“I’m hungry!” the boy wailed. “I want chips!”
“We don’t got any chips. Nova, get him a cracker.”
“I don’t want a cracker!” the boy shouted.
“You can have nothing at all, then. Nova, put him to bed and lock that door.”
To Meyers, Nova looked doubtful, like she didn’t think lockdown was the answer. After she put the boy on her hip, Meyers saw her grab a Little Debbie pie from a shelf. She slipped the snack to the boy as she carried him down the hall.
The other kids were still romping in a corner of the room. But their mother’s presence seemed to lower their volume a smidgen.
“Come sit,” said Starla.
She led the way to a pair of sticky chairs at a round wooden table.
Meyers sat down and pulled out his iPhone. “Do you mind if I record our conversation?”
“No problem at all,” said Starla. She seemed welcoming andcooperative—unlike her daughter. Meyers got the distinct sense that Starla liked attention.
“Can I get your full name please?”
“Starla Simone Jones.”
“Age?”
“You probably won’t believe me. Twenty-eight.”
“Why wouldn’t I believe you?”
“Because I got all these kids, that’s why. And a teenage daughter. A teenager! Of course, I was a teenager when I had her.”
“How many altogether?” Meyers asked. He’d done a head count, but he wanted to be sure he wasn’t missing anyone.
“Three girls, two boys. Nova’s the oldest, she’s thirteen. My baby Caden, he not two yet. I just love children. Always have.”
“Starla, the district attorney has endorsed you as a witness for the State in the case against Dr. Bria Gaines.”
“That’s right, yes, sir.”
“And you understand that Dr. Gaines has been charged with a felony.”
“Oh, hell yeah, I do understand that. She aborted Nova’s baby. Sucked it out, killed it, threw it out like trash. And didn’t nobody ask me nothing about it. The mother! I’m Nova’s mother! Nobody told me shit.”
“Are you personally acquainted with Dr. Gaines?”
“Oh, I’ve seen her. Met her.” Starla crossed her legs, leaned forward. Meyers kept his eyes on hers. Her eyes were pretty. Big and brown. Like Nova’s.
Starla wrinkled her nose. “Dr. Gaines, she’d go to church once in a while. Over to the Victory Baptist. That’s Pastor Erskine’s church, where we belong. But she never helped out, didn’t bring anything for bake sales, nothing like that. Some folks used to saythat she thought she was too good for that kind of work. Because of her being a doctor.”
“So you’re a regular at Victory Baptist? You and your family?”
“Since Caden was born, yeah. They took care of me. Made a food train, brought a meal every night for weeks. I don’t know what I’d have done if it hadn’t been for Reverend Erskine. He got everyone to pitch in. That man has the true spirit.”
Meyers made a mental note.Baptist church assistance.
“Starla, do you think your daughter Nova was physically prepared to bring a pregnancy to term?”
“Sure she was.” She narrowed her eyes, like she thought it was a trick question. “I was just fifteen when I had Nova. Didn’t hurt me none.”
