PROLOGUE
The prison doors slammed shut with a loud bang after she passed through them. The sound reverberated down the corridor, making her shudder at the idea of being locked up in such an awful place. She cringed inwardly as inmates whistled and tried to grab at her as she walked by. She forced herself to stay in the center of the aisle out of their reach.
She was led into a small, dank room that consisted of a metal table with two chairs facing one another. It was bare otherwise. There was another door opposite the one she entered and a double thick window was positioned on the wall behind one of the chairs. She supposed it was so they could keep an eye on the prisoners.
As she sat down in one of the chairs, she could almost imagine the feeling of despair one would have after being in this hell-hole for a while. It was not where she intended on spending her life. She never wanted to see the inside of a prison before, but here she was. It was a glorious summer day outside and she was stuck inside these cold, brick walls. I should be out working on my tan, she thought. What was I thinking?
She drummed her fingers on the table until she realized it was sticky. Afraid to imagine what it could be, she quickly stopped and looked around for a napkin or something. Nothing.
“Ugh!” she said aloud, wiping her hands on her slacks. “There goes a two-hundred dollar pair of pants.”
It didn’t matter because after being in here, sitting on what she was sure was a filthy chair, she knew she would never wear them again. Even though for the time being she was a little low on shopping money, she could never see herself wearing anything that had been in contact with something as repulsive as whatever it was she had to wipe from her skin.
She waited for half an hour. Impatient, she stood up and rapped on the window.
“Hello?” she sang out. “Did you forget me in here?”
A guard opened the door and popped his head through the opening.
“Don’t get your panties in a twist, lady. He’ll be right here.”
He shut the door abruptly and she was left alone again.
“Fine!” she screamed in response. “Just leave me here alone in this disgusting place.”
She looked once again at her surroundings, hoping to find something good about the room. She didn’t. There was nothing about the place that could even give her one shred of hope. It was grey and dismal and reeked of depression. No wonder the prisoners couldn’t wait for parole.
She paced back and forth in the room before finally sitting back down. She tried to concentrate on the reason she even came here to begin with. What would happen now? Why did she give in? She should have left well enough alone and stayed away. She was nervous. She knew it was a big mistake, but at this point it was too late.
The bastard probably didn’t want to see her or he was making her purposely wait, which was more than likely the reason it was taking so long. She didn’t want to see him either, but knew she had to face him. There was no way she was going to allow him to do this to her. After all the years of devotion and loyalty, she didn’t deserve to be treated as a mark. She should be basking in the easy life; one without financial worries or fear of being killed.
Finally, the door opened and he shuffled in with his wrists handcuffed in front of him. Without a word, he sat in the chair opposite her. She heard that he was shot, so she was surprised to see him walking; not that she cared either way.
She was warned not to touch him, nor pass anything to him. Not that she could, they took her purse and frisked her before they allowed her inside. Besides, she had no desire to aid in anything more than she already unknowingly did throughout the years.
They sat for a few moments without talking. Neither of them wanted to be the first to speak.
Not being able to take the silence any longer, she said, “You’re not looking so good.”
“Tactful as always, I see,”’ he responded.
“You know me. I call it like I see it.”
“What do you want?”
She snickered and responded, “I see you haven’t changed either. You get right to the point.”
“Well?”
“Look, I don’t want to be here anymore than you want me to be. I’m here for one reason and you know what that is.”
“Do I?”
“You’re going to make me say it, aren’t you?”
He didn’t respond.
“Fine,” she said. “Call off your dogs.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Yes, you do. Since you’ve been in here, I’ve been in hiding. I know what’s going on.”
Silence.
“I don’t deserve this.”
“Don’t you?” he asked.
“No. I’ve always been faithful.”
“Not when it counted. Because of you, I’m in this vermin infested place, wearing this horrible orange prison garb,” he pulled the front of his jumpsuit out, making it pucker in the middle.
“That was all your own doing.”
“If you didn’t open your loud trap, my lawyers could have gotten me out of it. Instead, you testified against me! Shame is what you’ve caused me to feel for you. Nothing but shame and I’m embarrassed to admit I even know you.”
Waving her hand in the air as if his feelings were insignificant, she defended herself by saying, “I don’t care what you do or do not feel for me. You’ve never felt anything for me over the years because I was born a female. Now that your precious Phillip…”
“Don’t you dare utter his name to me!”
“Why not? You’re a murderer and deserve to be here. Phillip was following in your shoes, just as you wanted him to. Now, what do you have to show for it?”
“My son is dead and all you can think about is yourself. You’re more like your mother than I thought.”
“You have no right to speak about my mother! She was nothing to you but a trophy wife you used for public display. As for Phillip, you put him in the line of fire and are the sole person responsible for his death and now you want me out of the way as well. It’s not going to happen.”
“Is that what he’s feeding you? That I’m a murderer? Is he brainwashing you?”
“This has nothing to do with him. Your questions simply prove my point, you never knew me. If you did, you would realize that I allow no one to tell me how or what to think. I am my own person, self-reliant and strong. I have been since the day I was orphaned.”
“Orphaned? You are not orphaned.”
“After Mother passed away, that is exactly how I felt—parentless.”
“You are an ungrateful little bitch. I provided everything for you.”
“Yes, everything but the one thing I needed—love. I learned to look elsewhere for that, so don’t even think about suggesting that he or anyone else is brainwashing me, Carlo.”
“Since when do you show such disrespect? Your tongue should be cut from your mouth for calling me by my first name.”
“Why? You’ve never been a real father to me and I don’t feel you deserve the title. Not anymore.”
“Traitors…you are both nothing but traitors!”
“I know what I’ve heard and seen over the years. You’re stupido, Padre! You think because you didn’t involve me in your business I knew nothing, that I was a mindless female. Well, you were wrong, as usual.” She added, “If you didn’t have the man I love killed, we may not be having this conversation. You wouldn’t listen to me when I tried to plead his case.”
“He was a loser. He was not good enough for you.”
“So you say.”
“What I say is always best. That is, it was. Now…” he waved his hand in the air and continued, “perhaps it is you that is not good enough.”
“You are so vindictive. If I was so meaningless to you, how can you judge who is good enough for me? You can’t expect me to believe you actually care.”
“Perhaps I am vindictive. You went along with me, did you not, when I told you to stop seeing him?”
“You ordered it. What was I supposed to do? I only allowed you to believe I agreed with you. I drew the line when you murdered him. He loved me.”
“Love,” he snorted. “You don’t even know what that is.”
“Maybe, maybe not. But it’s obvious that you certainly don’t. Once Mother was gone, I had no hope for a role model in anything.”
“We’re done here. Guard!” he yelled, standing up.
“Stop this before it’s too late.”
“It already is. Guard!” he yelled again.
He was led out of the room. She stood watching him for a moment, shuffling along like the old man he is, barely able to put one foot in front of the other. He’ll be dead soon, she thought, taking satisfaction in that knowledge.
She was shown out and once again, was led down the hallway while listening to the same jeers. She collected her things at the front desk and headed to the main door.
She stepped out into the sunshine and for a moment just stood there with her face turned toward the sun soaking up the rays. It felt good to be out of that place. She vowed to never re-enter it. She refused to visit him again. The bastard could rot in there for all she cared.
She began walking down the steps toward the parking lot. Just as she put her foot on the third step, she heard a loud noise then felt something slam into her left shoulder. She cried out and fell down the remaining steps, blood pouring from the wound where the bullet entered.