
Kyle, in the thick brogue of person who had never actually heard a spoken word began; “When they first got back to the corner Burkett exploded and said to Buffman: “Ray that’s bull shit we have enough to hang that little bastard along with his friend Jimmy Tyler, don’t give him shit.”
Then Manes started in: “Ray I don’t give a shit if you need to win this one for the election coming up or not. Don’t cut this guy any slack; he probably was the son of a bitch that killed old Nads in the first place.”
Buffman lost his temper and said: “You both know that if I loose this case that ass Wallford will probably beat me. If I don’t get elected both of you will be out on the street looking for a job.”
“So I’ll cut any asshole a deal for a guarantee to win.”

Burkette then said, “Ray you do whatever you have to, I just don’t want to be any part of this. You have already decided what you are going to do, so do it and leave me out of it. That’s when Burkette walked away.” Kyle continued.
Jerld just sat there in awe. He had forgotten that Kyle was deaf and read lips. Then there was Miss Tail, pencil in hand she was scribbling as fast as Kyle could dictate what he had seen the three attorney’s say.
“Manes was also upset with Buffman and was pleading with him to, “Just let Burkette and I at these guys we got a good case and we can win it for you Ray.”
“When Buffman was pointing his finger at Manes he was saying.” “I’m going to try this case and you and Burkette are going to assist me. Do you understand the word assist? I’ll make the decisions and you will live by them if you want to continue working at the prosecutor’s office.” That is when Buffman turned and came back to the table,” Kyle finished.
Mr. Graves chuckled and said to Jerld: “Aren’t these two something? Wait till you see them in court. We know what the other tables of attorneys are discussing with each other, before they finish their talk”.
“Kyle, take M.T. and I back to our car and I want to see everyone in my office at eight tomorrow morning.

Kyle will pick you up at Mr. Bailey’s house at seven Jerld.”
Jerld was not sure of what had happened at the police station. All he was sure of was that Graves and everyone else in the car was in a very good mood. He figured if that was the case then what ever had happened must be good for Jimmy. He didn’t feel comfortable with the statement Graves had made about him telling everything at tomorrow morning’s meeting.
Jerld stayed quiet on the ride home he was thinking of what he would tell Buffman and his sidekicks tomorrow. If there was one thing he knew for sure, it was that he wouldn’t be telling them everything he knew about Nads’ killing. If he did that, surely both he and Jimmy would go to jail for a long time. Maybe they both could even be sentenced to death.
The next morning at breakfast he told Mr. B., Rose and the girls exactly what had happened at the police station and what was said.
Mr. B. thought for a few minutes and then said: “Mrs. Wells says that they are the best team of lawyers money can buy, and she trusts their judgment.
Tomorrow Jerld I think it would be in your and Jimmy’s best interests if you do exactly what Mr. Graves tells you to do, no matter what it is.”
Rose and the girls all stood up as Jerld got up to leave and followed him and Mr. B. to the front door.

Rose kissed Mr. B. and then turned to Jerld and kissed him on the cheek and said: “Don’t worry, you are in good hands between God and the lawyers you couldn’t ask for better help. Remember to ask for God’s help, whenever you need him he will be there.”
Each of the girls also gave him a kiss on the cheek except for Olivia she reach up and pulled down his head and planted a kiss on his forehead and said: “ Everything will turn out all right you’ve got me in your corner.”
Jerld laughed and as he walked out the door he said: “I’ll tell those other lawyers that and I’m sure they’ll just give up on the spot. How can they have any chance at all against Olivia the lawyer?”
Mr. B. got into the driver’s seat of his Buick and said with a smile: “I’ll expect you to be back to work in the morning” and then drove off.
Kyle was just rounding the corner in the same tinted windowed car he had driven yesterday. When he pulled up to the curb Jerld turned and waved to Rose and the girls and then got into the front seat.
It was a forty-minute ride to the building that housed Mr. Graves’ law office, it was a silent ride.
Kyle just said: “Jerld, Mr. Graves is one of the best attorneys that there is. Don’t let his laid back attitude bother you.”


He knows what he is doing and what ever he does will be done in a way to benefit both you and Jimmy Tyler.” Jerld didn’t respond he was in deep thought “How could it benefit him or Jimmy if he told the truth?”
The office building was in an area surrounded by small shops. Within a block or so walk you probably could buy anything from a potato to a pistol. You also are able to hire anyone from hat maker to a hit man. It was that kind of neighborhood. Mr. Graves’ office fit right in with the other buildings. It could have been used as shoe shop or a corner grocery store before he set up his office in it. There was still a long rusty steel pole hanging perpendicular to the building, right above the entrance, that simple said: “Lawyers.” Jerld wondered how many other signs had hung from those now deteriorating pool hooks.
When Jerld entered into the lobby of the building he could not believe what he was seeing. There were no separating walls. Only shelves full of books separated the lobby, the desk cubicles and probably even the toilet he thought. Blue books, red books, green books, tan books, some old and some very old.
They were not lined up in the neatly ordered rows like you’d see in a library, they were stacked one on top of each other as if one pile was meant for one purpose and another pile meant something else.

In the center cubicle was a large very orderly desk and directly behind it was a bookshelf full of what looked like new books. All the same tan color and in the library rows. At the desk sat Miss Trail and in front of her, on the desk were several of the newer books and her yellow lined tablet.
She looked up and said: “Jerld you’re a couple minutes early. Mr. Graves will be with us in a minute. Can I get you a coke or something?”
Jerld nodded his head no; as he was offered the only other chair in M.T.’s cubical.
Kyle had disappeared into the depths of book land and somewhere off in this clustered book world Jerld could here Kyle and Mr. Graves talking. The words were hard to understand but Jerld did hear Mr. Graves say: “Hell if this works out we should be able to get both of them out of this mess.” Jerld smiled.
M.T.’s phone rang and she said: “We’ll be right in.” M.T. then led Jerld through the maze of bookshelves until they rounded a corner and there sat Mr. Graves behind an enormous desk piled high with books and papers.

Chapter Twenty-Five: Real Justice is Debatable

Kyle was sitting in front of Mr. Graves’ desk when they entered. There were two more vacant chairs on either side of him. He got up and moved to one of the side chairs and pointed Jerld to the middle one. He and M.T. took the empty chairs and waited for Graves to say something.
It seemed to Jerld that several minutes had passed before Mr. Graves looked up and said: “Jerald I think we can work this out so you will not have to serve anytime in jail at all. If all goes the way I have planned it, Jimmy will get a couple of years to serve and we will try to get it so those are served in the Lake County Jail, not at the prison in Michigan City. How does that sound to you?”
At first Jerld didn’t know what to say, “I’m the one that should go to jail not Jimmy, he only did what I told him to do. I blasted Nads not Jimmy,” he responded.
Graves’ face became very stern as he looked over the desk at Jerld. He folded his hands and laid his arms on top of the desk. “Jerld you didn’t kill Nads, the streets of Gary and the society that leaves people like you in that environment are the killers of people like Nads. From the day your born young men like you and Jimmy have one chance in a thousand to grow up into an adult and not have been killed or put in a jail to rot.

Our society has created an underbelly of second class citizens whose destiny is preordained to die in jail or on the street. You and Jimmy were never given the opportunity to grow up in an atmosphere of white picket fences and crime free streets. Instead drug dealing and murder were the only way of life you knew. To you and Jimmy this criminal environment that you were raised in didn’t have the same meaning as it does to the rest of society. Because of this you did not look down upon the drug dealers, pimps, prostitutes and crime in the same manner as we in the quote, civilized world do.” That’s why you and Jimmy ended up being chased by Nads and all of Ronnie K.’s other death dealing soldiers.”
“Today at this meeting if they give us what we want I want you to tell the truth and don’t leave out a word. If you trust me and do what I say I believe that you and Jimmy will come out of all this in a way that satisfactory to both of you.” “You will have to admit that you killed Nads and when you do, do not try to cover up anything do you understand.”
Jerld started to respond and then stopped.
He remembered what Mr. B. had said at breakfast and what Rose had said to him as she kissed him goodbye. The ride over to the Gary Police Station was a blur of activity. M.T. kept handing Graves' papers.


He would read them and then asked M.T.; “Has Kyle read it?” If her response was yes he would then tell M.T. “Put that in.”
Every so often he would approve some paper and say to M.T. “Kyle” and she would respond “Yes, but he doesn’t think we should use it.” Graves would then just say: “Don’t need it.” If that happened he would hand it to M.T. and say: “Keep it in file.”
When they arrived at the police garage “Mr. Graves leaned over back of the front seat and said: “Jerld when we leave here today we will know what your outcome will be, and you will have to take my word that whatever I say in that room will be in Jimmy best interest.”
With that he reach over the seat with an out stretched hand and said: “Today will be one of the toughest days you have ever had to face, but when it is over you will come out of it a much better man. Trust me.”
They got out of the car and again, as if they were in a parade, with heads held and shoulders pulled back they march up the stairs and down the hall and into the now familiar room.
The prosecutor and his two assistants were already seated in their usual places. Mrs. Kelso also was there with her small toilet paper rolls and tiny typewriter. The formalities over the prosecutor said; “Let’s get this over.”


Buffman handed a sheet of paper to Mrs. Kelso and said: “Mark it as exhibit one.”
She scribbled on it and handed it back to Buffman.
“Mr. Mitchell this is a grant of immunity that has been pre-approved by the court. It says that you will not be prosecuted or charged for any crime that is related in any manner to what we discuss here today. I will hand it to Mr. Graves your attorney and after he has read and approved it you will have to read it and sign it. Then verbally, so it is part of today’s record you will have to answer out loud “yes” if you accept this agreement. Do you understand?”
Jerld looked at Mr. Graves and he nodded “yes.”
Jerld answered: “Yes I understand.”
The prosecutor passed the sheet of paper to Graves. Graves read and passed it on to Jerld and said: “For the record, I, B.T. Graves acting as Mr. Jerld Mitchell’s attorney have read this grant of immunity that has been pre- approved by the Judge Meitzinger presiding Judge of the Circuit Court of Lake County Indiana.
It has been marked as exhibit one and after reading it I recommend that Mr. Jerld Mitchell accepts this offer and sign the agreement.”


He then handed the paper to Jerld. “Read it first and if you have any questions, I or Mr. Buffman will do our best to answer them.”
Jerld began to read it, but he couldn’t concentrate. He kept thinking of what everyone said: “Trust them, trust them” just kept going through his mind. Finally he thought to himself: “Fuck it what ever happens, happens.”
He grabbed the pen that Graves had laid in front of him and scrawled on the line saying signature, Jerld D. Mitchell. When he had done that, a sense of comfort suddenly came over him. Now it was over and he and Jimmy were in it together again. He thought to himself, it was like old times: “J and J did everything together.”
“Mr. Mitchell you have agreed to tell us everything you know about Jerome Styles murder in return for full immunity from prosecution. Do you understand that?” Buffman asked.
Jerld nodded his head yes.
Mr. Mitchell the tape recorder does not hear head shakes you will have to speak up.” Buffman snidely spit out. Jerld looked up into the prosecutor’s eyes and glaring he said: “Yes.”
“Mr. Mitchell start with how you know Jerome Styles and continue telling us what ever you know about his death.” Buffman’s bow tie wiggled as he snorted out his demand.

Jerld began at the time he had first really got to know Nads, that night on the basketball court shooting hoops. He continued with their limited contacts in grade school and high school. He described how he first found out Nads’ was a small time drug dealer and had a reputation as to have killed a couple of small time Smack dealers for Ronnie K. He had no trouble answering any of the questions that Buffman, Burkette or Manes asked him. He just told the truth as he was told to do by Mr. Graves and Mr. Bailey.
When he got to the night where he and Jimmy had went over to Ronnie K.’s place without calling first he started to think before a word passed his lips. How was he going to tell them about his killing Nads? He wanted Graves to interrupt, but he didn’t he just kept looking at Jerld and had a look of pride on his face. Jerld couldn’t understand why Graves would be proud of him? He was a killer.
There were a few questions from Burkette and Manes when he described how he knew they were in trouble when Ronnie K. walked out with the three white guys in suits.
Then when he begin to tell of the small kid coming out of Ronnie K.’s pad and starting to shoot at him and Jimmy, all three looked at each other nodding as if to say, “We heard this before.”


Jerld had been talking for a couple of hours now, and his throat was dry and his dick was about to squirt a river down his leg.
He paused and asked: “Can I have something to drink and I gotta piss.”
Mrs. Kelso continued to type and the small roll of toilet paper spewed out of the tiny typewriter and balled itself up on the floor. It was now a small white mountain of curled up rolls of white paper that reminded Jerld of snow.
Buffman looked at Mrs. Kelso and said: “Lets take a break and would you get Mr. Mitchell something to drink. And then with a grin he said: “Will you asked my fellow barristers if they would like something also?”
Jerld took his time in the bathroom, when he came back a coke was sitting in front of his chair and white Styrofoam coffee cups were in front of Graves, Kyle and M.T.
Graves looked up as Jerld walked in and said: “You’re doing just fine. I know you are getting to the difficult part now, but just remember tell the truth.”
Bow tie and his fellow chair sitters came back into the room smiling and sat down with their white Styrofoam cups in hand.
Buffman said: “Mrs. Kelso let’s go back on record.”

“Jerld you were telling us that you and Jimmy had been shot at and Jimmy and you had run down the street and into an alley. Pick it up from there.”
Jerld continued and told how he had called Tuney to bring them some money and a car. Then he described how Tuney had showed up with Nads hiding in the car.
Jerld could see Buffman squirming in his seat he knew the good part was coming and wanted to hear how Jimmy had killed Nads.
Jerld had to think long and hard about what he said next. The words “Trust them” came to him and he again decided he would.
Jerld then started to describe how he had walked up on Nads blind side. The squirming stopped and Buffman and Burkette and Manes all leaned foreword in their chairs poised so they would not miss a word.
Jerld then said: “I put the gun to the windows and shot Nads in the back of the head, he never knew what hit him.”
Burkette jumped out of his chair screaming: ‘Son of a bitch, Ray I told you not to cut this piece of shit a deal, I told you.” Manes stood up and with his hands on both hips stormed out of the room. Buffman just collapsed in his chair. He looked like he had just shrunk several inches and his bow tie was bobbing up and down like a fishing bobber with a big fish on the line.

Graves, Kyle and M.T. just sat motionless.
No emotion could be seen on their faces at all. Mrs. Kelso sat at her tiny typewriter pecking away recording every word that had or was being said.
Buffman face was white as a ghost he said: “Mrs. Kelso lets take another break.”
He waited until she had stopped typing and then turned to Graves and said: “You Bastard you set me up, you set me up. This will cost me the election and Burkette and Manes will be looking for another job. Do you know what you have done?”
Graves looked at Buffman and said: “I have more bad news for you Ray, I’m also representing Jimmy, and you and I both know you have nothing more then his fingerprint on a teeter-totter and we can explain how that got there.”
“Jerld will take the stand and tell the Jury that he did it all and poor old Jimmy was just along for the ride. You may have a case on Jimmy for aiding in the commission of a murder, but not much more.”
“My client Mr. Tyler will plead guilty to that in return for your
recommendation to the court that he does four to six years in the county jail.”

I would suggest you give my offer some serious consideration.”
“To save you a lot of embarrassment I would think it would be in your best interests that Jerld doesn’t not take the stand and tell everyone he killed Nads and you gave him immunity.”
“Ray I think this deposition is over for now, don’t you? I’ll have Miss Trail contact you in a few days and see what your decision is.”
“Jerld it’s time for us to leave now.” Graves gathered up his papers and turned to walk out the door followed by Kyle and M.T. and Jerld. The parade again proceeded out the door, down the hall, and the steps to the garage.
Jerld thought for a moment he heard a band playing a march somwhere off in the distance, but he could have been wrong.
The following week a hearing was held in the Lake County Circuit Court. The judge, showing a very disgusted look on his face, approved the plea bargain giving Jimmy four to six years in jail, to be served at the Lake County Jail. When it was all done Jimmy turned and smiled at Jerld and said: “It’s ok Jerld, when I get out of here I’ll be a great cook, and don’t worry about me, “THIS JAIL IS BLACK.”
The End