Chapter 8
Tennyson
The loud clang of Tennyson’s cell door slamming shut sent a chill sweeping through his entire body.
Barring an emergency, the door wouldn’t open again until six the next morning.
As much as Ten hated to admit it, his time in the jail hadn’t been as bad as he thought it would be.
Yes, the place smelled and the food was nearly inedible, but he’d survived eight hours in jail without getting so much as a scratch.
Thankfully, Officer Mayfield’s efforts combined with Reagan Pryce’s had gotten him a cell in the protective custody unit.
The unit was reserved for high profile suspects, people involved with the police department, courts, or prisons, as well as child molesters, and openly gay men.
Ten supposed he’d checked three of the boxes, being high profile in Salem, working for the Salem Police, and being openly gay.
The unit was mostly empty. Only five other inmates were in the unit.
Two were gay, one was a former judge, and the other three never left their cells.
Ten could reach out with his gift to find out why they were in jail, but figured he was far better off not knowing.
Speaking of his gift, he’d shut it down tight the minute he’d been arrested.
Ten knew he was too emotional to learn anything constructive.
It had been obvious how almost everyone in the Danvers PD had felt about Ten.
The last thing he needed was to hear their private thoughts about him.
He’d been able to keep a lid on it from the time he’d been transferred from the police department to the jail and was hoping he could keep it that way until the morning when he was scheduled to head to court.
If Ten had thought his treatment had been poor at the police department, it was far worse at the county jail.
After he’d been transferred, Ten had his mug shot taken again and had been subjected to a strip search, which had included his greatest humiliation to date, spreading his naked butt cheeks and coughing to make sure he wasn’t smuggling anything into the jail.
He’d been handed an orange prison uniform that only God knew how many other men had worn.
Ten hadn’t bothered to look at himself in the mirror to see if orange truly was the new black.
Once he was dressed, a corrections officer wearing a permanent scowl, took Ten to his unit, where another guard gave him the tour. He would be allowed to shower in the morning before court. Dinner would be served at four and lights out at ten.
Now that Ten was locked into his cell for the night, he could let his guard down just a bit.
He paced the windowless cubby from end to end, which only took five steps.
His mind turned to home, Ronan and the kids.
He hadn’t been able to contact his husband.
Reagan Pryce had let him know the kids were being taken care of.
Ten knew that would be the case. What he didn’t know was if Everly knew he was in jail.
Ezra was too young to understand, but Everly knew all about jail from shows they’d watched on television.
Would his daughter still love him? Would Kaye? Would she disown him?
What about Ronan? How was he handling Ten’s arrest?
He wondered if his husband would be appalled over his charges or would see through the bullshit and know Vance wanted revenge?
The former Salem Police detective might be out for vengeance, but Reagan had let him know that if Ten was convicted of the charges against him, he’d been looking at nine years in jail.
He hadn’t mentioned it to his lawyer since time had been so short on the phone, but Vance had said he was going to find more offences to charge him with after the search of his office and home.
Ten took a seat on his hard bunk and sunk his face into his hands.
“It’s a hard knock life, huh, Tenny?” A familiar voice asked.
Ten opened his eyes to see Bertha Craig. He nearly burst into tears at the sight of her, not because he wasn’t alone anymore, but because a woman like her didn’t belong in this awful place.
“Don’t be so hard on yourself, honey.” Bertha took a seat next to Tennyson. “To be honest with you, this isn’t the first time I’ve been in this jail. Hell, it’s not even the second.”
“What?” Ten asked, finding his first grin in what felt like days.
“Back in the day Corny and I got into some humdinger fights. One time, I made the mistake of kicking him in the shin and leaving a mark. When the cops showed up they arrested me, which left Corny alone in the house with my boys. When I was released the next morning, my money and Corny were gone. Carson had taken care of Cole after their father split.” Bertha wrapped an arm around Ten.
“Trust me when I say that no one is going to look at you differently over this bullshit arrest.”
“Sitting here in this cell doesn’t feel like bullshit at the moment. I’ve lost my freedom. I can’t go home. I can’t even call to say goodnight to my kids. It’s the first time since they were born I haven’t been able…”
Bertha hugged him tighter. “I hear you, Tenny. Before I came here, I went to see Cope. Ronan was there and he was able to tell me what’s going on with him and the kids. Are you up to hearing everything?”
Ten sighed. “Yeah, please.”
“I know this won’t come as a surprise but Ronan’s pissed.
He’s angry at the way you were arrested, kept from court, your phone call, and your attorney.
Truman got the kids off the bus and baked cookies to keep the kids away from the front windows so they wouldn’t see all the police activity next door.
Everly and Ezra are spending the night at Jude and Cope’s.
Ronan didn’t tell Everly that you’re in jail. ”
“He didn’t have too, Bertha. She already knows. She can read Ronan better than I can and Fitzgibbon leaks information like a sieve. My daughter knows I’m here. Her father is a con.”
“Everly loves you more than the sun and the moon,” Erin O’Mara said, appearing on Ten’s other side.
“I appreciate you telling me that, Erin and for being here. I wasn’t sure if you’d want to see me.” Tennyson had been positive that everyone he’d ever known or loved was going to wash their hands of him once and for all.
“For the love of Ireland, Tennyson, none of us are going anywhere. You’re as much my son as Ronan is and don’t you ever forget it!” Erin stood in front of him with her hands on her hips. She reminded Ten so much of Everly at the moment, he thought his heart would fracture into thousands of pieces.
“I promise none of us are abandoning you,” Erin said. “We’re all doing everything we can to get you out of here and back home to your family, where you belong.”
“Of all the things to get arrested for, Bertha, it was my gift.” Rage filled Ten’s entire body.
He wanted to kick, punch, or hit something just to get some of that black feeling out of him.
“If I get out of here, I won’t use it again.
I promise I’ll tuck it away and go back to school.
I’ll be an accountant or a bus driver or the guy who cuts the cheese in the deli at the supermarket. ”
Bertha snorted. “You’ll be the guy who cuts the cheese?”
“There’s obviously nothing left for me at West Side Magick or with the Salem Police Department.
I’m finished as a cold case psychic.” Tennyson had never felt so low in his entire life, not even when his parents kicked him out of the house.
He’d known he’d be able to survive thanks to his gift, but now, he had nothing.
“You’re catastrophizing, Tennyson,” Erin said gently. “Everything will look different in the morning when you get out of here. If you don’t believe me, ask your friend here.” She motioned behind herself before giving Ten a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll see you soon.”
“I’ll be off too, Tenny, but if you need me, I’ll be here. I promise.” Bertha hugged Tennyson and vanished.
It was on the tip of Ten’s tongue to call out that she hadn’t signed off with her usual “toodles,” when he saw a young man standing at the back of his cell.
Ten studied the man, who looked to be about twenty.
He was tallish, with blonde hair and blue eyes.
There was something familiar about him, but Ten couldn’t put his finger on it. “Hi, I’m Tennyson.”
The young man smiled. “We’ve known each other for a long time, Ten. You found me, brought me home to my family, and laid me to rest.”
Ten gasped. “Michael Frye. I’ve never seen you like this before.” It broke Ten’s heart to see the spirit looking in death, the way he should have in life.
“All grown up, thanks to you.” Michael smiled.
“Thanks to me? I don’t understand.”
“When I died, Ten, my spirit stopped growing, stopped learning. I was stuck here, alone, watching my family fall apart without me. You saw me. You saved me. I learned to trust again thanks to you. I’ve started helping new spirits who were lost and confused like myself.
I never would have had the power to do that without you.
” Michael paused and took a seat beside Ten on the bunk.
“Being here, away from your family sucks, but you’re stronger than this place and these ridiculous charges.
Don’t let these fuckers beat you. Fight back.
Everyone you know is fighting for you. Now, it’s time to fight for yourself. ”
Ten grinned. “You’re right. I am stronger than this.”
“Your gift is what sets you apart. It makes you special, but more than that, you use it to help people. Spirits like me and grieving people like my parents. Salem needs you, Tennyson Grimm. It’s high time you realize that.”
“Will I see you again?” Ten asked, feeling stronger than he had all day.
“I’ll be around. Now, get some rest, you’re going to need it for what’s to come.” With a little wave, Michael vanished.
Ten laid down on his bunk. It was hard and offered no comfort whatsoever. Bertha, Erin, and Michael were right. It was time to get his head out of his ass and fight for himself, his family, and his freedom. Tonight would be the last night he spent in this hellhole.