The Mind Man

Chapter eleven

Laura was seated at her desk when Dennis stuck his head through the door.

"Laura can I have a word?"

"Sure, come in...take a seat."

"I might have something that will interest you. The paper wants me to look into the racial unrest that has sprung up in California and do an article on it. I want you to cover it."

"What's happened?"

"Don't you look at the net? It's the latest rage around the world at the moment."

"I'm trying to find a decent boyfriend, remember; I have other priorities."

"So you must be hitting the dating sites pretty hard then?"

Laura scowled at her boss's jest remark. "If you must know, I'm trying to do it the old fashioned way."

"Good for you Taylor. So you won't be up to speed on this then. There is a video on the net at the moment, take a look at it. Two white policemen in Sacramento pull over a car and beat up the black driver. It was caught on someone's phone. Now there have been some clashes with the police, minor rioting and looting going on; mainly around the south central LA area."

"It doesn't sound very newsworthy."

"Not yet, but it could easily escalate. A similar thing occurred in 1992, you would've been too young to remember Taylor, but back then racial rioting in California killed over fifty people and left a billion dollar damage bill. Now with Twitter, Facebook and texting the authorities are fearful that a mass riot could be organized at a moment's notice. They would have trouble containing something like that and it could easily get out of hand. I can still remember watching Korean shop owners defending their stores with guns on the telly and there was a guy being attacked in his truck. The images were pretty amazing."

While Dennis was talking Laura reached for her computer mouse and performed a search for the video. While she waited for it to load Dennis continued. "There's another thing as you'll see. It seems like someone is out to get the Sacramento Police Department. It's hard to hear but someone is talking over the footage claiming the boy died as a result of police neglect."

"Did the boy die, do you know?"

"No, not at all; he just received some scrapes and bruising apparently, but the public can only go on what they see and hear on the web."

The video began playing and they watched the shaky images play out on the flat screen. The scene was captured from across a wide street but a black person could be seen lying on the ground next to an old brown Buick sedan. Two police officers with their backs to the camera were holding truncheons. They appeared to be striking the person but it was unclear amongst the scuffle whether a blow to the body actually took place. A man's muffled voice narrated the disturbing images and Laura decided to wait until she was alone before trying to decipher what was being said.

"It's a highly volatile situation," Dennis continued once the short video ended. "I need you there to cover it. You might also want to write something on this south central region of LA. Apparently the area has been overlooked by big business since 1992. None of the large chain stores want to go back into the area and there is nothing for the people to do. There are limited prospects for employment and poverty has worsened. It's a powder keg environment and something like this," he waved at Laura's computer screen, "could ignite it. I want you there in case it does."

He moved towards the door. "Also dig up something on the source of the video, incentives, motives stuff like that. This is the sort of thing you are after, isn't it...investigation, controversy, conspiracy." He raised both hands and mimicked two semicolons with plump fingers.

"Yes, I suppose so, but every journo in the world will be there. I wanted something of my own."

"Ah well...yes I know it's still bread and butter stuff, but it's the best I can come up with at the moment. I have a contact for you at the Sacramento Police Department, his name is Police Sergeant Teddy Farrell - he's heading a PR team. I've spoken with him and lined you up a meeting. He's expecting you."

Laura sighed, "Well alright then, when do I have to be there?"

"Tuesday morning, you'll have to fly out tonight."

"Dennis, thanks, I appreciate it."

"Don't mention it...have a good trip," he offered before disappearing from view.