was in town, she’d see me a few minutes if she could.’
‘Who watched the kids if you were in town, or boozing?’ Gazzo asked.
‘Baby-sitters if I had money. Most times Sally Anne took care. What else we supposed to do? Everyone got a right to some livin’ of their own. Her Ma taught Sally Anne good. Annie was a good Ma. Tried real hard for the kids, even for me.’
‘And for herself,’ Gazzo said. ‘The big ambition.’
‘Ain’t a person entitled to what she wants, too? Try for it, leastways?’ Terrell said. ‘I ain’t got much schoolin’, but it seems to me we all got our wants, and who says a woman got to forget it all ’cause of what she done at fourteen? She done her best for her kids, and worked for herself, too. Worked like a field hand. She had to keep us hid, she had to get men to help her out. Sure, it made me feel bad. Sometimes she even had to come in on a date Saturday night, but what else did Annie have to help her? She could’ve done better without us, left us in Arkansas. She didn’t. She was good to us.’
We were all silent for a time. Terrell sat with his big hands clasped between his knees, his head down. The detectives just stood. I read some more graffiti: I’m sorry, Marge, I’m sorry … George M. took a plea … So long, Georgie . …
Gazzo said, ‘An interesting story, Terrell. You thought a lot of Anne. You expect us to swallow that you went on a big binge just because she was taking the kids to North Carolina? It won’t play, Terrell, not with that story.’
For a time Terrell sat motionless, head down, then he took a deep breath. He raised his head. For an instant, a flash, I had a peculiar feeling that he had expected the Captain to react in exactly that way. He began to nod.
‘I guess you figure me too good,’ he said. ‘She told me she was carrying. She told me what she was fixin’ to do. It wasn’t mine, only maybe it was, too, see? Who wouldn’t go get drunk? By Saturday I got worried, though, so went and watched her come home. She looked okay to me, so I come into town an’ took me a good drunk. I was dryin’ out this mornin’ when some fellers got word to me. I snuck on out to Queens. I saw cops, and the kids was gone, so I knew it was true. I come back in the city to drink some more. I was broke, so I went to Sarah.’
I said, ‘Did you know she tried to blackmail Ricardo Vega?’
‘She talked some,’ Terrell admitted. ‘She said maybe we’d have some money; us and for her theatre. Said it was good I was sick the week before she took them two weeks away in January, and she was alone in Queens. Said it was good I got one kind of blood type. I figured she was fixin’ to squeeze this Vega, only I never did know what happened about it. The Vega feller fixed it up for her to get rid of the kid. She had somethin’ wrote down in case Vega couldn’t take her to the place on Saturday. I guess this Vega knew the Doc who done it.’
For a moment, coming like that in his slow voice, the words seemed unimportant enough. A slow bombshell, delayed. But the words were heard after a few beats, and Gazzo stood up in a kind of slow motion.
Gazzo said. ‘She told you Ricardo Vega arranged the abortion? That he was taking her to the doctor himself? Going with her?’
‘Yes, sir, she said that. Vega’s a name you remembers.’
‘What about Ted Marshall?’ I asked.
‘Never heard about him. I guess I didn’t want to know about all her fellers. Just her, and me, and the kids. That’s what I wanted. Don’t just figure what I do now. I got no money, no work. How do I keep the kids? Could take ’em down Arkansas, or send them to her folks in Carolina. Annie wouldn’t like none of that for the kids.’ He sighed deeply, as if hearing Anne Terry and her plans for her children. ‘Well, you think I can see the kids anyway, Captain?’
‘I’ll fix it,’ Gazzo said. ‘We’ve got no reason to hold you now. But we’re going to check your story and your
‘Who watched the kids if you were in town, or boozing?’ Gazzo asked.
‘Baby-sitters if I had money. Most times Sally Anne took care. What else we supposed to do? Everyone got a right to some livin’ of their own. Her Ma taught Sally Anne good. Annie was a good Ma. Tried real hard for the kids, even for me.’
‘And for herself,’ Gazzo said. ‘The big ambition.’
‘Ain’t a person entitled to what she wants, too? Try for it, leastways?’ Terrell said. ‘I ain’t got much schoolin’, but it seems to me we all got our wants, and who says a woman got to forget it all ’cause of what she done at fourteen? She done her best for her kids, and worked for herself, too. Worked like a field hand. She had to keep us hid, she had to get men to help her out. Sure, it made me feel bad. Sometimes she even had to come in on a date Saturday night, but what else did Annie have to help her? She could’ve done better without us, left us in Arkansas. She didn’t. She was good to us.’
We were all silent for a time. Terrell sat with his big hands clasped between his knees, his head down. The detectives just stood. I read some more graffiti: I’m sorry, Marge, I’m sorry … George M. took a plea … So long, Georgie . …
Gazzo said, ‘An interesting story, Terrell. You thought a lot of Anne. You expect us to swallow that you went on a big binge just because she was taking the kids to North Carolina? It won’t play, Terrell, not with that story.’
For a time Terrell sat motionless, head down, then he took a deep breath. He raised his head. For an instant, a flash, I had a peculiar feeling that he had expected the Captain to react in exactly that way. He began to nod.
‘I guess you figure me too good,’ he said. ‘She told me she was carrying. She told me what she was fixin’ to do. It wasn’t mine, only maybe it was, too, see? Who wouldn’t go get drunk? By Saturday I got worried, though, so went and watched her come home. She looked okay to me, so I come into town an’ took me a good drunk. I was dryin’ out this mornin’ when some fellers got word to me. I snuck on out to Queens. I saw cops, and the kids was gone, so I knew it was true. I come back in the city to drink some more. I was broke, so I went to Sarah.’
I said, ‘Did you know she tried to blackmail Ricardo Vega?’
‘She talked some,’ Terrell admitted. ‘She said maybe we’d have some money; us and for her theatre. Said it was good I was sick the week before she took them two weeks away in January, and she was alone in Queens. Said it was good I got one kind of blood type. I figured she was fixin’ to squeeze this Vega, only I never did know what happened about it. The Vega feller fixed it up for her to get rid of the kid. She had somethin’ wrote down in case Vega couldn’t take her to the place on Saturday. I guess this Vega knew the Doc who done it.’
For a moment, coming like that in his slow voice, the words seemed unimportant enough. A slow bombshell, delayed. But the words were heard after a few beats, and Gazzo stood up in a kind of slow motion.
Gazzo said. ‘She told you Ricardo Vega arranged the abortion? That he was taking her to the doctor himself? Going with her?’
‘Yes, sir, she said that. Vega’s a name you remembers.’
‘What about Ted Marshall?’ I asked.
‘Never heard about him. I guess I didn’t want to know about all her fellers. Just her, and me, and the kids. That’s what I wanted. Don’t just figure what I do now. I got no money, no work. How do I keep the kids? Could take ’em down Arkansas, or send them to her folks in Carolina. Annie wouldn’t like none of that for the kids.’ He sighed deeply, as if hearing Anne Terry and her plans for her children. ‘Well, you think I can see the kids anyway, Captain?’
‘I’ll fix it,’ Gazzo said. ‘We’ve got no reason to hold you now. But we’re going to check your story and your
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