"How are you?” Roderick asked, pacing the Interrogation Room at the downtown precinct.
“I’m fine.” She lit a cigarette. “Why am I here?”

“You should know. Your daughter Francine said you had something to do with Chandra’s death.”

She chuckled. “She is disillusioned. She doesn’t know if she’s coming or going.”

“But she knows you are involved with Chandra’s murder.”

“She overdosed.”

“It would appear so.” The cop looked at the Plexiglas, frowning.

She fixed her hair, crossing her legs. “I didn’t do anything.”

“So you didn’t help Samuel drug Chandra?”

“No.”

“When was the last time you seen her?”

“A few days ago.”

“Was she happy, sad or shooting up dope?”

“All of the above.” She pulled on the cigarette, refusing to cooperate.

“You can make this easier for yourself.”

“How? And when is my lawyer coming?”

“Just admit it. We’ll give you probation.”

“You think you’re slick. Why should I plead guilty to anything when I’m not guilty? She was a drugged out bitch. It’s my daughter’s word against mine.”

“Really?”

“Yes,” she said, challenging the overzealous cop. “Chandra’s dead. She can’t talk.”

“The dead can talk, if they want to.”

He sat in the chair across from her, taking a cigarette. “Do you mind?”

“No.”

“Chandra told me you drugged her.”

“She didn’t tell you shit. You’re trying to intimidate me.”

He leaned over and picked up a wrapped gift. He put it on the desk and slid it to her.

“What’s this?”

“An early Christmas gift.”

She opened it, humoring him. She took out all the tissue paper. She was laughing. “What is this?”

“You’ll see.”

She took out her weave. Her face hit the floor.

There was also a tape recorder.

“We recovered your hair in the room Chandra was in at the hotel. We ran DNA. You were a perfect match.”

“This doesn’t…”

“Yes it does. It proves you were in the room when she overdosed. We suppressed tapes from the hotel. It
showed you arriving in a Dodge truck. We have you taking the elevator to her room. We seized the camera in the hallway leading to Chandra’s room. You’re seen going into her room. Oh, yea. Press play.”

She pressed play.

She heard Chandra’s voice.

“Ah. The dead talks, baby. You are under arrest…”

Mama closed her eyes, defeated...