42
The next hour was pandemonium as Julia, Paul, and Bennie tried to locate Courtney and find out how Alex was killed.
Julia and Paul asked cops and C.O.s while Bennie worked the phones.
Nobody had any information or was willing to answer.
Julia looked for Glushenko among the Buckley police, but didn’t see him, which made her more suspicious.
Every cop in three surrounding towns was here, and Glushenko was conspicuous by his absence.
Bennie hung up the phone, hurrying over. “Okay, I have news from the assistant warden—”
“Is Courtney okay?” Paul asked, anxious.
Julia wiped her eyes. “Please say yes.”
“Yes.” Bennie smiled, her relief plain.
“Thank God!” Paul’s eyes glistened. “What happened?”
“Where was she?” Julia joined in. “How was Alex killed?”
Bennie raised a hand. “This is preliminary info, and the assistant warden won’t tell me much. He said that Courtney had a stomach problem, right before the arraignment. She was in pain and throwing up.”
Julia knew what it was. “She has IBS, but she hasn’t had a flare-up in years.”
“Like six years,” Paul added. “Then what happened?”
Bennie put up her hand again. “She was taken to the infirmary, but the nurse wasn’t in at night. They’re way understaffed. Typically, a prison doctor does med checks and routine care for more than one prison. Anyway, they called around for the doctor, which involved more waiting in the infirmary.”
Julia tried to put it together. “So who was stabbed?”
“The woman we saw in the ambulance was Courtney’s cellmate, whose name they won’t tell me. Next-of-kin hasn’t been notified. She was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.”
Julia gasped. “Oh no, how horrible.”
Paul looked grim. “Did the assistant warden say how that happened?”
“No, and he won’t, not to me. They’re going to have an investigation, and there’ll be jobs on the line.
” Bennie shook her head. “But I can tell you the way I think it happens. A crooked C.O. leaves the cell door open, then another inmate slips inside with a shank. It takes only one dirty C.O. They don’t make much money. ”
Paul asked, “Could a C.O. have stabbed her?”
Bennie nodded. “I suppose that’s possible, too. I’m just glad Courtney wasn’t there.”
“I think she was the intended victim,” Julia blurted out. “I think it was mistaken identity, and they meant to kill Courtney.”
Bennie blinked. “Is your vision telling you that?”
“No, my gut,” Julia answered firmly. “What are the odds? The cellmate was the only one in the cell because Courtney had been taken to the infirmary, and let’s say whoever came to kill her didn’t know that.
He, or she, saw that the cellmate was biracial and assumed she was Courtney.
” Julia paused. “It’s more likely the killer was a male inmate because a female inmate might have seen Courtney before.
A male inmate might not have. She’s only been here a few hours.
” Julia met Bennie’s eye. “I bet the thought occurred to you.”
“It occurred to me,” Paul interjected.
Bennie nodded. “It did occur to me, but I’ll play devil’s advocate. They already had Courtney framed. Why kill her?”
“They think she knows something. My guess is they think she knows what that object Kay found is and they’re worried she’s going to tell somebody.”
“But you and Courtney told Glushenko you didn’t know what it was, didn’t you?”
“Yes, but maybe they think we found out since then. Or they don’t want to take chances.”
“Then why frame Courtney in the first place? Why frame her, then kill her?”
“Maybe they couldn’t get to her before.” Julia was thinking aloud.
“Or maybe they thought framing her would end her investigating Kay’s murder.
She would have to deal with her own defense, and she would be her husband’s main concern.
They’re trying everything they can to intimidate us, to shake us loose.
I told you a black pickup hit me from behind tonight, and earlier, a Buckley police cruiser followed us.
They thought we would give up. Instead, we showed we weren’t going anywhere.
That meant they had to kill Courtney to silence her. ”
“I want her out of prison,” Paul said abruptly, turning to Bennie. “Can’t we get her out now? She’s obviously not safe there.”
“I asked the assistant warden for a transfer, but he said no, so I requested ad seg, where they put prisoners at risk.”
Julia’s thoughts strayed to Alex, heartsick. “So what happened to Alex? How did he die?” She couldn’t even believe she was saying the words. She’d come to like and admire him. “What did the assistant warden say about him?”
“The assistant warden won’t officially call what happened a prison riot, but it was.
There was a breakout by four male inmates, all members of an Aryan gang.
They attacked the SWAT team, C.O.s, and Alex in the hallway.
” Bennie paused, shaken. “Alex was killed by a blow to the head. He didn’t have the helmets, vests, or shields the others did.
That’s why all the ambulances are coming.
C.O.s and inmates were injured, some seriously. ”
“Oh my God.” Julia felt sick to her stomach.
She lost focus for a moment, mentally dropping out of the conversation.
She flashed on how she’d experienced Alex’s soul departing his body, not wanting to leave his earthly life, maybe not wanting to leave Courtney.
It wasn’t something she wanted to know, and there was nothing she could do about it except share his agony and anguish.
Paul was shaking his head. “Was the riot a part of the attempt on Courtney’s life or unrelated?”
“I asked the assistant warden, but he wouldn’t answer, and they can’t know yet.
They won’t know until they investigate, but if you ask me, I think the answer is yes.
I think the inmates conspired with the killer to murder Courtney and wanted to kill whoever came to help.
” Bennie’s upper lip curled in disgust. “That’s the truly evil part.
It’s like an arsonist who sets a fire and kills the first responders who come to put it out. ”
“I agree with you.” Paul hung his head. “Jesus.”
Julia struggled to think through her emotions. “I think it was related, too. We know there’s white supremacists on the police force, so there must be some inside, right?”
Bennie nodded. “It’s likely. You know, the Aryan Nation began as a prison gang.
The prison system is rife with gang activity, and inmates don’t give up their friends and connections on the outside when they’re behind bars.
That’s why the system cracks down so hard on contraband cell phones.
Connections to the outside can be used for too many things, not only gang activity but running drugs and other illegal businesses. ”
Paul looked up. “So a crooked C.O. doesn’t care if other C.O.s get killed? What about loyalty?”
“Loyalty to what? To whom? I’ve met a bunch of C.O.s and they’re usually great people, but they don’t check their political or other beliefs at the door.
If they’re white supremacists at home, that’s what they are at work, too.
They factionalize like gangs. Whichever C.O.
helped the inmates who rioted and tried to kill Courtney was fine with killing other C.O.s.
Alex was in the wrong place at the wrong time. ”
“Unless he was a target, too,” Julia said, as the thought entered her mind.
“How?” Bennie looked over. “He couldn’t have been. How would they have known he was here?”
“Alex said he had friends here. We saw the one C.O., Curtis, and Alex said he had a friend who tipped him off. The friend could have told another C.O. who wanted to harm him.”
“But nobody could have predicted Alex would try to get to Courtney.”
“They might have, or even if they didn’t, they could’ve seized the opportunity when he did.”
Bennie blinked. “You might be right.”
“I think she is.” Paul frowned. “We should tell the assistant warden.”
Bennie glanced away, distracted. “Look. This case is about to get bigger.”
Julia and Paul turned to the scene. Newsvans with multicolored logos and white microwave towers were arriving.
They pulled into the visitors’ lot, and technicians jumped out and began setting up portable generators, klieg lights, and makeshift tents.
Videographers hoisted cameras to their shoulders, and anchorpeople emerged from vans in fresh makeup, with paper towels still stuck into their collars.
Julia realized this was a sensational story for them, but her best friend was still inside, more scared than ever.
Paul put a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry I lost my temper earlier.”
Julia felt touched. “It’s okay, I get it. It drives me crazy too.”
“It isn’t easy, having a gift like that, is it?”
“No,” Julia had to admit. “But I have to get better at it.”
“If Courtney were here, she would say she loves you just the way you are.” Paul smiled warmly. “So do I.”
“Thanks,” Julia said, but she didn’t feel that way herself. The stakes were even higher, and the responsibility weighed on her. Paul had been right that Courtney was in greater danger than before.
Bennie checked her phone. “New news. Courtney’s arraignment will be held tomorrow morning at the courthouse.”
Paul looked over. “Will we get to see her in person?”
“Yes. You won’t get to talk to her in court, but I made a request for you to visit her tomorrow at the prison. The assistant warden agreed, given the circumstances. It will be a no-contact visit, that’s self-explanatory. At least you get to talk to her.”
“That would be great.” Paul smiled with relief.
“You’ll have to wait at the prison because they don’t know the exact time.”
“No problem, thank you.” Paul paused. “Does Courtney know that Alex died, and her cellmate?”
“I don’t know. I’m sure she will by then.” Bennie turned to Julia. “I tried to get you in to visit her, but you’re not immediate family. Is there anything you want me to tell her in court tomorrow?”
“Tell her we’re going to get her out of there.”
“This isn’t your psychic gift talking, is it?” Bennie lifted an eyebrow, her expression uncharacteristically confused. “You don’t know how this story ends, do you?”
“No,” Julia answered, wishing she did. She thought back to earlier, when she and Paul had searched the waivers of the regiment. It seemed like ages ago, after the awful events of the night. “We did get a good lead tonight, on a man named Patrick Novak.”
Paul rallied. “Yes, we got info on him, McKenna, and Shoemaker.”
Bennie smiled, surprised. “Excellent. Fill me in on the way to the car.”