I Will Love You Forever Pt. 2 Ch. 09

It had been Ernie's hope that Andrew wouldn't be at the funeral because he didn't want to show his face or because he had been arrested. But there he sat dressed in a dark suit and supposedly mourning along with everyone else. Ernie's mom took his hand in hers like she used to do when he was a child and upset about something. His father put an arm around him and gave him a gentle squeeze.

He caught sight of Kenji and Patricia sitting off to his right. He still hadn't apologized to them because they hadn't been at school and he didn't know where they lived. As soon as the service was over, Ernie rushed over to Kenji and Patricia.

"Please, could I talk to you?" he asked nervously.

"What do you want?" Joel asked.

"I need to ... can we go outside?" Ernie asked. "I want to say something to all of you."

Kenji looked at Ernie for several long seconds before he nodded his consent.

A few minutes later, they were standing in the back of the church out of sight and hearing range of the other mourners.

"I..." Ernie's face burned and his heart thudded but he kept going. "I know that I did and said some horrible things to you and I just wanted to say that I'm sorry. I know that it doesn't mean much but I really do feel badly about ... everything."

"Did Andrew send you?" Patricia asked.

"No, I'm not a part of that group anymore. I should have never been a part of it... I understand if you don't believe me but I just wanted to apologize."

"You are aware that Andrew saw you talking to us aren't you?" Penny asked.

"I know." Ernie replied, "And it doesn't matter."

Kenji finally spoke after a brief silence.

"Thank you for your apologies but you must forgive us if we are cautious in accepting it."

Ernie didn't know what to expect but he expected more of a reaction than he was receiving but he understood.

"Thanks." he said and walked away.

One week after the funeral, Ernie got a visitor. He was studying for an exam when his mother called up to him.

"Ernie! You've got company!"

Ernie frowned; he had no idea of who would be coming to see him since he had no real friends at school.

"Send them up!" he called back.

A few seconds later, Andrew Kelley was standing in Ernie's bedroom.

"How you doing?" he asked as he looked around Ernie's bedroom.

"What do you want?" Ernie asked ignoring the question.

"As you know, we're down a man because Ernie was murdered... want back in?" Andrew asked.

If Andrew had asked him the same question a few months ago, the answer would have been a resounding yes but now....

"No thanks." Ernie said not giving an explanation.

Andrew was actually surprised by Ernie's answer. While he hadn't expected him to say yes right away, he hadn't expected him to say no either.

"Why not?" he asked.

Ernie decided to be frank with him.

"I initially joined your group out of a need to belong somewhere. I never believed that shit you peddle but you're the son of a war hero and it felt good to be accepted. But you know what I finally figured out? You're a friend to no one but yourself and you know what else? Milt was right; you're a coward who hides behind other people. Did you warn Milt that you were going to shoot him? Or did you just walk up to him and do it?" Ernie asked.

Andrew took a step back, coming here had been a mistake. Once again, he had acted rashly but then again it made him realize something. If Ernie knew that he killed Milt, so did other people other than his group and even they weren't sure. Then the question was, had anyone spoken to the police? He was almost certain that none of his remaining group did, they were too afraid of him but Ernie....

"Did you tell anyone that you think that I killed Milt?"

There was something in Andrew's voice that alarmed Ernie so he lied.

"Do you think I'm nuts?" he asked. "Of course not! Just because I don't want to be a part of your group doesn't mean that I'm a snitch!"

Andrew gave Ernie a long, hard look before breaking the gaze. He wasn't sure that he believed him but he had no proof that he was lying.

"I didn't do it." Andrew said softly.

"Alright." Ernie replied but said no more.

They stood facing each other for several more minutes before Andrew walked out without looking back or saying another word.

Ernie sat on his bed relived that Andrew was gone; it would be too soon if he never saw him again.

*******

Detective Briscoe sat in the chair across from Captain Marshall's desk. Nick, Charles and will were also in the small cramped office that was not only hot, but also reeked of cigar smoke.

"What's going on?" Briscoe asked.

Captain Marshall leaned back in his chair, picked up a half smoked cigar, looked at it and put it back in the ashtray.

"Tell us what you know about Andrew Kelley." he said.

Briscoe shrugged, "His name keeps popping up in the same sentence as Milt Vaughn but I haven't been able to prove anything. Why?"

"Andrew Kelley is the leader of a group that's based on the teachings of the Klan." Captain Marshall replied.

"Yeah and?" Briscoe asked not seeing the point.

"Vaughn was in the same group." Nick replied. "We all know that in and of itself that it means nothing but maybe we can get to another member of his group."

"What we need is someone who saw him with the damned gun in his hand!" Captain Marshall exclaimed. "All we've got is the word of two people who say that he did it but have no proof and let's consider this... both of them have a beef with Andrew Kelley... Mr. Takeda because Kelly has tried to make his life hell and his group was after him and the other guy Ernie whatever his name is was kicked out of the group for disobeying a direct order. So... what I want to know is why the government and two lawyers are sitting in my office and why you're so interested in this case.

Charles spoke.

"I don't know if you're aware of this or not but the President has initiated a commission to investigate the lynching of black people in the south. I happen to be part of a task force that is keeping an eye on things here in the west coast. For the moment, the Klan doesn't have a strong hold out here but it isn't for the lack of trying. Andrew Kelley is the head of a Klan like group. If he killed Milt Vaughn, how soon do you think it will be before he either kills again or has his group do it?

We're not here to try to tell you how to run your investigation, we're here to help you catch this kid and I think that the best way to do that is to see if we can talk to someone from his group. Now, are you going to work with us on this or do I need to make a phone call?"

Captain Marshall bristled at the threat and almost told Charles to make the call but bit his tongue.

"Hold on." he said. "There's no need for that. I was just stating the facts as I see them and you have to admit that I made some valid points."

"No one is denying that," Nick said, "but we have to keep this kid under surveillance... is there anyone in your squad that can pass as a college kid?"

Charles spoke up again before Captain Marshall could say anything.

"Good idea and I've got someone on the way. There's too much of a chance that someone will recognize someone from here. He should be arriving any day now."

The meeting lasted for a few more minutes with the captain agreeing to having an unmarked car watching Hiroshi Takeda's house. As they walked out of the office, Briscoe stopped Nick.

"The next time you decide to go to my captain, come to me first, is that clear?"

"Sure." Nick replied and walked away.

**********

It was time.

Jacob Lincoln made one last check of his supplies and talked with his accomplices all of who had nothing to lose or gain by helping other than they hated the white man. Jacob knelt before his cot and prayed one last prayer asking God and his family to understand what he was doing. The last thing he did before leaving his cell for the last time was to pick up the bible, caress it lovingly and lay it on the cot of his cellmate a convict that he had taught to read.

He left the cell without speaking to anyone; he had already said his goodbyes and started on what seemed to be his usual walk. He took his time getting to his destination and once there, double-checked the small building that had been an outhouse to make sure that there was no way that Lawrence Goodman could escape. Taking no chances, he had covered the wooden toilet seat with a piece of wood and nailed it down.

After a final inspection, he took the gasoline that had been so carefully stolen and hidden and poured it over the wooden building. Now all he had to do was wait.

********

Saul watched Lawrence through hooded eyes. He still didn't know exactly what Lawrence was planning only that whatever it was, it was going to happen soon. He also knew that the black inmate was waiting for something too but when he asked about it, the response was always the same.

"It's better that you don't know."

Jacob had been the only one kind to Saul when he first arrived. While he wasn't overly friendly toward him, he always spoke to him and tried to teach him how to survive in prison. He hadn't even gotten mad when he found out that he would be sharing a cell with Lawrence and it hadn't taken him long to figure out why- he wanted information.

"I've been good to you haven't I?" he asked.

"Yes."

"It's time for you to return the favor." Jacob told him.

"What do you want me to do?" he asked.

"Nothing more than keep your eyes and ears open and tell me what you see." Jacob replied.

"That's it?" Saul asked not sure of what he was expecting.

"That's it but I don't want you risking your life, find me only when you have something to tell."

Finally, after weeks of nothing, Saul had something to tell Jacob. Lawrence was going to be taking a walk along the west side of the prison-alone. That struck Saul as odd because Lawrence rarely went anywhere alone and if he did, it was always to the west side of the prison.

Saul only knew where Lawrence was going because he followed him once out of curiosity and because he was hoping to have something to report to Jacob and the warden. He even went back once to see what was so special about the place. It didn't take him long to realize that it was where Lawrence sent and received messages from the outside. He not only shared that little tidbit with the warden, he shared it with Jacob as well.

"Tell me when you know he's going to take that walk again." Jacob told him, but what Saul didn't understand was why the warden hadn't said the same thing. He didn't ask about it, it was none of his business as long as it didn't interfere with the warden's promise.

Saul watched as Lawrence left the cell. The thought to warn him that something was going to happen never crossed his mind. He stretched out on his cot and thought about his family who he was sure had to be starving.

********

Lawrence ignored Saul. He had more important things on his mind. If things continued to go as planned, he would be leaving the prison in a few days. He had made that he did absolutely nothing to draw the attention of the warden and he was too close to his goal to screw it up now. As he prepared to go for his walk, he thought about the people that he was going to visit. Sally was at the top of his list and then her new husband and then Nick Alexander and the Jap he had living with him. He also did a mental calculation of how much cash he had, one-hundred and fifty dollars. It wasn't much but it would get him to California to that nice new house that Tyrone had managed to get by getting married.

As he left the cell, he glanced over at Saul. He wished that he could take him with him, the boy had taken the edge off his missing Kenny so much but it was impossible. Saul had to stay but he would make sure that Duke continued to look after the boy.

Lawrence nodded curtly at the guards as he passed them. He took his time, taking great pains to look casual when he wanted to run. The ten-minute walk seemed to take twice as long but he was finally at the wall. He looked around to make sure that no one was watching him although for as long as he had been coming here, he had never seen another soul.

He reached into the overgrowth searching for the smooth rock that didn't belong there. His hand had just touched it when he heard someone behind him and then felt the hard crack on his head.

*********

Jacob waited patiently for his friends to bring Lawrence to him. He didn't turn around when he heard footsteps approaching from behind him.

"We got him." a voice said. "Where you want him?"

"In the building." Jacob replied.

He watched as the two men sat Lawrence on the covered toilet seat inside of the outhouse. Jacob walked over to him and slapped him hard across the face.

"Wake up you miserable son of a bitch, its time for judgment."

Lawrence slowly opened his eyes, shook his head and finally focused on Jacob.

"What do you think you're doing?" he snapped as he tried to stand up.

"It's time that you paid for your sins." Jacob replied.

"Look you stupid nigger..."

A blow to his stomach delivered by Jacob silenced Lawrence. Lawrence bent over gasping for breath and sat back on the toilet seat. Suddenly, he sniffed the air and smelled the distinctive odor of gasoline. He looked at Jacob, slowly understanding what was about to happen.

"Wait!" he yelled out.

"Did you laugh when you heard that my family screamed like stuck pigs?" Jacob asked ignoring Lawrence's pleas that he listen to him.

"Did my family beg for your men to listen as they doused the house with gasoline?" he asked as he picked up a gas can.

Lawrence ran out of the outhouse and right into the arms of one of Jacob's men.

"Where are you goin?" he asked as he manhandled Lawrence back into the outhouse.

"I didn't know!" Lawrence screamed. "I didn't know until afterwards!"

"You shouldn't have sent your men there at all, it was me you wanted." Jacob said as he doused the contents of the gasoline can over Lawrence's head.

"Sweet Jesus don't do this!" Lawrence pleaded.

"I imagine that my family prayed and begged too. Funny, you don't seem so brave now." Jacob said as he backed away from the outhouse.

"You'll hang for this! Let me go and no one will know... I swear."

"Do you really think that I care if I live or not?" Jacob asked, "I died the day that your men killed my family."

Lawrence watched horrified as Jacob closed the door to the outhouse, screamed when he heard the chains going around it to lock him in, begged for mercy as he heard tree branches and anything that would burn being stacked up against what was to become his funeral pyre.

Seconds later, he smelled smoke and heard the crackling of the flames as they ate the dried wood and moved closer to the wooden building in the center.

"Please! Help me!" Lawrence screamed at the top of his lungs. "Oh God! I'm sorry! Let me out!"

His screams resonated through the air, intensifying as the flames licked at the sides of the building.

Jacob sent his accomplices away and sat on a tree stump listening to Lawrence's screams for mercy turn into screams of pain and horror. He was oblivious to the sickening sweet smell of burning human flesh and to the fact that Lawrence had gone silent. He sat not moving from the stump long after the screams stopped. It was over; his family was avenged.

He stood up, took a last look at what used to be an outhouse and walked away not looking back. It was time to own up to what he had done. What surprised him was that he actually felt guilty. This wasn't what his wife would have wanted him to do. On the other side of that guilt was satisfaction. He could die in peace knowing that Lawrence Goodman was no more.

*******************

By the end of June 1947- U.S. Congress proceedings are televised for the first time. Percival Prattis becomes the first African -American new correspondent to be allowed into the United Sates of Representative and Senate press galleries. Edwin Land demonstrates the first instant camera-The Polaroid Land camera in New York City. Jackie Robinson is the first African-American professional baseball player. He signs a contract with the Brooklyn Dodgers and was the first African-American to play Major League Baseball. Seaman Harold Dahl says that he saw six UFOs near Maury Island in Puget Sound, Washington. The first widely reported Kenneth Arnold near Mount Rainier, Washington makes UFO sighting.

*******************

Music

Top records: "Across The Alley from the Alamo" - The Mills Brothers

"All of me"- Frankie Lane

"Always"- Frank Sinatra

"The Anniversary Song"- Al Jolson and numerous others

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Civil Rights

The Fellowship of Reconciliation organizes the "Journey of Reconciliation". Integrated groups rode interstate busses in Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Kentucky. The goal was to test compliance with the Morgan decision.

Jackie Robinson played his first game with the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15. He was the first African-American to play Major League Baseball since the 1880s

The Presidential Committee submits its report on October 29, 1947. Among its recommendations are ending segregation in the armed forces and federal legislation making lynching punishable.