Read Online Brooklyn's Song by Sydney Arrison - Free Book Online

to share with her classmates.
    “Keisha, it’s your turn to pass out snacks,” Brooklyn said.
    The little girl slowly got up and walked to the front of the classroom. Brooklyn could see the tears welling up in Keisha’s eyes.
    Brooklyn announced to the class, “Ooooo, let’s go to the pantry and see what Keisha brought in today.” She took Keisha by the hand.
    While they stood at the pantry, the little girl started to protest. “Miss Peirce-“
    Brooklyn cut her off, “Oh wow! This is my absolute favorite thing to eat.” She reached in the pantry and came out with four big boxes of chocolate chip cookies. “Would you like to pass the snack out to the class?”
    Keisha looked up at Brooklyn and smiled. “Yes, Miss Pierce.” She excitedly rushed over and began to pass out the cookies.
    Brooklyn overheard the students saying, “Keisha, this is the best snack ever!”
    After snack time, Brooklyn was in the process of distributing macaroni to be used for an art project when Lonette tapped on the window of the door. Brooklyn motioned for her to come in.
    Lonette waved to the children. “Good afternoon boys and girls.”
    “Good afternoon, Miss Mitchell,” the children said in unison.
    She pulled Brooklyn aside. “I just want to make sure you’re coming to the party tonight.”
    “Of course I’m coming. Would you like me to bring something? Do you need help setting up?”
    “No! Just bring a hearty appetite; we’re going to have a little bit of everything: soul food, Greek food and everything in between. Make sure you wear your dancing shoes too. She laughed. Girl, I’ll see you tonight.
    “See you later,” Brooklyn said.
    Brooklyn was looking forward to the party and looking forward to seeing Song. She loved his boyish grin and how he looked completely horrified when he brushed his finger over her lip.

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    Chapter 22
    The tip-line phone rang off the hook. Each call was listed as credible or non-credible. Officer Cary Williams took one of the calls from a woman claiming that a person in front of her liquor store looked like the man in the sketch. “He’s picking bottles out of the recycling bin,” she said, panicking, “And still wearing the same clothes. You better get here now before he leaves.”
    She gave officer Williams the address. Officers were dispatched to the location and immediately apprehended the suspect. Mattice and Song pulled up in the alley on the side of the liquor store behind the patrol car. An officer approached them.
    “What do we have?” Song asked.
    “Well, we responded to a call that came into the tip-line telling us that the perp was spotted at this store. We arrived on the scene and found that guy,” he said, pointing to a disheveled African American man. He was sitting in the back of the patrol car.
    “You know that’s not him, right?” Mattice said. All of the witnesses identified the suspect as white.
    “Yeah, well the thing is, we found this in his belongings.” The officer handed Mattice an evidence bag. The bag contained a 9 millimeter gun. “We also found a map to the hotel and the date and time of when the governor was scheduled to speak. I’m willing to bet this is the gun that was used in the shooting and that poor bastard is wearing the clothes that the perp wore that night. He told me he found the bag containing the map, clothes and gun in the dumpster down the alley,” the officer said.
    Song looked around. “This is less than a block away from the hotel. Let’s have some uniforms canvass this alley and turn everything upside down and see what else they can find. Is he coherent?” Song asked.
    “He doesn’t seem too plastered, but he reeks of urine, booze and who knows what else. I’ll bring him over, so you can interview him.”
    “Thanks; good work officer,” Song said, giving the police officer a friendly pat on the back.
    Mattice and Song went down to the station to conduct their interview.
    They sat across from the homeless man who