The Saltwater Maximum Security Prison was composed of several brick buildings, three dorms, a main hall, and another building for death row and solitary confinement, all surrounding the massive rec yard. The entire facility was surrounded by various rows of razor wire fencing and several imposing guard towers. Everything between the outside of the razor wire all the way to the parking lot and in any direction was flat and clear of any brush. Even if someone could escape, getting past the walls and fences, there was nowhere for them to hide from the guards in the towers. The state sent all of their worst prisoners here.
"Nice." James said, leaning on the hood of his jeep. "No one is getting out of there."
"I think that's the idea." Evelyn replied, getting out of the passenger side. She straightened out her clothes and hair, checking her reflection in the mirror.
"Nervous?" James asked. She shot him a withering look, and he shrugged, looking back at the prisoner. He said nothing else for a few moments while she double checked everything they needed. She made sure they had nothing they shouldn't bring in.
"Do you have your badge?" She asked. He patted the pocket of his tan blazer where he had it hidden and rubbed the back of his neck.
"I think I'm a little nervous." He admitted. Evelyn rolled her eyes.
"Why?" she asked, picking up her briefcase off the hood of the jeep. "He can't get to us. He can't hurt us. He's just a man."
"He may be a serial killer." James said, pushing off the front of the Jeep. "He may be the answer to one of the biggest cases of our lives. I think it's natural to be at least a little nervous." Evelyn didn't respond. She nodded back at him instead, looking up at the building. The smallest shadow cast by the building was big enough to swallow her entire property. Steadying herself, she went forward and led the way. James fell into step behind her, matching her pace but staying quiet.
Checking in had been difficult as well. The officers involved had patted them down and kept their weapons, of course. They had searched Evelyn's briefcase and verified their badge numbers. Even then, they still had the officers walk through metal detectors. The warden, a stern woman named Karen Turnlip, met them on the other side. Karen was tall and thin, full of sharp edges. She had limp brown hair that she left partially up, and an expression that suggested she knew what they were going to say before they said it.
Karen introduced herself and her deputy warden, a much smaller, male version of herself with a mustache. She gave them a limp handshake and asked them about their trip before going over the rules.
"Of course you understand you can't have your weapons." She said, knowing they were already without them. "We will have you enter the interrogation room first. You will sit at the table provided and we will let you know when we are bringing in Mr. Walker. He will then be introduced to you and offered legal counsel if need be. We have someone on site, should he request it."
"This isn't that sort of interrogation." Evelyn said, but Karen didn't seem to hear her and continued on.
"You'll then be given as long as you need to interview Mr. Walker." she finished, clapping her hands together, "now! Would either of you like any coffee?"
"Please." James replied.
"Water, if you have it?" Evelyn asked. Karen nodded, and the deputy warden scurried off to get it. They lead them to the interrogation room, a plain gray room made of painted cement blocks and floors. The large, heavy table in the center of the room was bolted to the floor, and so were the benches on either side. There were no windows, only bright fluorescent lighting.
"Oh," James said, looking around, "it's very cozy, isn't it?"
"Positively charming." Evelyn agreed, going in. James gave the guards at the door a once over before going in himself. He took a seat next to Evelyn, facing the door. It wasn't long before a guard brought them their drinks.
"Prisoner coming in!" A guard said. Evelyn scrubbed her palms against her dark brown pants and licked her lips. She sat a little straighter at attention and watched with unblinking eyes. Two more guards shuffled past the first two, flanking Benjamin Walker.
For Evelyn, seeing the man who killed her mother was anti-climatic. She had seen a lot of photos from the papers and her mother's personal albums. He'd been an enormous mountain of a man with a chiseled jaw, shaggy brown hair, and broad hands. Locals would have called him 'corn fed'. His size and country boy strength had been how he overpowered his victims so easily. Now, having him stand before her, she could still see the man he was, but somehow... less than.
This version of Benjamin Walker was smaller. He had lost a lot of weight in prison. His orange jumpsuit swallowed him. His clear blue eyes looked out from under bushy eyebrows and wild, greasy hair that had long gone gray. He had the sort of look that led her to believe he would smell bad if she got too close. He shuffled in, his hands chained together in front of him, as well as his feet. The chains clanked together as he moved.
While the Benjamin Walker she had seen in photos was long gone, she realized that he was still locked inside the one before her. Evelyn could see him looking back at her through those intelligent eyes. He was a predator. The gut instinct she'd worked so long to hone warned her he was dangerous and she believed it. Evelyn glanced over to James, who stood as they delivered the prisoner to them. The guards with them made sure he was chained tightly before they left. Walker looked up and met James' gaze. It was some kind of threat, or refusal to submit as far as Evelyn could tell. He didn't look away until James sat down and made eye contact with her.
That eye contact lasted forever. Evelyn saw his mind working. James didn't move or speak, watching the interaction. The prison officials had requested that they introduce themselves. All Walker had been told was that two Garret Falls deputies were coming to interview him.
"Mr. Walker." James said, "my name is James McCauley. I'm an officer with the Garret Falls Police Department." Walker didn't even blink, let alone acknowledge that James had spoken. There was a moment where everything clicked into place for Walker. It was a visible change that they both noticed. His eyes widened and Walker leaned back a bit as though Evelyn were the monster in the room. Several emotions cycled through his expression. First there was surprise, then fear, and some relief. Suddenly, it all vanished. His expression was blank again, but he sat up straighter.
"You're Katrina's girl." He said, inspecting his fingernails. The chains around his wrists glittered in the artificial light.
"That's right." Evelyn replied, "I'm Evelyn Waters."
"Waters." He echoed, moving his mouth around as if he were tasting her name. Judging by his expression, he didn't like the flavor. "Why not Young?" He asked. Evelyn was surprised at her own feelings, and how much his saying her mother's name annoyed her.
"I got married." Evelyn replied. She shifted her weight around and opened her briefcase. "We're here to talk about the murders that were happening when you murdered my mother."
"The Garret Falls Vampire." He replied. He had a grin on his face like he had a secret.
"Something funny?" James asked.
"Not at all." Walker replied. "What would you like to talk about?"
"I'm sure you've seen it on the news." James replied, drawing Walker's attention back to him. "Jason Newton was murdered recently, along with Anna Webber." He took one file and straightened himself up. "Now, I know you knew Jason Newton. He was your alibi for one of the Garret Falls Vampire murders. Were you friends?" Walker shrugged in return.
"You might say that." He replied, "he sold me weed." He leaned forward, whispering, "tell me what they wrote on his wall?"
"Drug dealer." James replied without emotion. Walker scowled back at him and leaned back. "You don't think that's a worthy sin?"
"It's just weed." Walker replied.
"Do you remember anyone who might want to hurt him?" Evelyn asked. "It's a pretty big coincidence that they brought you in as The Garret Falls Vampire and this time around, your alibi and friend is the first to be murdered."
"Hurt Jason?" Walker considered this. "Nah. No one wants to hurt Jason. He's a good guy.... Or he was." He swiveled on his seat to watch her for a while. "Did he go fast or slow? Jason?"
"Why?" James asked, eyeing the murderer closely. Walker looked back at Evelyn. She couldn't tell if he was trying to make her uneasy or not. He shrugged, his chains jingling.
"I liked him." He replied. "He was my friend. I hope he didn't suffer." He considered things for a moment. "Did you marry a boy or a girl?" The way he asked suggested he already knew the answer, so Evelyn ignored it.
"We have no way of knowing that." James replied, "we all hope he didn't suffer." Walker glanced at him, ignoring James mostly and focusing on Evelyn. "Do you have any idea who the killer might be, Walker?"
"Which one?" He asked, without breaking his stare.
"Either one." Evelyn replied, "we know this one is a copycat. Do you know who either is?"
"I don't think so." Walker replied, looking away and around the room.
"This is useless." James said, looking over at Evelyn. She steadied herself and took a sip of her bottled water. "He will not be much help. We should send him back to his cell."
"I agree." Evelyn replied.
"Did he... take anything?" Evelyn could feel James still beside her as Walker asked his question. She took another drink of her water and looked through her paperwork as though what he said didn't matter.
"Who?" she asked.
"This murderer." Walker replied, leaning onto the table. "Did he take anything?"
"Like what?" James asked. His eyes were like lasers, trained in on the prisoner before them. James wouldn't have seen or thought of anything else in the world besides Benjamin Walker. He didn't respond to James' question or his stare. It didn't seem to phase him at all. Evelyn imagined anyone would squirm under that stare. Instead, he stayed focused on her. "What would the killer take, Mr. Walker?"
"Have you begun having the dreams?" Walker asked. Evelyn's breath left her body and her heart sped up in her rib cage. She wanted to gasp for air, to fill her lungs, but knew she couldn't. She couldn't give away the fear settling in her chest to either of them. "Your mother had the dreams." He added as an afterthought.
"That's enough!" James slapped the table hard, making Evelyn and Walker both jump and look at him. His face was red. "We are not here to talk about Katrina Young." he told him. "we are here to talk about the serial killer at large. Now, I think you know something, Walker, but if you will not help us, you'll go back to your cell. Do you understand me?"
"Have you?" Walker asked, ignoring James.
"Answer the question." Evelyn replied. Her words were cold and concise. James' outburst had steadied her and she was able to meet Walker's gaze once more. She pulled her lips back. "What would the killer have taken, Walker?"
"I don't have the slightest idea." He replied.
"That's enough." James hissed. Evelyn agreed. Even if she wanted to continue playing these games- and she didn't- he would not be of any real help. "Walker, I'm going to give you one more chance. What would the killer have taken from his victims?"
"Isn't that what they do?" Walker asked, looking back at James. "Serial killers take things. Like mementos, right?" James sat back down, staring at him. He was fed up with the killer already. He looked at Evelyn. "Do you love her? Your wife?"
"Get him out of here." Evelyn said. She realized he'd been watching after her from inside the prison. It wasn't unheard of.
"Guards!" James barked. Walker laughed in his face.
"And here I thought he was in charge!" He said as the guards entered the room, laughing. "Guess you're the one in charge, huh, peanut? Just like your daddy." Evelyn scowled at him as the guards came in. Blood was rushing in her ears and she could feel her face heating up.
"I want him out of here." James barked at the guards, "we're finished."
The guards snapped to, threatening Walker if he didn't shut up. He didn't, laughing as they hauled him up and out by his elbows. He didn't look back, but he laughed the entire way. Evelyn could hear his laugh echoing off of the concrete walls long after she couldn't see him.
"Hey." James touched her arm, making Evelyn jump. She looked up at him. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah." Evelyn replied, gathering her things. "Yeah, I'm okay."
"What was that about?" He asked. "dreams? Your dad?"
"I really don't know." Evelyn lied. "I don't know what dreams he's talking about. I never got to know my mom."
"Yeah, of course not." He said, as they made their way to the door. He grabbed it and held it for her. "What about your dad?"
"Nothing really." Evelyn replied. She sighed. "Floyd is really the only dad I've ever known. Gran said he was a drifter once and another time she told me he was dead."
"He was just taunting you." James assured her. They came to the first gate and began the long process of leaving the prison. He looked down at Evelyn and the change in his tone let her know he could see she was shaken. "Hey, he's just trying to get under your skin. Don't let him."
"Right."