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“I wondered if I could speak to Rochelle.”
Tanya turned her head and, in a voice that could pierce steel, yelled, “Rochelle! Com’ere!” She turned back to face me.
“You knew Shanae Jackson,” I said. “I assume Rochelle also met Tina’s mother.” Maybe Shanae had gotten up in Rochelle’s face enough to threaten the girl or her gang.
“You have to ask her.” She bellowed Rochelle’s name once more.
Tanya opened the door wider. I had no intention of entering the Roach Palace a second time. I heard noises and a tall girl, well-developed for 13, in jeans and a skin-tight pink shirt emerged from the kitchen at the end of the hall. A pink-sequined scrunchie was wrapped around her wrist—similar to one Tina had worn in her hair the day she came to my office. Rochelle swaggered to the door and looked me over. Her pores exuded ’tude. “This lady here to talk to you,” Tanya said.
“Yeah?” Rochelle said.
I introduced myself, explaining my connection to Tina. “First, I’d like to ask you where you were last Wednesday night.”
Rochelle’s eyebrows drew together. “What I have to do wit’ this?” Tanya appeared to lose interest and wandered off.
“It may be important for Tina’s defense.”
“I was here.”
“Was anyone with you?”
“You mean like Tina?”
“I mean like anyone.”
She paused before speaking. “Tina here. And some friends.”
“Members of your gang, the Pussy Posse?”
“Sure.”
“So you are in a gang by that name?”
“Yeah.” She leaned against the door jamb, arms akimbo. “I started it,” she said with pride, as though speaking of the local Junior League chapter.
“Did your gang have any problems with Tina’s mother?” I asked.
“We ain’t had no problem wit’ her, but she had problems wit’ us.”
“She didn’t want Tina hanging out with you?”
“Somethin’ like that. But Tina made it pretty clear she didn’t give a shit what her moms want.”
“Why is that?”
“Tina said her moms always bossin’ her around. Heifer always trying to tell her what to do when she couldn’t even keep her own shit together.”
“So Tina decided to join your gang? Was it her idea?”
“I tole’ her she could join and she say yes. What else she got going?” Rochelle gave me a knowing look. “Wit’ us, she had a place to stay and friends to watch her back.”
“Was the purse snatching her initiation?”
“Right.”
Rochelle’s nonchalance about her gang activities was quite a contrast to Tina’s refusal to admit to them. “Is theft a regular pastime for you guys?” I asked.
