by Erin Wade
“Shall we?” Val retrieved her purse from the bottom drawer of her desk and ushered Dawn out the door.
##
Val pulled her car through the prison gates and exhaled softly. She realized that she always breathed a sigh of relief when she left the prison grounds. She could only imagine how an inmate must feel when released from the institution.
“How are things going in the hospital?” Val said, finally breaking the silence.
“Good,” Dawn replied.
“Your roommate is due to be released in a few months,” Val noted. “I’ve already initiated her paperwork.”
“Good.”
Dawn’s monotone was driving Val crazy. “Look, Dr. Fairchild, I understand you’re angry at me, but can’t we at least pretend to be civil with one another?”
“That was me being civil toward you,” Dawn mumbled.
Val chewed her full bottom lip. Damn, she’s infuriating. It would help if she were ugly as a stick, but no, God, you sent me the most gorgeous prisoner imaginable.
“I know you think I’m to blame—”
“I don’t think!” Dawn said, her voice dripping with venom. “I know that you destroyed my life. I know you’re the reason I’m in that hellhole. I know you lied, and you know you lied. And I loathe liars.”
Val held back the tears that burned behind her eyelids. No one had ever spoken to her in such a manner. The biggest problem was that Dawn was right. She did know she had lied, though it had seemed like the truth at the time.
She was still hurting over the death of her twin sister, and she wanted someone to pay for all the pain she was enduring. Unfortunately, she knew the wrong person was paying for something she didn’t do.
Mary was all Val had. All her life, Mary had been there to applaud her triumphs and comfort her during bad times. Now all she had was a prison full of criminals. Some were insane, and some were just evil.
Then there were the Dawn Fairchilds and Niki Searses. Women who didn’t really belong with the others. Val wondered how many innocent women she had incarcerated.
She glanced at Dawn. The blonde was staring out the passenger window. You’re so damn beautiful, she thought.
##
Val was impressed with Dawn’s knowledge of the equipment needed for open-heart surgery. The heart-lung bypass machine Dawn selected was a few thousand dollars over budget, but Val would find the extra money somewhere, even if it had to come out of her own salary.
She gave the salesman her purchase order and signed the sales contract. “I’d love to take both you lovely ladies to lunch,” he said.
“We’re on a tight schedule,” Val quipped as she escorted Dawn toward the exit.
Dawn’s empty stomach growled as she fastened her seatbelt. “I am hungry,” she thought out loud.
“There’s a nice new restaurant on University,” Val said. “It’s called Bread Winners. It’s extremely successful in Dallas and has received rave reviews in Fort Worth. I made a reservation for us. Lance will join us there for lunch.”
Dawn nodded and offered a begrudging, “Thank you.”
The restaurant was nice with white tablecloths and red napkins. I took places like this for granted, Dawn thought. She looked around, admiring the artwork and elegant statues placed around the dining area. It was two hours past the lunch-hour rush, and the restaurant was quiet. Soft music played in the background.
They both ordered iced tea and perused the menu while they waited for Dr. Reynolds.
“I like the dress your mother brought you for our outing,” Val said. “When we return you should hide it in your room. We do have a few thieves in the hospital wards.”
Before Dawn could respond, Val’s phone rang, and Dawn listened as the warden spoke with the caller. “No. No, really Lance it’s okay. We’ll discuss it when we get back to the hospital.
“He had trouble getting in touch with someone to give him a ride,” Val explained as she shoved her phone back in her purse. “His son just showed up, so he’s going to the hospital. He said he can’t wait to see what we bought.”
The mention of the new equipment made Dawn smile. “I’m certain he’ll be pleased.”
“You should do that more often,” Val said, beaming.
“What?”
“Smile. You’re breathtaking when you smile.”
“I don’t have a lot to smile about right now,” Dawn snapped.
“There’s these little muffins.” Val grinned as she held out the basket filled with mini blueberry muffins.
Dawn took one and placed it on the butter plate in front of her.
“And whipped butter,” Val said.
Dawn accepted the offering and spread the butter on half of the muffin. She closed her eyes as the taste of the warm muffin and butter overwhelmed her senses. “This is delicious.” She ran the tip of her tongue along her bottom lip. She opened her eyes to find Val staring at her. She couldn’t stop herself from falling into the dark eyes that held her mesmerized.
“Have you ladies decided what you’d like to order?” the perky waitress asked as she tapped her pen on the table.
Dawn looked at her menu as she tried to tamp down the flush that had spread from her chest up to her cheeks. “You go ahead,” she told Val. While I regain my composure.
Val ordered and then raised an expectant brow at Dawn.
“Chicken Caesar Salad.” Dawn cleared her throat and sipped her iced tea to alleviate the dryness that gripped her tongue and lips.
“May we talk, or would you prefer silence?” Val asked as the waitress departed.
“Whatever makes you happy. You’re the warden.”
“If I ask questions will you answer them?”
“Depends.” Dawn shrugged. “If I answer yours, will you answer mine?”
“I’ve nothing to hide,” Val said. “Tit for tat.”
Dawn tried to keep from making eye contact with Val. She didn’t want a replay of her breathless reaction to the gorgeous brunette.
“Why did your fiancé testify against you?”
“He wasn’t my fiancé,” Dawn sneered. “I had just broken our engagement and returned his ring. That’s why he was too drunk to drive. He testified against me to avoid prosecution.”
“How long were you engaged?”
“Two years. Now I get to ask two questions,” Dawn reminded Val.
“You’re Harvard educated. How did you end up running a women’s prison in Texas?”
“I wanted to do something that would matter, something that would change other women’s lives.”
“You certainly changed my life, Warden.”
Val’s lips moved, but no sound came from her mouth.
“My second question,” Dawn said. “If you really want to make a difference, why do you let women like Lucky run amok in your prison?”
“Lucky is my liaison with the other inmates. She brings their concerns to me.” Val tilted her head and watched Dawn.
Dawn snorted. “Surely you aren’t that naive.”
“I . . . what do you mean?”
“Lucky is a criminal. She terrorizes the other inmates and rapes anyone who catches her eye.” Dawn was surprised by the dark expression that crossed Val’s face. “She had already declared I was hers. If you hadn’t moved me to the hospital quarters, I would be one of her victims by now.”
“Excuse me,” Val said, pushing back from the table and making a mad dash for the ladies’ room. The waitress was placing their order on the table when she returned.
Val’s pasty face convinced Dawn she had thrown up.
“Are you okay?” Dawn asked.
“I’ve had better days,” Val growled. “Are you sure about Lucky?”
“Positive. I was just a night away from being Mrs. Lucky. If Niki hadn’t charged into the laundry room my second day there, I have no doubt that Lucky would have raped me then.
“The reason Niki was stabbed is because she started screaming when two of your guards tried to pay me a mi
dnight visit.”
“The guards?” Val shook her head. “Are you sure they meant you harm?”
“I’m positive they weren’t planning a wine and cheese tasting for me,” Dawn drawled.
Val leaned her head from side to side and rubbed the knot at the base of her skull, trying to loosen the tension that had settled in her neck.
“Why don’t you talk to Niki? She was Lucky’s favorite until she refused her demands. Then Lucky beat her up, knocked out her front teeth, and traded her for a pack of cigarettes.”
Dawn noticed Val aimlessly moving her salad around her plate. “You’re not eating, Warden.”
Val shuddered. “I’ve lost my appetite.”
For the first time, Dawn almost felt sorry for Warden Val Davis, almost wished she could help her make a difference.
“We should go,” Dawn said. “I worry about Niki when I’m not there to watch her back.”
“Surely no one would bother her in the hospital,” Val said as she signaled for the check.
“You give Lucky free run of the place. Believe me, if she finds out we’re gone, she’ll pay Niki a visit.”
“She is quite beautiful now,” Val said. “It’s amazing what a difference a pretty smile, hair, and eyebrows can make.”
Dawn agreed. “Once she gets her broken nose fixed she’ll be perfect.”
“We don’t have a plastic surgeon on staff,” Val said. “I could make inquiries and locate a good one. Her nose was broken in my facility. I should have it fixed.”
“You would do that?” Dawn tried unsuccessfully to stop her frown from turning into a smile. “You’d do that for Niki?”
Val placed her hand on top of Dawn’s. “I’d do that for you.”
Dawn scanned the other woman’s face. Her sincerity made it soft and beautiful.
“Thank you,” Dawn said. She didn’t pull her hand away from Val’s touch.
##
On the way back to the hospital, the two women discussed the conditions at the prison.
“I’m obviously out of touch,” Val huffed. “If you could keep me informed, that would help me make changes.”
Dawn couldn’t believe she was agreeing to help the woman who was to blame for her incarceration.
“Why did you break your engagement?” Val asked
“I caught Richard taking drugs from the hospital pharmacy. I don’t know if he was using them or selling them. I just know it’s illegal.”
“You’re a very right-or-wrong person,” Val said.
“Either one is honest, or they aren’t.”
Val ignored Dawn’s dig. “So, Richard greatly benefited by your being found guilty and imprisoned.”
“Yes!”
“Did you . . . um . . . cohabitate?” Val cleared the hoarseness from her throat.
“We didn’t live together,” Dawn said, glancing at Val, “but I did sleep with him, if that’s what you want to know. I was planning to marry him until I discovered he was a thief.”
“Oh.” Val exhaled the breath she had been holding.
Chapter 9
“I’m going to make my rounds before I go to bed,” Dawn informed Val as the prison gates swung closed behind their car. “Would you like to join me?”
“I’d better go by my office and see if there’s anything that can’t wait until morning. I’ll drop you at the front door of the hospital.”
“Thank you for getting me out of here, if only for a day,” Dawn said as she opened the car door. “I did enjoy it.”
“I did too.”
Dawn signed in at the guard’s desk. “Have you seen Niki?” she asked.
“She was here this morning,” the woman said, her brow furrowed in thought, “but I haven’t seen her since lunch.”
Dread seeped into Dawn’s bones as she checked for Niki in her office. She wasn’t in the infirmary or the storeroom. The operating room was empty. The young woman was missing.
Dawn went to the nurses’ station. “Have any of you seen Niki?”
“I haven’t,” the head nurse said. “You might check with Lucky. She was looking for her just before lunch.”
Dawn ran to her room to change. Val was right; wearing a nice dress in the prison was asking for trouble.
She grabbed a pair of jeans and a pullover prison shirt. “Dear God, please let Niki be okay,” she prayed out loud as she searched for her shoes.
“I am.” A mop of glorious auburn hair poked out from under Dawn’s bed.
“Oh Niki!” Dawn fell to her knees and pulled the young woman from under her bed. “Are you okay? I was so scared when I couldn’t find you . . . and . . .” Dawn realized she was sobbing. “I was so afraid something had happened to you.”
“I hid,” Niki whimpered. “Lucky was looking for me, so I hid. I didn’t think she would come in here, but I was wrong. She did, but she didn’t look under the bed.”
“I’m just so thankful you’re all right.” Dawn hugged Niki to her. “I shouldn’t have left you alone. I wasn’t thinking. I had no idea we would be gone so long.”
Niki put on a brave face. “I’m okay. You’re back. Everything’s right in my world.”
Dawn stood, pulling Niki to her feet. “Why don’t you get ready for bed? You take your shower while I remove my makeup. Then I’ll shower. It’s been a long day.”
“I’ll hurry,” Niki muttered as she scurried into the bathroom.
Dawn locked the door of their room with her keycard, removed her clothes, and slipped into a terry cloth robe she had purchased from the prison commissary. Her hands shook as she removed her eye makeup. Niki’s disappearance had shaken her to the core.
She’s so close to being released, Dawn thought. I’d die if anything happened to her. She’s young. She deserves a second chance at a good life.
“All yours,” Niki announced as she stepped from the bathroom. “I left you plenty of hot water.”
Niki always insisted on showering first. Dawn knew that Niki showered in lukewarm water to save the hot water for her. Niki Sears was probably the most selfless person she had ever met.
Dawn let the steam fill the shower as the semiscalding water washed away the last remnants of her fear of losing Niki. She dried her hair and then slipped on an old T-shirt that now functioned as pajamas.
Niki’s light was out, and the soft glow from Dawn’s night-light was the only illumination in the room. Dawn was glad that Niki had fallen asleep quickly. Sleep always made things better.
Dawn slipped into bed and turned off her light. She lay on her back, replaying her day with Valerie Davis. She hated to admit that she found Val attractive. She suppressed the urge to touch herself as the warden’s beautiful, brooding face floated through her mind. She jumped as Niki sat down on the edge of her bed.
Sobs racked Niki’s small frame. Dawn threw back her sheet and held out her arms. “Come here, baby.”
Niki wasted no time slipping into Dawn’s bed and burying herself in the blonde’s arms.
“You’re trembling, Niki. It’s okay, honey. There’s nothing to be afraid of. I’m here.”
“I was so afraid,” Niki cried. “You’ve helped me so much. Made me pretty again. I knew Lucky would destroy everything. I would have fought her hard. I couldn’t stand her touching me, and she would have beaten me.”
“Shush, sweetie,” Dawn cooed. “None of that happened. You’re safe, and I won’t leave you alone again. I promise.” Dawn stroked Niki’s back, calming her and reassuring her she was safe.
Niki sighed as she snuggled into the fragrant softness of her friend. No one had ever held her without demanding more from her. Finally, her body relaxed, and she slipped into a deep sleep.
##
Niki awoke at dawn. She lay still, afraid to move. It took her a few minutes to realize the protective body wrapped around her was Dawn. She inhaled, loving the scent of the woman sleeping with her. I could stay right here forever, she thought.
Dawn moved then inhaled sharply. Niki knew Dawn
had just realized that she was holding her. Niki didn’t move. She didn’t want the feeling to end.
“Are you awake?” Dawn asked.
“Yes.”
“Are you okay?”
“I’m more okay than I’ve ever been in my life,” Niki murmured.
“Did you sleep well?”
“Yes.”
“You should move to your bed,” Dawn suggested.
“I should but I don’t want to.”
Dawn sighed as she tightened her arms around Niki and drifted back to sleep.
Chapter 10
Val poured her first cup of coffee and carried it onto the terrace of her two-story townhouse. The moon had disappeared, and the sun’s rays were peeking over the horizon. The strong black coffee was just what she needed. She hadn’t slept much. Dawn Fairchild had haunted her sleep.
She replayed the day she had spent with the gorgeous doctor. Dawn was right; she didn’t belong in prison. Val had wrongly accused her. If I retract my statement, she thought, I’ll leave myself open to a perjury charge. A perjury conviction would discredit any warden in the prison system.
Val’s recommendation often meant the difference between parole and continued incarceration. If her reputation were impugned in any way, she would become a leper in the legal system, and her word would always be questioned. She would be transferred to some hole-in-the-ground human garbage dump where no one would even care about her innovative ideas, much less provide the funding to implement them.
She thought about some of the women who called her prison home.
FMC Carswell had the dubious distinction of housing the only woman in the U.S. with a federal death sentence. Lisa Lee Morgan was convicted of strangling pregnant Frankie Jo Starnes from behind and then cutting the woman’s unborn child—eight months into gestation—from her womb. Morgan had been on death row for fourteen years.
Starnes had become Facebook friends with Lisa Morgan. Starnes and her husband raised French bulldogs and were expecting their first child. Morgan made an appointment to visit Starnes, pretending to be a buyer for one of her dogs. She traveled to Missouri where she killed Starnes, took the baby, and returned home to Kansas where she was arrested the next day.
