“I could share a few with you, maybe later. I hope you put your plans into motion. The entire pod is counting on you girls.”
Eleanor waited until Char left before asking, “Just how are we going to do that?”
“We’ll have to ask to see the warden,” I said.
“I hardly think we’ll be allowed to see her again today. She has a case to solve now.”
“Yes, but I imagine she’ll be happy to learn how we can help her.”
“If she allows us to. I’m not so certain about this plan of yours. I think we’ll be wasting our time.”
“That doesn’t sound like the Eleanor I know. The one I know is keen on a plan that will put us one step closer to solving a case.”
“Except that we’re not on a case. We’re locked in here as prisoners.” Eleanor frowned. “You know I’ll go along with anything you say.”
“We work as a team, remember? I can’t do this without you.”
“I’m glad to hear you say that, Agnes. It never gets old.”
I eased down on my bunk until I heard a door open and close, alerting me that an officer was entering for a check. I hurried outside the door, frowning at the sight of Officer Barlow.
I stepped toward her. “Can I help you, Barton?” she asked with a cocked brow.
“Yes. We’d like to see the warden.”
She rolled her eyes. “Of course, but I’m not certain she’s here still.”
“With a recent murder, I’m counting on her still being here. I have information.”
“You can tell me. I’d be happy to take your message to the warden.”
“I’m certain you would, but perhaps we should speak to the deputy director instead. He told us to contact him if I had any information.” I put a hand against my cheek. “You know about preventing a riot.”
“Snitch,” Jessy shouted. She was watching us from her cell.
I glared at her as Barlow ushered us through the door that would eventually lead us to the warden’s office.
Warden Geyer was standing in the doorway of the lounge. She looked over at us and said, “I didn’t call you.”
“I know, but the deputy director told us to speak with you if we remembered anything about earlier today.”
“Should I take them back to their pod?” Barlow asked.
“No, I’ll see them in my office. I’m sure it won’t take long.”
We followed the warden into her office and stood while she wearily sat behind her desk. “What’s so important that you had to rush back here? You had plenty of time earlier when you had the undivided attention of the deputy director.”
“Actually I was hoping to make a deal of sorts with you. The inmates are very upset about Lopez’s death.”
“You told them?” she asked as she stood with a reddened face.
“I had no choice. They would have eventually noticed Lopez missing.”
“They were already threatening a riot with the death of the beautician. I can’t even imagine what they’ll do with another inmate murdered,” I suggested. “She was well respected from what I’ve heard. If Eleanor and I were allowed to investigate the murders, I believe we could convince them to remain calm.”
Warden Geyer fell back in her chair, laughing. “You have to be kidding? What could you possibly find out that trained law enforcement members can’t?”
“Well, for one, the inmates would talk to us, but we need more than that. We need to know how Trudy was murdered.”
“We also need to be allowed to question the officers,” Eleanor said.
“Is that all? Should we all be considered suspects?”
“At this point, everyone is a suspect until we can narrow the choices. But we can’t do that unless you allow us to help with the investigations.”
“This is unprecedented. You’re in here for armed robbery. Why do you want to change the tables? I hope you know the inmates will think you no more than snitches if I allow you to do this.”
“I really don’t care at this point. We need to solve the murders before the killer strikes again. Perhaps next time it won’t be an inmate. Do you want that on your shoulders?”
“I think this entire thing is ludicrous, but I’ll run it past the deputy director. Now get back to your pod.”
In the pod, I walked right up to Jessy, who was shouting and pointing.
“Would you calm yourself,” I said. “I already told you I wanted to ask the warden for permission to investigate the murders. That’s hardly snitching.”
“I, for one, would like to hear what they have to say,” Mary said from a nearby table. “So what did the warden say?”
“After she laughed uncontrollably?” Eleanor asked.
“She told us she’d have to run it past the deputy director.”
“Why ask for the warden’s permission?” Mary asked.
“We need to question the guards and find out if Trudy and Lopez were killed in the same manner.”
“You already told us that,” Jessy said.
“But I missed that part,” Mary said. “Sit yourself down, Jessy, and quit causing problems.”
“Why do we even care that Trudy and Lopez were murdered?” Jessy asked.
“So it doesn’t bother you that a killer is murdering inmates?” Mary asked as she stood. “You have to sleep sometime you know.”
Jessy shakily took her leave, and I smiled. “Thank you, Mary.”
“And I’ll thank you to stay out of my business. I had to deal with what happened at lunch. But if there’s anything I’m good at, it’s taking care of loose ends.”
I wasn’t sure what she meant, but I was sure I’d find out soon enough as inmates began milling near the entry to the chow hall.
“That woman scares me,” Eleanor admitted.
“Me, too, but at least she called off Jessy for the moment. We won’t be able to do anything with her in the way. I’d rather not be invited to a blanket party.”
“Blanket party?”
“They throw a blanket over you from behind and beat the hell out of you,” said an inmate who stood near. “I can’t imagine anyone would do that to either of you. Not with Char and now Mary looking out for you. We all hope the warden accepts your offer.”
“Thank you. I didn’t catch your name.”
“Just call me Darcy.”
Darcy had raven hair and the bluest eyes. While she carried some weight, she had the cutest dimples.
The door opened and we followed the line into the chow hall. Teresa was serving at the steam table, but Jana, the woman who had given me the cornbread, was missing. I didn’t comment on it, but I felt something wasn’t right. Did Mary exact her revenge on Jana for giving me the cornbread instead of Crusher?
Eleanor and I sat with Char, Yolanda and Velma.
Char looked down at her tray. “I should have known it would be chicken. That’s all they ever give us, fish or chicken.”
“At least the chicken doesn’t look like it’s going to crawl back off your tray,” I said. I took a bite and made a face. “They certainly could learn how to use spices. This is the blandest thing I’ve ever eaten.”
“At least you have a candy bar for dessert,” Yolanda said.
“I miss eating candy,” Velma complained. “This diabetic thing is for the birds.”
“How well is your sugar managed here?” I asked.
“It’s a pain because Barlow was trained to check my sugar and give me my insulin. She refuses to let me give myself my own injections. I’m hardly going to run off with the needle.”
I nodded in understanding. “What do they do if you get sick?”
“We might be sent to see the doctor if we’re knocking on death’s door,” Velma said.
“Is anyone ever sent to the hospital?”
“Only in emergency situations. People on the outside think we’re taken good care of medically, but they’d be shocked at just how hard it can be to get the proper care.”
I thumped my fingers on the tab
le. It certainly was eye opening to be on the inside. I was beginning to get close to some of the inmates, and it was hard to believe they all had been convicted of crimes. Of course, being nice was no real indication.
“Have you seen Laura Keelie recently?” I asked Char. “You know, the sweet young thing who was in quarantine with us.”
“Oh, you mean the one who murdered her grandparents.”
I about swallowed my uppers. “Are you serious?”
“Why would I lie about something like that?”
“I didn’t mean it like that. I’m just shocked.”
“It doesn’t shock me,” Eleanor said. “I could tell all that sweetness was an act.”
I shook my head. Leave it to Eleanor to say that. I suppose I wasn’t the best judge of character. I’d rather cut everyone some slack unless they gave me reason to think otherwise.
Chapter Seven
I left the chow hall earlier than the other inmates and returned to our cell. Even Eleanor stayed behind, talking with Char. We both had grown to like her. She was a great source of information and helped us learn the ropes.
I gathered the supplies to take care of my dentures and headed into the shower room. I had set my bag down and readied my denture cup when I spotted Jana wiping her face in front of the far sink. I smiled and walked over to her.
“Hello. I missed you at dinner.”
“I wasn’t feeling well, so they let me skip tonight,” she said without looking up.
“Are you sure you’re okay? I can’t help but wonder if you were given any problems for giving me that cornbread at lunch.”
She looked over at me and I noticed the black eye. “I don’t know what made me do it, but I couldn’t resist. I can’t stand Crusher. But I see you handled it well.”
“I’m not sure I’d say that exactly, but at least she didn’t crush me — at least not yet.”
“I knew I wasn’t supposed to touch that cornbread, but it makes me so angry that Mary is able to intimidate the kitchen staff to do her bidding.”
I nodded. “I don’t think Mary is someone to mess with. She certainly sounds nice and agreeable when she wants to, but when she said that she’d take care of what happened at lunch I just knew it spelled trouble for you.”
“I can hold my own, so no worries. From what I hear, you’re moving up in this pod. You might want to be careful. There are inmates who don’t like to see newcomers moving up the ranks so quickly.”
“I don’t care for any rank. All I want to do is find out who killed Trudy and Lopez.”
“I heard all about that, too. My advice is not to trust anyone, including me. It can be a deadly mistake in this place.”
“I don’t suppose you’ve seen another new inmate, Laura Keelie, have you? She’s blond and just an itty-bitty thing. She came in the same day I did.”
“Why, do you know her or something?”
“Not really. I just haven’t seen her since the day we came into the pod.”
“I’m certain she’s somewhere. They treat missing inmates seriously around here.”
“Have a good night, Jana,” I said, moving back to where I was cleaning my teeth. It bothered me to think the poor woman had been beaten for giving me that cornbread. After I finished our stint here, I’d find a way to end Mary’s reign of terror.
I was asleep when Eleanor finally came into the cell at count time, making all kinds of racket.
“Do you mind,” I said, covering my head with the blanket.
“Don’t be such a fuddy-duddy. If you had stayed longer you could have played cards with us.”
“I was too busy talking with Jana. She’s the one who gave me that cornbread. Anyway, she has a black eye, thanks to Mary.”
“She should have known better. But you should be glad you ditched those pills before you were caught with them.”
“That’s no reason to want to see a woman harmed for a mistake,” I said, sitting up.
“In case you haven’t noticed, this place is full of people who have made mistakes.”
“I know that, Eleanor. I just feel bad for Jana.”
“We should be careful whom we befriend. We have to watch our step.”
“I know that, but it’s hard not to be friendly with some of the inmates. It will help us fit in. Besides, we’re already becoming friends with Char, Yolanda and Velma. Jana told me not to trust anyone, including her, though. What do you think, Eleanor?”
“I think we should be careful. Anyone could have murdered Trudy or Lopez.”
“The staff sure looks good for it.”
“Yes, but you know how it can go. Just when we think we have it all figured out, along comes a twist we never expected.”
“That’s what I’m worried about. I’m still wondering where Laura went off to.”
“You mean the woman who killed her grandparents? That’s the last person we should worry about.”
“I suppose, but where did she go?”
“Well, I’m too tired to care now,” Eleanor said, climbing into her bunk. We can ask around in the morning.”
“If we’re not investigating the murders.”
“You don’t really think the warden will let us do that, do you?”
“I don’t know, but I hope so. We have to question those guards, especially Barlow.”
“You seem like you’ve already made up your mind.”
“I wouldn’t feel that way if Barlow hadn’t disappeared like she had when we were cleaning the offices. She was supposedly in the lounge eating a potluck?”
“I recall smelling food now that I think about it,” Eleanor said.
I flipped over onto my stomach and said, “See that’s another thing. If Dr. Franks and Officer Barlow went to the lounge, who else was there?”
“I suppose we won’t find out unless we’re given the chance to investigate.”
I yawned as lockup was announced and our cell door slammed shut. It sent a tremor up my back. That metal on metal sound was enough to unnerve anyone. As I lay in the darkness, I could hear the murmuring of the other inmates. There was a tiny window at the top of our cell that barely allowed for a trickle of light to come in during the day. But in the dark, I felt lonelier than I’ve felt in a long time. I missed my Andrew and dreaded what would happen when he did find out where we were. I only hoped that Eleanor and I would be able to solve the case, and soon so that we could go home.
* * *
I showered while Eleanor made the beds. I enjoyed the hot water for all it was worth, and reached for where I had put my towel, but it was gone!
“Do you mind?” I asked loudly. I heard only heaving breathing. I tried not to panic, but that near silence had me wishing I had some sort of weapon. Throwing a shampoo bottle or bar of soap at someone would hardly do much good.
Someone tossed my towel to the bottom of my stall. By the time I picked it up, it was quite wet, which made me angry. The sound of footsteps receded from the showers before I could see who it was.
I dressed in a hurry, not even bothering to brush my hair, and raced back to my cell.
I was breathing hard and trembling a bit by the time I sat on my bunk.
“What’s the matter with you, Agnes?” Eleanor asked. “You look a fright.”
“I just wanted to hurry is all,” I said. I didn’t want to frighten Eleanor. Could it be that I was the only one of us targeted? I wondered how far it could escalate.
* * *
I took my breakfast tray to table where Eleanor, Char and Velma sat, scurrying around the table where Crusher hulked over her breakfast.
“I hope you're not letting that Crusher intimidate you, Agnes,” Eleanor said.
“Easy for you to say. She’s not angry with you.”
“This has to do with the cornbread incident yesterday,” Eleanor explained to the other inmates.
“Don’t remind me. I really wish Jana had given Crusher the cornbread instead of me,” I said. “I saw her in the shower room last night with quite
the black eye.”
“So that’s why she isn’t working today,” Char said. “I should have known something like this would happen. You don’t interfere in Mary’s business.”
“You think she’s responsible?”
“Keep it down! Mary will have her girls mess you up if she hears you talking about her,” Yolanda hissed.
“I wish I had sugar for this oatmeal.”
Yolanda pulled a few packets from her cleavage and slid them across the table to me.
“Thank you. I’ll be sure to get sugar at the commissary next time.”
“I was shocked they didn’t have any bread yesterday,” Velma said. “Now I have peanut butter, but no bread.”
I nodded to Mary as she passed our table.
“Why did you do that?” Eleanor asked.
“I don’t want to be on her bad side. She’s the last person I want gunning for me.”
“You’re catching on,” Char said.
Eleanor and I filed into the hallway to receive our job assignments. Barlow announced, “Barton and Mason, you’re assigned to gather the trash today. I’ll show you where to get the cart.”
I gave Eleanor a look, and she merely shrugged. I kept silent for the moment though, because Barlow wouldn’t have appreciated any backtalk.
Barlow led us into a room that housed two large gray carts with huge buckets that would accommodate multiple bags of trash. I glanced over to the large door that allowed a sliver of light to shine beneath it. “What do we do with the trash once the cart is full?”
“You can press that button over there,” Barlow explained. “And put the trash into the Dumpster. It’s not brain surgery.”
I didn’t appreciate her sarcasm. “I know that, but where are we supposed to collect the trash?”
“You’ll find full bags in the kitchen, bathroom, showers and from the cells in the pod.”
“Where should we start?” I asked Eleanor.
“Beats me, but we had better get moving, Barlow looks upset with us.”
“You might want to start in the kitchen,” Barlow suggested with a sly smile.
I didn’t trust her change of attitude.
Once she walked away I said, “I was hoping the warden would have taken us up on our offer.”
Undercover Inmates Page 5