Chapter Two
Pontiac, Illinois
Prison. Junior prosecutor Elena Pierce strode toward the Pontiac Correctional Center with a confidence that she hoped hid the fact she was shaking inside.
The dreary day with cloud cover and humid cold made her shiver and wish that she could vacation somewhere warm and sunny.
But for now, she had to work hard, prove herself.
This case might be just that—a chance to show that she deserved to move up the ranks in the prosecutor’s office.
She was meeting with a prisoner named Diego Perez, otherwise known to his gang members as Ref.
From what Elena knew, Ref had been tough and not someone you messed around with even though that nickname usually indicated a member who helped keep peace.
But keeping peace in a gang came in different ways, which only made her more nervous.
She refused to show it.
Elena had learned long ago it was best to put on a facade if needed.
The fake-it-until-you-make-it technique.
This was no different. Entering the prison, she showed her ID and confirmed the appointment asking for a meeting with Ref.
Usually it was the prisoner’s lawyer, not a prosecutor, that requested a private room.
Elena didn’t even know if Ref would meet with her, but she had questions and she wanted answers.
She thought about the case that had made her travel almost two hours south—a drive-by shooting.
Not that a drive-by in Chicago was anything out of the ordinary, unfortunately, but this one had included many innocent bystanders.
That sadly wasn’t out of the ordinary either.
It was the fact that this innocent victim happened to be a six-year-old boy eating dinner when bullets pierced his house.
He’d died instantly.
That was four years ago and no one had been prosecuted in this case.
But the boy’s mother was persistent and never gave up hope that her son’s killers would be found.
After lots of persuading, his mother had found a witness.
The witness actually had photos of the shooters on their phone.
That witness had been terrified to come forward.
Gang retaliation was a real thing. But the boy’s mother had talked them into it.
The pictures had helped, and the Chicago police had arrested several of the car’s occupants.
The problem was, one of the passengers was identified as Ref.
Ref was serving time for a murder of a young woman that had happened across town about the same time on the same day.
No one could be in two places at once. Elena wanted to know why he had pleaded guilty to the other murder.
If there was a killer on the loose, she wanted to find them and have them arrested. Then she wanted a promotion.
Her boss had given her permission to find out more.
As she entered the room in the prison and sat down, her mind replayed going to the evidence storage and looking over Ref’s case.
She’d discovered missing evidence and that it was a former cop who had found the young woman Ref supposedly killed.
The ex-officer said he had information and evidence about the victim, but no one had taken him seriously.
The sound of the door opening and a prisoner being escorted in by a guard interrupted Elena’s thoughts.
Even though Ref had only served four years, he had aged dramatically from his mug shot.
Cuffs and chains made a clinking sound as he took a seat.
The guard secured him and let Elena know he’d be outside the door if she needed anything and to let him know when she was done.
The door shut behind him with a loud clang and then Elena was alone with Ref.
The mug shot had made Ref appear cocky with a hard stare.
The expression of someone who probably grew up on the streets and learned how to survive.
The man in front of her now still had that hard stare.
He had gang tattoos including angel wings with a skull that had cascading blood drops, the signature emblem for the Dark Angels. But the cockiness was gone.
“Thanks for meeting with me, Mr. Perez.”
Ref took a moment to answer. “I’m not Mr. Perez. Call me Ref. Why are you here? What does some bitch from the prosecutor’s office want with me?”
Elena worked to maintain his eye contact and not look away. She had to show no fear. She too had grown up as a survivor, and she needed those skills more than ever right now. “I want to ask you about a case we’re getting ready to prosecute.”
“I didn’t do it.”
“Didn’t say you did, although pictures say otherwise.” Elena took a photo out of a file folder and slid it across the table. “Several people died that day. Kids included. One in your car and one eating dinner in his house.”
Ref glanced at the photo. “Rough neighborhood. Shit happens.”
Elena nodded and left the photo out. She pointed at the time stamp. “This is the issue.”
“What?”
“The date and time.”
“Why do I care about a time stamp on a photo?” Ref asked.
“Because you’re in that car.”
“So what if I am? You’re visiting me in a max-security prison. I’m doing my time. I’m paying for my sins.”
Elena nodded. “But what if you’re paying for the wrong sins?”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“The murder you were convicted for is not this one. The homicide you’re serving time for happened at almost the same time as this shooting. Only about ten minutes apart. There’s no way you could be in both places at once unless you’re Superman.”
Ref smirked. “Maybe I am Superman.”
Elena took a deep breath. How was she going to break through and get any information from him? She would try another tactic. “I hear that your son is doing well in school and that he and your girlfriend visit you when they can.”
Ref’s expression changed. “What does my son have to do with this?”
“Not much. I’m just saying that maybe telling the truth and doing the right thing would show your son that you can change.
I hear you’re taking classes. I’ve even heard rumors that you’ve been talking with young gang members and trying to help them get out of the life.
I’m sure you don’t want your son to be in a gang, do you? ”
“No,” Ref said. “I don’t. I’ve told him he needs to go to school and get an education.”
“That sounds like someone who’s making a positive change and might get out on good behavior.”
Ref laughed. “They’re not going to let me out. Not for what I did.”
“But this photo proves you couldn’t have murdered the person that you admitted to killing. Why confess to a crime you didn’t commit?”
“Look, lady, I’m guessing you’re one of those high-and-mighty people out to save the world, but I’m going to do my time and not say anything more.”
“There’s a killer on the loose who strangled a young woman in a brutal murder.
It wasn’t you. Don’t you want the truth to come out?
” Elena asked, starting to feel like she was pleading.
She was losing Ref, she could feel it, and then what?
“There was a little boy killed in this drive-by. If you agree to be a witness to put the shooter behind bars, then we can work a deal to get you out of here soon. You’ll be with your son again. Be a father outside of prison.”
“I’m not a snitch.”
“I’ve heard you left the gang life.”
“Maybe I have, maybe I haven’t, but I know what will happen to me if I snitch on one of my guys.
There’re powerful people who put me here.
They need me to take the blame for this murder.
I can’t go against them. They’d not only kill me, they might go after my girlfriend and son.
Plus, what evidence do you have?” Ref said, leaning closer to Elena.
“Did you not notice that the bitch was strangled with a scarf that had my DNA? Looks like a problem for your case. Maybe my twin was in the car.”
Elena responded by moving slightly forward herself. She would not back down. “Do you have a twin?”
“No.”
“If you’re innocent of this crime, then you should let me help you.
I can see what I can do to keep your son safe.
Plus, I think I know someone who might have evidence of the murder you’re wrongfully convicted of who could help prove you didn’t do it.
Maybe even find the real killer. But I need you to agree that this is you in this photo and that you were somewhere else that day.
And I need you to testify against the shooter. ”
“Who has evidence that would prove I didn’t kill that rich bitch?” Ref asked.
“A former cop. He was the first one to find the victim and he took photos and notes. But since he was no longer working for the department, no one gathered those items as evidence. They ignored him. I believe that the photos and notes will lead to the real killer’s identity.
You already have an alibi. Why not help me out with both cases and get out of here sooner?
Then you can be a father. The kind of man I believe you want to be. ”
Ref studied her, and for the first time, Elena thought she might be getting through to him. That he might agree to help her.
“Who’s the former cop?”
“Name is Josh Colten.”
Ref broke out laughing, surprising Elena. “You serious?”
“Yes.”
“That guy is a mess. He was so strung out, and from what I heard, he didn’t quit. He got fired. He worked our area some and we just left him alone because half the time he was tweaking and looking for his next fix. Seriously, miss, stop looking into these cases.”
Elena sat back. At least he was calling her “miss” now. That was an improvement.
“I heard through a friend who works in the DA’s office that this cop has changed.
Moved out of state and has his life together now.
He’s clean and back working in law enforcement.
I think he could help us find the real killer in this homicide.
And with your help, you could testify against the shooter in the car where you were a passenger and bring justice to a little boy.
A little boy who was about the same age as your son is now.
Help me do this. There’re two murderers who need to be behind bars.
I don’t believe you pulled the trigger in the drive-by and I don’t believe you strangled this woman.
I do believe you were involved in the drive-by and you’ve served time that you deserved to serve. Help me help you.”
“Why do you want to convict these murderers so bad? What’s in it for you? A promotion? A person like you doesn’t care about gang members. Or maybe it’s because of the victim of the murder I’m serving time for? Is that it?”
Elena hesitated. She had to choose her words carefully so that she could prove she wasn’t only doing this for a promotion, which was a part of her motivation, but also because she believed in justice.
“A person like me? You think I grew up in a perfect house with a white picket fence? Nope, not me. I grew up with a father who loved to slap my mother around, and it got worse until he killed her. I was a teenager and I watched how the prosecutor in that case made sure my father served time for what he did. I want every family to get justice and I don’t want to see someone sitting in prison for something they didn’t do. ”
“Very noble,” Ref answered. “Look, if I agree to help you, I need to know my son and girlfriend will be safe. Like I said, there’s powerful people who put me here.
I figure I should serve my time. I’m not a good person.
Say I tell you that it is me in that photo?
Then I was involved in a shooting that killed innocent people.
Leave this be. Let me serve my time. I figure it doesn’t matter what crime I’m here for, I deserve to be here.
Plus, if you pursue this, you could be in danger. Have you thought of that?”
“Yes,” Elena said. “But that comes with the job. It’s a risk I’m willing to take.”
“Go ahead, take this on, but when someone tries to kill you, don’t come crying to me.
I’ll agree to be your witness in this drive-by, but do you really think you can reopen and overturn a conviction for the murder of a bigwig senator’s daughter?
Especially if the only evidence is from a strung-out cop? ”
“I do,” Elena answered.
“You’re crazier than I thought. Look, I’ll agree to testify in your drive-by case, but if something happens to you, we never had this conversation. If you’re found dead, I want to just serve my time.”
“I’ll keep it quiet, then,” Elena said. “I’ll look into the other case, but when I find the real killer, I do need you to be a witness in the drive-by case.”
“Deal,” Ref said. “I’d shake your hand, but I’m a bit, you know, restrained.”
“I’ll be in touch. I’m going to figure this out.”
“Just do me a favor and don’t get yourself killed.”
“It’ll take a lot more than that to scare me off,” Elena answered, and then thought, Hopefully Josh Colten really is clean and has the evidence I need.