“Yes, Ms. Valentine. The DA is offering twenty-five years.”
“Twenty-five years?” My mother, Torrey and I all said at the same time.
“Yes, if a jury finds you guilty they could sentence you to life without parole or even the death penalty. The DA is being very generous with this offer.”
“TWENTY-FIVE YEARS! FOR SOMETHING I DIDN’T DO? I’m not taking it. I won’t take it. There is no way I am going to spend my whole life in jail.”
I sat back in my chair feverously shaking my head. “Naw, I will wait for the trial.”
“Look, Mr. Valentine, it’s hard to prove your innocence. They say they have DNA evidence that is irrefutable.”
“Did you see it?” Torrey asked.
“No, but…” Ms. Tyler began.
“It has to be refutable because I was not there!”
My mother leaned in and placed her hand on top of mine. She knew the little patience I had was running out.
“Shouldn’t he be given a chance to answer some questions? He can tell the jury he wasn’t the one who committed the crime,” my mother pleaded.
“Look, Miss Valentine, as you know, your son is not a model citizen. They can pull school records and earlier juvenile records to show a pattern of violence…”
“Are you talking about the fistfights he’s been in? All young boys fight!” Torrey yelled.
“No, Miss Valentine, all boys don’t fight…”
Torrey interrupted, “All the boys where we are from fight. I don’t know what they do in that stuck up ass neighborhood your bougie…”
“Torrey,” Mom softly called her name. Torrey rolled her eyes and sat down.
“As it stands, the deal on the table is an excellent one. I can’t guarantee I can win this case. It’s best for you to take the deal, stay out of trouble while you are down and maybe we can look at getting you out early on good behavior,” Ms. Tyler finished.
“That’s easy for you to say because you are not the one losing years of your life for something you didn’t do!”
“Mr. Valentine, this is the best it’s going to get. If we don’t give them an answer soon, the deal is going away. Look at the circumstances, a white man and white woman were killed. The nail in the coffin is you are black. Period. Someone is going to jail for this.”
“It doesn’t have to be me!”
I came into this meeting hopeful this was finally going to be over. Now I was deciding between life and death.
“You are the only one they have. This District Attorney is trying to make a name for himself by being tough on crime, so this deal is sweet. I will step out for a minute and let you talk it over with your family.”
* * *
Two weeks later
“Valentine!”
I sat straight up in my bed hearing the guard call my name.
“Get your things together we are moving you now.”
“Moving me? To another cell?”
“No, to prison.”
It felt like all the blood drained from my body, leaving me feeling sick and dizzy. I slowly climbed down from the top bunk and started collecting the few things I’d accumulated while being held at the Saint Louis County Detention Center.