Questions and Answers

"Answers Before Questions"

"ok"

"During quarantine drug activity has skyrocketed. People are stuck in the house and decided to get high to pass the time"

"Makes sense"

"And with jobs being cut some people with connections decided to supplement their income with narcotic sales"

"Makes sense"

"You can see how the sudden splurge of drug traffickers can lead to competition, prices falling, turf wars and things of that nature"

"I can"

"You can also see how an uptick in drug related crime, during a global pandemic can put stress on an already stressed law enforcement system"

Samuels waited for Chris' rebuttal, but he didn't receive one

"You have nothing to say about that?" asked Samuels

"No" said Chris

"Why not?"

"You mean, why doesn't a young black man in America care about the plights of white cops? I'm sure you made it to sergeant for a reason. You know why"

"This isn't a race thing. Smith was black. We're trying to find his killer."

"I know. I read the story. Community relations has been a big thing for police departments these last few months. Y'all don't want to be the next national news story. I get it. But I grew up here. You guys never cared about serving and protecting. You just wanted to meet your ticket and arrest quotas"

Samuels was taken aback. He wanted to refute what Chris said but he was smarter than he anticipated.

"I get it. Being a black man in America isn't all that easy. And I get why you don't want to talk to a cop. But I want things to change. Help me stop this black on black crime. Help me find his killer"

"Stop with the black on black bullshit. That's a racist relic of the 90's. I've been reading about that in my Poly Sci class. There's no such thing. People kill who are close. White people in a white neighborhood kill other white folk. Asians in an Asian neighborhood kill other Asians. It's just crime"

"I'm a cop. We get crime stats. according to the statistics, blacks kill each other at a higher rate than other races"

"You know just as well as I do that statistics can be twisted to fit a narrative. Samples sizes, different regions where there is a denser population of black people, the school system. This can all effect 'statistics'"

Samuels saw Chris get somewhat, riled up for the first time

"You seem like a smart kid, a good kid. I'm just trying to find a murderer. No more. No less. Why are you fighting me so hard on this?" said Samuels looking into Chris' eyes

"I'm not fighting you. You pursued me. I don't trust the police. 'Anything you say can, and will, be used against you.' That's what you tell someone when you read them their rights, right? That tells me all I need to know about the police in this country" said Chris

"And what's that?"

"It's not made to catch the bad guys. Its designed to win. Cops don't care whos really guilty. All they care about is what holds up in court"

Sgt. Samuels was about to respond but held his tongue.

"You're not under arrest, Chris. I just need you to tell me what you know"

"Might as well be under arrest. 'Obstruction of justice', right. Talk to you or get a charge on my record"

Again, Samuels was about to speak but held his tongue

"So, you don't care at all about the man that was murdered?" asked Samuels in a direct tone

"Do you?" asked Chris

"Of course, I do. It's my job"

"I didn't ask if Sergeant Walter Samuels of the Highland City Police department cared. I'm asking does Walt Samuels, the human being, who stays in what I'm sure is the nicest part of east highland, care about a black man who was murdered in west highland"

Samuels was taken aback

"How do you know where I live?" asked a slightly angered Samuels

"That Redlands East Valley High School lanyard hanging out of your pocket" said Chris point towards Samuels keys "I figured you stayed in the area but you wanted to make sure your kid or kids didn't go to San Gorgonio High with the rest of us West Highland trash"

"You know, you're very perceptive. Maybe you should consider a career in law enforcement"

"No. There's a low paying civil service job in my future, just one where I help and not hurt people. And that's the only reason we're talking"

"That's goods" said Samuels with a sarcastic chuckle "Humor can be powerful teaching aid"

"You're pretty perceptive yourself, sergeant" Said Chris as he took a sip of coffee "I knew they didn't just make you sergeant because you arrest the most minorities"

The slight grin that accompanied his chuckle, vanished

"What the fuck is your problem, kid? What, you don't like me solely because I'm a cop? Is that what you're going to teach your students? Judge someone before you know them?"

"There it is. Thank you for dropping that polite bullshit I'm sure 2020 made you start doing. I don't like you because you are a cop who tried to take me to your precinct on the strength of two sentences. You were going to take me in whether I wanted to or not. That's all I needed to know about you"

Samuels thought about the rough nature in which he originally questioned Chris

"Look kid, I'm sorry. I just need to solve this case. It wasn't personal. It's just the job"

"Exactly. It's the job. You don't care about Smith, or any of your other cases for that matter. Your job is to win. No Matter what"

Samuels knew that Chris was going to fight him on every step of this questioning. Chris was taking this opportunity to talk to Samuels. Unfiltered, and let him know why he wasn't talking.