MICHAEL LISTER'S FIRST THREE SERIES NOVELS: POWER IN THE BLOOD, THE BIG GOODBYE, THUNDER BEACH

by Michael Lister

  “Chaplain, you in trouble, in danger, you know.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “See, they’s this dude what handles things for people on the ’pound. Now I ain’t gonna say his name, but I want you to know he come up to a small group of inmates. Some real badasses, you know. He say he got lotsa money for a hit. He say it’s protection on the ’pound and about three hundred in canteen. I never heard anyone offer that much for anything. Then he say who he want hit. It you.”

  I was silent. I couldn’t believe it.

  “It really surprise me, you know, because you the most popular chaplain we ever had. Everybody on the ’pound say you really care and shit. So when he say he want a hit on you, I just really couldn’t believe it. I thought you should know. But I mean, I ain’t no squealer or nothin’. I just doin’ you a solid like you done me when my moms was dying. So we straight, and you didn’t hear it from me.”

  “We’re straight. And thank you. I know you didn’t have to do it. I appreciate it.”

  “Just stay off the ’pound awhile, and watch your back,” he said, rising from his seat. And then he left.

  No sooner had he gone than Mr. Smith knocked on the door.

  “Come in.”

  “Brother Chaplain, are you okay?”

  “Yes, thank you. How much weight should I give to what he says?”

  “About most things, an ounce to nothin’. But about this thing, a ton. He know what he talkin’ ’bout. He a bad dude. I still can’t believe he come up here and told you. You really liked on the ’pound. That’s why I can’t believe this is happenin’.”

  Chapter 30

  I had made a deal with the devil, and I knew it would come back to haunt me. I knew better than to deal with the devil of course, but I didn’t feel as though I had a choice. I also didn’t realize that it would come back to haunt me quite so soon. But even as we sat down, I could hear the slithering serpent hissing my name.

  “What have we got so far?” Edward Stone asked.

  We were back in his office on Monday afternoon discussing the investigation.

  “We’ve got a lot for such a short time into the investigation,” Tom Daniels replied. “Let me go over what we know, and then we can discuss what we think. We know that Johnson was murdered. He was put to sleep in the early morning hours last Tuesday. We know that his body was kept in the caustic storage closet.”

  “We do know that now?” I asked.

  “Yes. The lab tested the cleaner that we found and some fibers that were found on the floor in there and made a match. We think he was drugged between six and seven.”

  “Which means the medical shift would have just been changing,” I said.

  “Right,” Daniels said, “but security wouldn’t have changed yet.”

  “You both act as if staff members are the only ones being considered here,” Stone said.

  “That’s the way it looks. It would be nearly impossible for an inmate to orchestrate all this,” Daniels said.

  “Don’t forget that this murder took place in a prison where there are over twelve hundred criminals, four hundred of them killers,” Stone said.

  I wanted to say that there were far more than twelve hundred criminals here, but I decided to keep that one to myself.

  “I’m not ruling out inmates or inmate involvement, but we’d probably know a lot more than we do now if an inmate had done it. They almost always tell on each other.”

  “Just don’t rule out the possibility that an inmate did all this,” Stone said. “In fact, an inmate named Jacobson is in confinement, and he was there with Johnson the night he was killed. I had Captain Skipper search his cell this weekend, and an entire bottle of sleeping pills was found. Apparently, he’s been saving them up. Keep that in mind. Now, what else do you have?”

  “We haven’t ruled him out,” Daniels said. “I think he’s involved somehow. We also know that Johnson was an active homosexual and that he was on drugs, not small stuff either. Where he got it, we do not know. We know he spent a lot of time in medical and confinement. And, I want you to know that much of this information was gathered through us working together and sharing information,” he said and nodded in my direction.

  I felt bad for keeping so much from him, but I still didn’t know what it meant and who I could trust.

  “I’m pleased to hear that,” Stone said. “What about motive? Have you found any real motives yet?”

  Daniels looked at me and said, “That’s his department. I’ve been working primarily on the physical evidence while he’s been asking the questions.”

  They both looked at me. “I’ve looked into Johnson’s life somewhat, and I believe that his death was connected to either his prostitution or his drug use, but how or who did it, I do not know yet. I also don’t believe that it is purely coincidental that much of this case and other problems originate in confinement and medical.”

  “That may be due to the fact that the worst inmates are the ones in confinement and many times medical, too. They go to the box for discipline. Many times they go to medical for fighting, sex, and drugs.”

  I didn’t say anything. I just sat there and nodded my head. It seemed to me as if Stone was unwilling to hear anything negative about his institution. I wondered, so I tried something out on him. “I’ve gotten a lot of reports about what goes on here at night. I’ve heard that there are both institution and statute violations taking place.”

  “What?” Stone asked in shock. “Listen, Chaplain, you’ve got to learn that an inmate will say anything. They lie. They can’t help but lie. Of course they’re going to tell you that illegal things take place. They don’t like it here. But guess what? They’re not supposed to like it here.”

  That answered that question. I was glad that I didn’t share with them everything I knew. My only other hope was that Daniels would remember not to discuss the chapel situation in front of the superintendent. I had asked him to examine a sample from the chapel floor where Molly had alleged her husband had raped her. If that were mentioned in front of the superintendent, it would open another whole can of worms. With everything that was going on, I couldn’t figure out if Stone was in on it or not. I also wondered if they had heard about the death of Russ Maddox.

  “What’s this I hear about another death in town last night?” Stone asked.

  It was Pottersville; I should have known that everybody knew it by now.

  Tom Daniels looked blankly.

  “It was Russ Maddox, the president of the bank in town,” I said.

  “Was it a natural death or murder?” Daniels asked.

  “I don’t believe they know yet,” I said.

  “It figures,” Daniels said, “hicktown sheriff ’s department. They couldn’t find their own assholes with two hands and a flashlight.”

  I let that one slide. This was not the time nor the place.

  “Well, we need to monitor that pretty closely. It would be an unlikely coincidence that the only two murders to occur in Potter County in years were this close together and unrelated.”

  “Yes sir, I agree,” Daniels said. “I think Jordan should be our liaison with his dad’s department.”

  “That’s a very good idea,” Stone said. “We sure don’t know much yet, do we? Is there anything else?”

  “I called the chaplain at Calhoun Correctional, where Shutt worked before transferring here,” I said. “He said that he got nothing but complaints about Shutt,”

  “Yeah, but,” Stone interrupted.

  “From staff as well as inmates,” I continued.

  “Okay,” Stone said. “We’ll watch him very closely. Anything else?”

  “The chaplain had us do an analysis of some of the carpet in the back of the chapel,” Daniels said.

  And thus the serpent raised his ugly head.

  Stone lifted his eyebrows and tilted his head severely to the left. I was seeing his puzzled look, and perhaps an annoyed look as well. “What’s this?” he asked.

>   “I was told that inmates were having sex in the chapel,” I said, telling only a half-lie.

  “What bearing does that have on this case?” Stone asked.

  “I’m not sure. At the time I heard it, I was in the very early stages of the investigation and I wanted to consider every possible lead.”

  “We did find small traces of blood and semen. Which means someone has been having sex on the floor in there.”

  “Well, whether or not it has anything to do with this investigation, it must be looked into. We cannot have inmates having sex in the chapel,” Stone said, his anger showing slightly, which is more than I had ever seen it show before.

  “Just wait; there’s more,” Daniels said, enjoying every minute of this. “The lab also found traces of vaginal fluid and female pubic hair.”

  Stone kicked his desk, pushing his chair backwards, and stood up. “What? That can’t be right. There must be some kind of mistake.”

  “It’s no mistake,” he said.

  “Chaplain, what the fuck has been going on in your chapel?” Stone yelled.

  “It sounds like you answered your own question, but that’s exactly what I am trying to find out. That’s why I asked the inspector to take the samples. I assure you it is not happening when I am here. I was told that things like this are going on at night.”

  “I just can’t believe this,” Stone said again. He was shaking his head, which he had turned to look out the window behind his desk. His back was to us. “Inspector, I want you to look into this personally. This kind of shit does not happen in Edward Stone’s institution. I want daily reports from you. I want to be informed every step of the way. Now, you two get out of here and go find out what’s going on in my institution.”

  Daniels and I both rose to leave. I walked quickly, trying to avoid any interaction with him. I was far too upset to even talk to him. In fact, it would have been better for me to go to the chapel and pray awhile before I talked to anyone. In the corridor of the administration building about fifteen feet from the superintendent’s office, he caught up with me.

  “Jordan, I need to ask you some more questions about the chapel evidence,” he said. I was amazed at his audacity.

  “I think it best if you don’t attempt to do it now,” I said. I reached the door and proceeded out of it without slowing. When I stepped outside, the heat overtook me like an attacker. It was brutal, making my walking labored and my vision nearly nonexistent.

  “Listen, you little prick, consider yourself under investigation. If you refuse to cooperate, I can have you suspended or worse, so don’t fuck with me.”

  “I have no intention of doing so,” I said, continuing to walk.

  “What’s your problem? We are supposed to be working together.”

  “That’s right. We are, and you deliberately brought up the chapel incident without talking with me first.”

  “No, I didn’t. But this is not a game, boy. If you’re holding back, you better come clean before you take the fall for someone else. And, if you’re guilty, I will find out about it eventually, so you better tell me now. I’ll go easy on you,” he said with a wicked smile.

  “I’ve done nothing wrong. I uncovered this in an investigation that you are supposed to be conducting. So from this point forward, I’m going to allow you to conduct it. I’m going to get out of your way.

  I wouldn’t want to hold you back. I’m sure you’re about to crack this thing wide open.”

  “I’ll crack your head wide open if you’re not careful. I’ll stop by to interview you later. If you want to, you can call your lawyer. But, I wouldn’t get that clown you had during the divorce. Susan’s kicked his ass,” he said. He then laughed obnoxiously and turned back toward the administration building.

  The truth was I told my lawyer to let Susan have everything she wanted. I hadn’t counted on her wanting everything, but no matter. I was free.

  After closing the chapel’s sanctuary doors behind me, I paced some more, but this time I prayed, too. I walked and prayed until I found peace. Then I walked back out again to finish this thing I had begun.

  I was walking out of the chapel on my way to medical when I heard my phone ringing. It was the quick double rings of an outside call, so I unlocked my office door and answered it.

  “Dad wanted you to know that it was murder,” Jake said when I answered.

  “What?”

  “Hello, is anybody there? Stay with me, okay? Russ Maddox’s preliminary autopsy results are back. He was poisoned.”

  “With what?”

  “I don’t know why Dad wants you to know all this. He must want you to work the faggot connection.”

  “Jake, what was used?”

  “Chloral hydrate,” he said not knowing what he was saying or how to say it.

  “Do you have the time of death?” I asked.

  “Doc says it was between twelve thirty and one thirty A.M.,” he said.

  “That’s pretty accurate,” I said. “How can he be so sure?”

  “Russ ate at Rudy’s that night. Doc could tell by the stomach contents.”

  “And it wasn’t Rudy’s food that killed him?” I asked.

  “That’s a good one,” he said, laughing a little too much “I’m going to tell Dad that one.”

  “Do you know anything else?” I asked.

  “No, but Dad wants to know if you think the deaths are related?”

  “Yes, I do. Tell him I’ll call him tonight when I know more.”

  “Listen, you better remember that you ain’t no cop, okay? Don’t screw around with this thing. Leave it up to us. Best thing you can do is to forget about all of this and concentrate on not missing your meetings,” he said patronizingly.

  He always used that against me. I was the first and only Jordan to admit I was an alcoholic, which is not to say that I was the only alcoholic. It is ironic how the one that breaks out of the unhealthy cycle is viewed not only as the sick one, but the traitor as well.

  “You got your bags packed for Atlanta yet?” he asked. “Think you’ll say good-bye this time?”

  “Jake,” I said. “I’m not going anywhere. But I’m also not going to interfere with your relationship with Dad. I know you all are close, and I’m very glad . . . for both of you. You have no reason to feel threatened by me.”

  “Threatened? By you?” He started laughing. “Drunk ass faggots who tuck their tails and run anytime there’s trouble don’t threaten me.” His breathing was heavy and his voice tight. “Oh, there’s one more thing.” He paused, taking in a breath and letting it out slowly. “Something that you and Maddox had in common.”

  “Yeah? What’s that?”

  “He had AIDS,” Jake said and started laughing again. “He’s a queer, too.”

  I was stunned. I couldn’t speak. I was overcome with anger, fear, and embarrassment.

  How could he know? Did she tell? Who else knows? Oh, God, please help me.

  “Hey, Dickhead, are you there? Didn’t you think that was funny? Come on now, you know all you boys wearing your collars backwards are either fags or child molesters. Which are you? Y’all all going to die of AIDS sooner or later.”

  I hung up the phone. Actually, I slammed it down and began to cry.

  I walked back into the chapel, fell on my knees at the altar, and began to pray again.

  Chapter 31

  As I approached the medical building, I could see Julie Anderson out front smoking again. It seemed at times that was all she did. She perked up when she saw me coming.

  “Hey, Chaplain, come here,” she said. Her voice changed, and she began to whisper, which was roughly the volume most people use in ordinary conversation. “I really felt bad yesterday because of our log book not having Thomas and all. Anyway, I called the sarge at the center gate to see if he could remember who went through on their way to medical that night, and guess what, he did. He said that Thomas didn’t come through the gate but that he did go to medical that night—just from the other si
de of the compound.”

  “Did he remember anyone else going in or out?”

  “Yeah, he did. I didn’t ask him or anything, but he said that later, after my shift was over, he let another inmate through the gate to go to medical, but that he came back in just a few minutes and said he couldn’t find anybody in medical, and, anyway, he didn’t want to be charged the three dollars.”

  Because of all of the abuse of the medical facilities by inmates who just want to get out of the sun or see a pretty nurse, the department had instituted a policy that made inmates pay three dollars to the department if they declared a medical emergency and they really didn’t have one.

  “Did he say who it was?” I asked.

  “He couldn’t remember,” she said.

  “Thank you. I sure appreciate it.”

  “You’re welcome. I’m just sorry somebody was so careless. You going to say anything to anybody about it?”

  “No, don’t worry. I’d like to talk with Nurse Strickland though. What time does she come in tonight?”

  “You’re in luck. We’re both pulling a double. So, she’s here today.”

  “You’ve both been doing a lot of that lately,” I said and began to walk into the medical building. “Thanks again for all your help.”

  “You’re welcome, and thank you for not making a big deal about the mistake,” she said and turned to take one last draw from her cigarette.

  I walked through the waiting room, where twenty-five inmates were staring at the wall in front of them in silence. A few of them whispered greetings to me. A couple asked to see me later in the day. I entered the door on the left, which led to the exam rooms and the infirmary.

  Strickland was not in any of the exam rooms, nor the nurses’ station, nor the infirmary, but standing outside of the infirmary, I heard her. She was seated in the break room at the end of the hall talking with someone I couldn’t see. As I approached, she glanced my way and then quietly said something to the person she was with. I couldn’t hear what she said, but then that was the point. When I reached the door, inmate Jones walked through it. He didn’t speak, but his body language was loud enough.