After Anna Page 33

  Noah felt his eyes fill, but squeezed them tight. He thought about banging his forehead on the metal door, but it wouldn’t do any good. He loved his wife, but he would never see her again. He would see Caleb again, but Kathy would bring him, like before. It tore Noah apart inside.

  He heard the door outside opening, footsteps heading his way, and in the next moment the eye-slot was pulled open.

  ‘Dr Alderman,’ CO Stanislavsky said, ‘I’ll take you to the phone. Deputy Warden McLaughlin can’t see you yet. He’s hoping to get to you tonight, if not, tomorrow morning. Cuff up.’

  ‘Okay.’ Noah backed up to the door, put his hands against the lower slot, which was opened, and through it, he was handcuffed.

  ‘Come on.’ CO Stanislavsky unlocked the door and opened it, standing aside to let Noah out of the cell.

  ‘Thanks,’ Noah said, stepping into the hallway, which was when he saw someone else standing against the wall. It was CO Evesham, who might have left his cell intentionally unlocked last night, so that Jeremy Black could be brought in after the fight.

  Noah half-considered trying to get back in the cell, but it was locked. He felt the tightness of the cuffs on his wrists.

  CO Stanislavsky frowned. ‘Something the matter, Dr Alderman?’

  ‘No,’ Noah answered, having no other choice, just yet. He couldn’t tell if CO Stanislavsky was planning to ambush him with CO Evesham, or if one CO was plotting but the other wasn’t, or if he was being paranoid. He braced himself and masked his fears.

  ‘Let’s go, Dr Alderman,’ CO Evesham said, motioning him to the unit door.

  Chapter Seventy-eight

  Maggie, After

  ‘Hello, is anybody home?’ Maggie knocked at the Tenderlys’ door, with Kathy and Caleb behind her. She knocked one more time, and the door simply opened. ‘It’s unlocked.’

  ‘Whoa.’ Kathy shrugged. ‘Go in.’

  ‘Yeah, it’s cold.’ Caleb shivered in his coat, holding his phone.

  ‘Hello?’ Maggie opened the door, and they entered the house to find Elma Tenderly sleeping in a recliner next to a brown sofa, which faced a TV playing QVC on mute. She looked to be in her eighties, and her head was turned sideways with her steely hair in a wispy ponytail. She had on a worn black sweatshirt with heavyweight jeans and patterned fleece socks.

  ‘She’s a sound sleeper,’ Kathy whispered.

  ‘Like Ralph,’ Caleb added. ‘He never wakes up.’

  ‘Mrs Tenderly?’ Maggie stepped closer, and the old woman’s hooded eyes fluttered open behind her bifocals.

  ‘Oh, my, hello.’ Elma’s lips curved into a confused smile. ‘Who are you?’

  ‘Mrs Tenderly, I’m sorry to barge in. My name’s Maggie Ippoliti, and this is my son Caleb and my friend Kathy Gallagher. We were knocking for a while, and the door was unlocked.’

  ‘Oh, okay. Call me Elma. That’s with an E, not an A.’ Elma straightened in her chair. ‘So are you folks lost or something?’

  ‘No, we came from Eddie’s Diner to talk about your granddaughter PG. I think she knew my daughter Anna, who went to the Congreve School.’

  ‘Oh sure, always happy to talk about my PG.’ Elma smiled, showing teeth missing on the sides. ‘Sit down, take a load off. I like company. I don’t get much anymore.’

  ‘Thanks.’ Maggie sat down on the couch, and so did Caleb and Kathy. The end table was cluttered with crossword puzzles, pens, old newspapers, a pack of More 100s, a full ashtray, and an empty bag of microwave popcorn.

  ‘Is it still snowing?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Oh, my. I thought it woulda stopped by now.’ Elma’s rheumy eyes shifted to Caleb, and she smiled more broadly, her jowls slackening against her cheeks. ‘Oh, boy, aren’t you just the cutest? How old are you?’

  ‘I’m ten,’ Caleb said confidently, since he had practiced it many times.

  ‘And what grade are you in?’

  ‘Fifth.’

  ‘Do you like school?’

  ‘It’s okay.’ Caleb nodded.

  ‘I see you got one of those phones. What you got on there?’

  ‘Clash of Clans. A game.’

  ‘My oh my. Good for you!’ Elma cleared her throat, with difficulty. ‘I’d love some tea. Caleb, would you get me some, so I don’t have to get up? The kettle’s full, all you do is turn the knob.’

  ‘Yes.’ Caleb rose and went to the kitchen.

  ‘Thanks, Caleb.’ Maggie glanced back to make sure he was okay. The kitchen was small, and Caleb turned the knob on the stove, then sat down at the table to play his video game.

  ‘Would you girls like some tea, too?’

  ‘No thanks,’ Maggie answered, for both of them. ‘Is PG your only granddaughter?’

  ‘Yes, she is.’

  ‘Do you have any grandsons?’

  ‘Not from the same man. You know how that goes.’ Elma sighed. ‘Do you smoke?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Good. It’s terrible for you. I want a cigarette but I can’t have one. Not until bedtime. Sometimes I cheat.’ Elma smiled naughtily, showing dimples in her cheeks, which she must have passed on to her granddaughter, PG.

  ‘Where does PG go to school?’

  ‘Tipton High. She’s a whip, that girl. Smart.’ Elma frowned. ‘I was fit to be tied when she dropped out, but there was no stopping her.’

  ‘When did she drop out?’

  ‘January. Said school wasn’t her thing. She’s her own boss, that one.’

  ‘She was a waitress at Eddie’s, wasn’t she?’

  ‘Yes, she got the job there. Liked it for a time, but she wanted to move to the big city.’

  ‘Which city?’

  ‘Philadelphia, but they’re all the same, aren’t they? Tall buildings, too many people. No grass under your feet.’

  ‘Do you remember when she left for Philadelphia?’

  ‘No.’ Elma shook her head. ‘It’s been a while.’

  ‘Maybe April? Around Easter maybe?’

  ‘Yes.’ Elma’s rheumy eyes lit up behind her bifocals. ‘I remember because she came to visit me on Easter, to say good-bye. She brought me a hyacinth. I love hyacinth.’

  ‘So do I.’ Maggie glanced at Kathy, thinking that it confirmed that PG was the imposter. ‘Does she call you?’

  ‘Sometimes. Not in a while. I try not to worry. She’s a strong girl. Got a mind of her own. She wants to be president.’

  Maggie fell silent a moment, sad for Elma.

  ‘You know what PG calls me? Not Elma, Elmo. Like the toy.’ Elma patted her head. ‘I had red hair when she was little, and she called me Granny Elmo. Her brother, too. They thought that was so funny. They would sit right there watching that show.’ Elma pointed at the floor. ‘Sesame Street. I put it on for them. Burton Ernie. I thought the puppet’s name was Burton Ernie. They said, “No, it’s Bert and Ernie.” ’

  Maggie smiled. ‘I thought PG didn’t have a brother.’

  ‘Her half-brother, Roy. He’s older by three years. Roy and PG were thick as thieves when they were little. But he lost his way when he grew up.’ Elma frowned. ‘Fell in with the wrong crowd. They got him into trouble. He got locked up for a while.’

  ‘Elma, what’s Roy’s last name? Is it Tenderly?’

  ‘No, Watson. He’s a Watson, through and through. Him and his father, the low-lifers. Low-lifers.’ Elma shook her head. ‘I told my daughter, that man will get you in trouble. He’ll steal anything ain’t nailed down. He stole from me. He stole my check when it come in. He stole out my wallet. He stole my late husband’s wedding band out my jewelry box!’

  ‘Does Roy stay in touch with PG?’

  ‘Yes, he says she’s doing real good. She got an office job down there.’

  Maggie knew it was a lie, so Roy must have known that PG was impersonating Anna. ‘Did he say where the office job is?’

  ‘Don’t remember.’

  Maggie was thinking that it was time to go to the police and tell them about Roy and
PG. Her purse was in the car, and she’d call when they left. ‘Where does Roy live, Elma?’

  ‘Few blocks over, on East Road. He drops off my groceries every other week. He’s got a good heart, that boy.’

  ‘What does he do for a living?’

  ‘He’s a truck mechanic.’

  ‘Is he married?’

  ‘Oh no, no way. He plays the field. His friends, too.’ Elma frowned deeply. ‘I don’t like them, not at all. Connie’s the main one. Another low-lifer.’

  ‘Connie?’ Maggie repeated, catching Kathy’s eye. ‘Is Connie a man’s name?’

  ‘Yes, he’s not from here. Konstantine. With a K.’

  ‘What’s his last name?’

  ‘I forget, I couldn’t pronounce it anyway.’

  ‘Where does he live?’

  ‘Oh, look, speak of the devil.’ Elma’s head turned to the window, and Maggie rose and looked outside, alarmed to see two men running up the front walk, kicking up snow. The bigger man took the lead, and when they got closer, she could see him slide a handgun from his jacket pocket.

  ‘He has a gun!’ Maggie ran to the door, locked the old deadbolt, and pressed her hands against the door.

  ‘A gun?’ Elma repeated, shocked. ‘No!’

  ‘Oh my God!’ Kathy bolted to the door and tried to hold it closed.

  ‘Open up, you bitches!’ one of the men shouted, banging on the door.

  And in the next moment, the hinges gave way.

  Chapter Seventy-nine

  Noah, After

  ‘Where are we going?’ Noah walked between CO Stanislavsky and CO Evesham. He scanned the hallway looking for escape routes, but there were none. The hallway was long, with security cameras mounted near the ceiling.

  ‘We got a phone you can use,’ CO Stanislavsky answered, his tone noncommittal.

  ‘Where is it?’ Noah kept his tone equally noncommittal. He didn’t want to alert them to the fact that he suspected anything. Adding to his nervousness was his complete disorientation. He wasn’t familiar enough with Graterford to know where he was in the prison. Behind him was the locked door of the ACU and ahead of him lay another locked door.

  CO Stanislavsky sucked his teeth. ‘We’re improvising, since we can’t take you back to Cellblock C. The muckety-mucks are still here because of the Jeremy Black murder and they’re using up the conference rooms.’

  ‘So where are we going?’ Noah asked again. They came to the end of the corridor, but there were no windows in the metal doors so he couldn’t see what was on the other side.

  They stopped, and CO Evesham extracted a jangling set of keys from his belt and unlocked the door. ‘Dr Alderman, please stand aside.’

  Noah did as he was told. They hadn’t answered his question. He worried they were waiting for the right moment. CO Stanislavsky kept sucking his teeth, apparently nonchalant.

  CO Evesham unlocked the door, and Noah’s heart began to pound. Adrenaline dumped into his bloodstream, his body alerted for fight or flight. He reminded himself he was bigger than he used to be. He could throw a punch if his hands were freed. He could sprint if he had to do that, too.

  ‘Go ahead, Dr Alderman.’ CO Evesham gestured him through the open door, and Noah passed through with CO Stanislavsky behind him.

  ‘This way,’ CO Stanislavsky said, as they walked down another hall.

  Noah fell into step. They went down a short flight of stairs, then entered another long cinder-block hallway, which felt stifling. They must’ve been closer to the boiler room.

  Noah’s heart thumped hard. He looked for a place to run, but there was nowhere. The security cameras were at regular intervals. He told himself they couldn’t disable every security camera. Still he had no idea where they were. It seemed suspiciously off the grid.

  ‘Where are we going?’ Noah asked again, as they encountered another hallway and another set of metal doors, which CO Evesham moved to unlock and then held open.

  ‘Stand aside, Dr Alderman.’ CO Stanislavsky motioned to the corridor as the door swung wide open.

  Noah was about to run for his life when he saw that CO Evesham was walking down the hallway to a metal door and just as he was about to unlock it, two female COs came out. They laughed when they almost collided with CO Evesham.

  ‘Mark! What are you doing down here?’ the one CO asked, a blonde whose name tag read LUNDY. She held a tinfoil tray of half-eaten vanilla sheet cake.

  CO Evesham gestured at Noah. ‘Our celebrity inmate needs to talk to his lawyer, and the conference rooms are full.’

  ‘Oh Jeez.’ CO Lundy made a funny face. ‘We woulda cleaned up if we knew company was coming.’

  ‘Yeah,’ said the other female CO. ‘We woulda baked a cake! Oh, wait, we did!’

  The COs laughed merrily, then stood aside as CO Stanislavsky gestured Noah forward, saying, ‘The phone is all yours, Dr Alderman. Press nine to get an outside line. It’s unmonitored. You have fifteen minutes. We’ll wait outside.’

  ‘Go ahead, Dr Alderman,’ CO Stanislavsky said, impatiently.

  ‘Would you uncuff me, Mr Stanislavsky?’ Noah asked, turning to offer them his wrists.

  CO Evesham burst into laughter. ‘Stan, you dumb Polack! How’s he supposed to dial the phone?’

  The COs laughed again, and CO Stanislavsky uncuffed Noah and closed the door behind him. The room was a small kitchen with a round Formica table and blue-Plexiglas bucket chairs. Against the wall was a wood cabinet, an old white microwave, and a tan landline. Noah crossed to the phone and pressed in Thomas’s cell number. The call was picked up after two rings.

  ‘Thomas, it’s Noah Alderman.’

  ‘Noah, how are you?’ Thomas asked warmly. ‘Where are you?’

  ‘In a kitchen in Graterford. Did you read about the Jeremy Black murder?’

  ‘Sure, yes.’

  ‘You gotta get me out of here,’ Noah said, then told Thomas everything that had happened, including naming Jimmy Williams as the murderer of Jeremy Black. When Noah finished, he asked, ‘So what do you think? Can you get me transferred?’

  ‘I’ll try. That information is gold.’

  ‘You can use it as leverage, can’t you? I’ll give them a statement. It makes me a snitch now, but it’s my only chance.’

  ‘Will do,’ Thomas said, sounding concerned. ‘I’m hoping I can get you transferred, but the question is when. Prison bureaucracy is the worst.’

  ‘It has to be ASAP. I’m not safe here, not even in the ACU.’

  ‘I’ll make some calls and start shaking the trees.’

  ‘Thanks, Thomas,’ Noah said, grateful.

  ‘Hang tight. Good night.’

  ‘Good night.’ Noah hung up. He couldn’t remember the last time anybody had wished him good night. He flashed on Maggie saying good night, then him spooning her in bed, wrapping his arms around her under their big blue comforter. On a winter night like this, she loved to be cuddled and she was always cold. She wore sweat socks to bed, and he thought it was adorable.

  Noah suppressed the memory, crossed the room, and opened the door, but there were three COs standing there, Stanislavsky, Evesham, and a bearded one named Pinnella.

  ‘Cuff up, Dr Alderman,’ CO Stanislavsky said.

  Noah stood his ground. ‘Why do I need three COs to escort me back to the ACU?’

  ‘Because you threatened me,’ CO Evesham answered, recoiling as if he’d been startled.

  ‘No, I didn’t.’ Noah realized too late they were play-acting for the security camera.

  Suddenly the three COs jumped him, bringing him to the ground, punching, kicking, and handcuffing him. Noah struggled to kick back. He torqued his body this way and that to escape the blows. He curled into a fetal position to protect his core. He absorbed punch after punch.

  The last thing he remembered was a vicious blow to the head.

  Chapter Eighty

  Maggie, After

  Maggie sat next to Kathy on the couch, terrified. Connie stood aiming a gun
at them. He was a mountain of a man, fully six-foot-five with a broad chest and wearing a motorcycle jacket and jeans.

  Maggie prayed Caleb was hiding. He hadn’t come out of the kitchen. She couldn’t imagine where he’d gone. The house was so small. Her heart hammered with fear. She told herself to keep it together. She had to get them out of this somehow.

  ‘Connie, why’d you kick down the friggin’ door?’ Roy was holding the door up, trying to match the broken hinges. He was shorter than Connie, with a long, narrow face and grimy orange watchcap. His frame was slight enough to look lost in a Carhartt jacket.

  ‘Shut up, Roy.’ Connie glowered. He had dark eyes set wide apart in a broad face with a strong jawline. His hair was a greasy black.

  Elma sat in her recliner, agitated. ‘Connie, put that thing away. Roy, what’s going on? What are you boys doing?’

  ‘Shit.’ Roy struggled with the door. ‘Connie, you shoulda let us walk up like normal instead of a friggin’ SWAT team.’

  ‘This is your fault, Roy.’ Connie’s expression hardened to a mask of resentment. ‘That these bitches are here, askin’ questions, makin’ trouble. All your fault.’

  Elma shook her head, jittery. ‘Roy, make him stop. There’s no call for this.’

  ‘Finally!’ Roy turned from the door to Connie. ‘All you did was make work for me, dude. I’m gonna have to fix it later. My grandma’s gonna freeze her ass off.’

  ‘No, she won’t.’ Connie swiveled toward Elma, aimed the gun, and pulled the trigger. Fire blazed from the barrel. The gunshot filled the room, deafening. A crimson hole burst onto Elma’s chest. She emitted a groan, then her head dropped forward.

  Maggie tried not to scream, tears of fright springing to her eyes. She prayed Caleb stayed hidden. Kathy’s hand flew to her mouth.

  ‘No, no!’ Roy rushed to Elma’s side. ‘She’s dead! You killed her!’

  ‘Roy, come on.’ Connie shook his head. ‘She was a loose end.’

  ‘No, no, no!’ Roy wailed, cradling Elma’s lifeless body. ‘She wasn’t! She didn’t know anything!’