Down To The Needle

by Mary Deal

  People pressed against their vehicle despite more police walking along side as they inched forward. Protestors banged on the windows and were shoved away. Someone threw a burning torch that glanced off the hood. Police quickly nabbed him but it started others fighting one another. The melee blocked the road till police could cuff and clear away the over-zealous.

  Joe glanced at her and shrugged. “Wish it would have snowed harder.”

  Abi studied him as he stared straight ahead. His constant support was an undeniable testament of his commitment. Though he never mentioned it, if the situation got too intense before anything was resolved, he was afraid her heart would give out. She put her hand to her chest and closed her eyes momentarily. Her heartbeat was fine and, somehow, she would not allow her emotions to get out of hand. She looked at Joe again and knew that she loved him with the intensity she needed to feel before she could commit to marriage. Her heart would stay strong. She had made it through the past months with only few difficulties. She was strong and they would have a long life together. Finally, with Becky Ann too.

  A string of police on foot and horseback guarded the first gate till it slammed closed behind them. The second gate opened ahead. As usual, they parked a short distance inside and walked through scanners at the front door. In the waiting area Joe hugged her tightly and she couldn't help but cling to him. “Keep us posted, Joe.” She dropped her cell phone into her purse and handed it to him.

  The plan was that while Abi remained in the cell with Megan, Joe stayed up front in the waiting room with his cell phone and watching TV, which were his only means to keep track of breaking news.

  Inside her cell, Megan looked despondent despite being told of the phenomenal events that had unfolded. “Are you here because you think I shouldn't die alone?” She paced, like a cornered animal. “What a joke.”

  “I wouldn't joke, Megan, never about this.” Abi reached for Megan's hand but Megan went to sit on her bed with her legs drawn up out of the way as Abi took a turn pacing. The cell and area overall smelled like cold concrete, devoid of life except Megan's that hung by a thread.

  “Why haven't they let me out of here?”

  “Have patience. I'm not leaving without you.”

  “Maybe the right people won't get the news in time.” Megan sounded like she was caving in.

  “Yates identified both Dara and Sling from the same photo he saw before he lost his sight. He cleared you.”

  “But you said Yates couldn't identify Dara in a line up.”

  “We just heard it on the news.”

  “That doesn't work in my favor.”

  “They said it doesn't make much difference.” Officials knew it had been nine years since Yates last saw the photo and that Dara's face would have changed over time.

  “Okay, okay. The main thing is that idiot looked at that same old picture and picked out Dara.”

  “Don't forget, Megan.” Abi tentatively sat on the edge of the bed. “Sling's made a tell-all plea bargain.”

  “The people who run this hell hole, maybe they haven't heard.” Megan rose and went to the bars and looked out into the empty, dimly lit room.

  “Joe's probably talking to them this very minute, and Emery and Det. Britto are at the Governor's office.” One thing Megan needed was reassurance. “The warden will be kept apprised.”

  “What's taking so long?” Megan clasped the bars so tightly, her knuckles turned white.

  “A lot of legal juggling. The only thing we can do now is to wait for the Governor to call.”

  “What if he doesn't?”

  “Megan, everyone is doing all they can. You told me to stay positive. What about you?”

  “We're down to the fine hairs here. It's too close. I'm scared again.”

  “I know, I know. Come here.” Abi reached for her. Megan sat down beside her on the cot and cuddled up in her arms. Abi kicked out of her shoes and pulled her legs up onto the bed and leaned back against the concrete wall, turning away from the open toilet. The sight of the open stall shower was no better but then Abi noticed something. Megan kept the toilet and shower spotlessly clean. Abi focused on the piles of books stacked against the wall of the teeny shower stall. Some legal titles were among them. Literary novels and art books intermingled. Canvas panels stuck out from under the bed. The actual paints and drawing materials were kept in the recreation area to prevent inmates from possibly ingesting them in a bid to end their lives. Those few meager possessions exemplified Megan's love of life and nature and desire to live. Her cleanliness, which Abi hadn't noticed before spoke volumes about Megan's inner mind, her self-respect and understanding. Abi remembered Becky's unfinished art from childhood and wondered what she might have accomplished with her abilities. If Megan's ideals were so great, then Becky's were too. It was a happy moment for Abi, though fleeting.

  Megan curled into a fetal position like a frightened child and nestled her face in close. She perked suddenly. “Wow! What a rhythm. Your heartbeat sounds like a cranked up bass on a stereo.”

  “Never mind that, Megan. Pray, pray hard.” Abi prayed too, but all too often glanced at her watch. She had been praying since the beginning of this case and had a moment of lack of faith, then reminded herself not to show any weaknesses that Megan might see.

  Abi remembered past cases of abducted children in which she had been involved. She never held those children, only watched on TV as the news releases showed them being reunited with their families. Now, here she was, comforting a woman who seemed like her daughter, then as before, was not. Megan seemed more like a girl held in limbo between adolescence and adulthood. It was the first time Abi had gotten so emotionally and physically involved in any case. She couldn't let go and wrapped her arms tighter around Megan's shoulders.

  Chapter 56

  A door opened, and then slammed shut. The sound reverberated through the stillness. Both Abi and Megan jumped up and stood waiting. The sloshing of soft rubber soles padded up to the bars. Items hanging from the guard's leather belt squeaked and jingled. The guard wore the standard gray slacks with a dark stripe running down each leg and a light gray shirt with a nametag.

  “Winnaker?” Her tone was flat. She kept a distance from the cell front. “You're allowed to have anything you want for your last supper. I need to take your order.”

  Megan smiled with relief. “There's not going to be a last meal. Haven't you heard?” She moved toward the front of the cell.

  The guard backed farther away. “Guess I haven't.” She treated the comment as if expected to play along.

  “I'm going home.”

  “Sure, honey, sure.”

  “I am. The man who made a mistake when he identified me looked at those photos again. He picked out the real person who started that fire.”

  “If that's what you were told. You want to give me your order now?” The guard didn't believe a word of it.

  “That's true.” Abi moved toward the bars. “Haven't you seen it on TV?”

  Finally, the guard leaned forward to take a closer look inside the cell. “Was it you who got Yates's eyes fixed?”

  “Yes, it was. Now he's identified the real arsonist.”

  “After all this time?” The guard pulled back her chin and stared at Megan for another moment. “I still need to take your order.”

  “I'm not hungry.”

  “You should eat.” The guard's voice remained monotone. “Whatever happens, you'll need your strength.”

  That certainly didn't sound encouraging. “Can I have dinner here with Megan?”

  “I suppose. I'll have to check.”

  “Then just bring us what's on the menu for tonight, please.”

  Minutes passed, then hours. The lights went on automatically in the dingy cell. Finally, dinner arrived and when Abi received her tray through the slot in the door, she became acquainted with yet another demeaning aspect that Megan had been forced to endure.

  Nighttime crept in. Dim light filtered in through the window sl
it from the prison grounds that were kept illuminated. Recycled warm air blew through air ducts at each end of the empty room outside the bars, but the inside of the cell remained cold.

  Abi could wait no longer without hearing what progress had been made. Joe had not sent a message to have her come to the front and that unnerved her. It meant he had heard nothing. She visualized him frantically making calls or pestering the prison warden. Joe would not send word to her unless he had something to report.

  Precious hours had passed without word from the Governor and that seemed foreboding. Abi caught the attention of the guard through the inner doorway window and asked to be taken to where Joe waited. As she was let out of the cell, she turned to look back. With hands clutching the bars, Megan stood silent with a wide-eyed frightful stare as Abi walked away. The look sent a jolt careening through Abi's nervous system.

  Chapter 57

  Joe welcomed her with opened arms, but he didn't smile. One of the few ways he might learn of any late breaking events was through a TV news flash since all channels were offering coverage throughout the night. Scenes on TV showed that the crowd outside the gates had swollen to unbelievable proportions. People bounced around to keep warm and chanted in unison, each of the two groups vying to be heard over the other. Members both for and against the death penalty had taken pokes at one another and arrests were made. Several people were cut by broken glass in a bottle-throwing melee. More police arrived to squelch the impending riot.

  Joe clutched his cell phone, ready for the ring. He lowered the TV volume, then whispered as they hugged again. “No word yet.” His words hung heavy in the air. He glanced at the TV and back to Abi. “I just heard that no suspected Aryans have gathered at the gate. No gang members either.”

  Abi had difficulty concentrating on anything but the young woman back in the cell. “So what does that mean?”

  “Megan was probably never a part of any of those groups.”

  “But once these groups are through with a person, they're discarded, just like Tess Ulrich.” Then she had another thought. “That's why they were so quick to testify against her. She served as a cover-up and they could have gotten away with murder if they hadn't burned my house, and Hazel's.”

  “Once Yates's sight was restored, they panicked. As Britto says, 'No pros among 'em.' ”

  The half-wits couldn't help themselves. Anything they did after Abi got involved was bound to give them away. Finally, she and Joe sat again. “Can't we find out what's going on at the Governor's office?”

  Joe frowned. “Emery called some time ago. The Governor was away for a three day weekend up at his cabin—”

  “A wha-at?”

  “Emery hasn't called again. The Governor's supposed to be back by now and reviewing the case.”

  “Only now reviewing the case?” She was unable to contain her disdain. He should have done that weeks ago and then been kept apprised of new findings.

  “Settle down, Abi. Honey, stay calm. We have to be able to think clearly.”

  Suddenly the newscast stopped and a banner flashed the word UPDATE in bold letters that filled the screen. Joe clicked the remote to turn up the volume as the scene switched to a newsroom.

  “We've just received word that Stan Yates, the sole eye witness in the Megan Winnaker case, has positively identified Dara Hines in a second police lineup.”

  Abi screamed and leaped up out of her chair.

  “Yes!” Joe threw a fist into the air.

  “While Dara Hines might have aged over the last nine years, police realized she had also taken to wearing a mask of heavy black and white makeup as many of her peers do in recent times. As a possibility that the makeup was what kept the witness from identifying her earlier, the alleged suspect was made to wash her face. Once washed, a totally different image emerged.”

  Photos of Dara Hines, with makeup and another after the wash, appeared on the screen then receded as another photo appeared, reproduced from Joe's photo when she appeared with Sling behind her and Megan Winnaker in front. Dara's face in the photo was not much different from the face that had been washed.

  The newscaster paused only long enough to raise an eyebrow and turn up the corner of his mouth.

  “Several officers had rounded up old army jackets at an Army/Navy surplus store. Three women police officers in street clothes and an off-duty dispatcher joined Hines in a lineup and all wore the old army jackets. Even though the similarly-colored army jackets only vaguely resembled the SS tunic the perpetrator wore the night of the fire, without hesitation Yates identified Dara Hines from among the other women in the lineup.”

  Abi clutched Joe's arm. “Emery and Britto, where are they now?”

  “Still with the Governor, where they can do the most good.” Joe's cell phone rang. He mostly listened, and then his face relaxed into a look of disappointment as he pounded the cell phone to end the call. “That was Britto.”

  “What… what?”

  “He's reminding us that there was no Becky Ann or Preston back where Megan Winnaker and her dad lived. They did find old records of a Quincy and Rae Overland, but Quincy dropped out of site ages ago and hasn't been seen since.”

  “That verifies Megan's information.”

  “Yeah, and Britto said that a couple of doctors in that town who could have done Becky's surgical procedure have passed away.”

  “So why's he calling about that? We don't need that information anymore.” She breathed heavily but reminded herself to breathe evenly. “The Governor's got enough to—“

  “Abi!” Joe's tone demanded. He meant to snap her out of her anger. “Stay calm, okay? That's all Britto had to report right now.”

  “Stay calm? How can I stay calm, Joe? An innocent girl is about to be executed.”

  “That's not going to happen. Now, please, settle down. We've got all we need to free her.”

  Abi stood, then paced. “What's taking so long.”

  “Abi, honey, I'll be here.” He prompted her toward the doorway. “Go and spend as much time with Megan as you can.” He kissed the top of her head.

  The sound of her footsteps echoed off the dull gray walls while the guard's thick soft-soled shoes made those sloshing sounds against the concrete floor. Other than the footfalls, utter silence filled the place as Abi mentally heard Joe's words again. Go and spend as much time with Megan as you can. What did that mean? She had not planned to leave till she knew Megan was undeniably safe. Another shiver overtook her. The whole place gave her the creeps.

  Abi had no sooner settled again inside Megan's cell, explaining the lineup results, when a squad of five guards appeared carrying belly chains and ankle cuffs. The prison minister followed behind. He was fully robed in white, with several gold accouterments and a cross, and carried a small Bible. Abi and Megan looked at each other expectantly. Megan's eyes widened with fright.

  A guard began unlocking the cell door as the others stood in close formation. “It's time.”

  “Time for what?” Abi defiantly stepped between Megan and the cell door.

  “You'll have to leave, Mrs. Fisher. We have orders to take the prisoner to a holding cell.”

  “Where? Why?”

  “It's procedure, ma'am.” The guard hesitated. “Until it's time.”

  “The Governor's been notified.” Megan took a couple steps backwards. “They've identified someone else.” Now she screeched. “I'm innocent! I said that all along.”

  The guards exchanged glances like robots and turned their heads from side to side as their bodies remained at the ready. They stepped inside blocking any possible way Megan could make a dash for freedom.

  The minister squeezed through. “Now, now, my child.” He reached for Megan's shoulder.

  Megan pushed his hand away. “Sorry, I won't need your services tonight and I'm not your child.”

  “The two who started that fire were arrested this afternoon.” Abi made sure they all heard her. “Megan's been cleared.”

  “We hea
rd, ma'am, but by law, we still have to go through procedure.”

  “What law? What procedure? This woman is innocent.”

  “Ma'am…” The guard took Abi by the shoulders and forcefully guided her toward the cell door. “You either—”

  “Remove your hands!” Abi turned abruptly to face the guard. “There's no need to bully anyone. You certainly don't see us trying to break out of here, do you?”

  The guard dropped her arms. “We have instructions for an execution.” She spoke through tightened lips and embarrassment. “Until the Governor calls, we're obligated to follow procedure.”

  “Where are you taking her?”

  “To a holding cell near the execution chamber.”

  “Why?” Abi softened her voice. “Why? Megan's going to be exonerated. Can't we just stay here till word comes?” Abi looked at her watch again. “We've got five hours.”

  “Ma'am, you're obstructing justice and you can be arrested. Now, you wouldn't want that, would you?”

  The situation was impossible and Abi knew it. “Can I stay with her? Anywhere. The holding cell? Please!”

  The guard held her stern expression and didn't bat an eyelid. “Out of the question.”

  “It's inhumane to have to wait alone.”

  “Inhumane?” One guard was evidently in disbelief as she stood with hands on her hips. “So is burning a family to death. She won't be alone. She'll be with the death watch matron.”

  Chapter 58

  “Death watch?” Megan's screech voiced her exasperation. “I never killed anyone and I don't plan to start with myself.”

  “She didn't do the crime. She's not guilty.”

  “Can't she come with me?” Megan pleaded kindly.

  Again the robot guards exchanged glances. “Impossible.”

  Abi had not left the cell, but two of the guards snapped on Megan's wrist cuffs, extensions from a metal belt they had locked around her waist. Then they shackled her ankles.