“I wonder if it’s coming on first,” Kyra said to no one in particular.

“I would think so,” her father said. “It’s a big deal! Can’t be anything bigger than this.”

Following another day of protest, the Phillips family sat in their living room, anxiously watching for the ten p.m. news to start. Drayton Wilkerson had kept his word. The video would be shown as a breaking news story.

“I’m nervous,” Lamar’s father admitted.

“You’re not alone,” his wife replied. “I think we all are, but it’s a good nervousness.”

Suddenly, the news theme began.

“This is WKCU News 6 at ten with Andrea Alleman, Grant Bloomberg with the weather and Chad Foxworth with sports,” the announcer said above the blaring music.

“Good evening,” Andrea Alleman welcomed the viewers. “The mayor makes an important decision, a local college receives a major grant, death on the river—these are three of our leading stories tonight. But first, we have a WKCU News 6 exclusive on the ongoing story out of Morton. With more, we turn to Drayton Wilkerson, who has followed the story from the beginning. Drayton.”

“Thank you, Andrea. As you know, we have been covering the killing of Joshua Phillips, the elderly Black man who was shot and killed by Rutherford Thigpen just outside of Morton a few weeks ago. Authorities have not pressed charges in the case because Mr. Thigpen has claimed self-defense and because no witness to the incident has emerged. Well, WKCU News 6 has unearthed a video of the incident that will certainly change everything about this case. The video was sent anonymously to the family of Mr. Joshua Phillips. The family called this reporter yesterday to submit the video to WKCU News 6. After hours of careful examination by our staff and by outside experts, we have determined that the video is authentic. We are still trying to determine who sent it. And we will continue to investigate. I warn you that the video is quite graphic. So, parents, you may want to move young children away from the screen while it plays.”

After the video ended, Drayton spoke again. “As you can see, Mr. Phillips appears to be unarmed when he is shot. The two sheriff’s deputies who investigated the incident appear to be involved in a cover-up. One of them gets a tire iron from Mr. Phillips’s car and places it near his body. There are so many questions that need answers. We will keep you informed as this story continues to unfold. Back to you, Andrea.”

“Drayton, what a development! Congratulations to you for uncovering the truth.”

“Andrea, I must thank the Phillips family for reaching out to me and trusting me to report it. We have a call out to the DA’s office in Morton and are waiting to get their response. We’ll certainly stay on top of this.”

“Thank you, Drayton. That’s some reporting.”

“I’m just doing my job, Andrea. Just doing my job.”

Kyra lowered the volume on the television just as her father’s cell phone rang.

“Drayton did an excellent job, don’t you think?” Attorney Smith asked Lamar’s father on the other end.

“He certainly did,” Lamar’s father answered.

“I’m going to set up an appointment with the district attorney for tomorrow morning,” Attorney Smith advised. “I want you all to meet me at his office. I know they are aware of the video. I want to see what they have to say now. I’d like Kyra and Lamar to go, too. I think it’s more impactful to show up as a family. Can the children skip school?”

“School won’t be a problem. We’ll be there. Oh, and thank you. I think things are starting to turn around.”

“Get a good night’s sleep. All of you. You need it.”

“We will. You have a good night.”