Tighe walked into Elizabeth's room and frowned, hating to wake Martin up. "Boss?" His whisper was enough. Martin's gray eyes focused. "I have something."
"What?"
“You need to listen to this. I interviewed Tonette Torres.” Tighe handed him the small recorder.
Martin plugged in a set of earbuds and played the recording.
"Tonette, my name is Tighe. Can I ask you a few questions?"
"Are you a doctor?"
"I'm from Chase Security. I'm not here to lay on more charges. Are you able to answer some questions? I might be able to help you." A chair scraped the floor.
"Why would you want to do anything for me?"
"Do you remember the lady doctor who treated you when you came in?"
Sheets rustled. "Yeah, she was kind. No one will tell me where she went. She cared."
"Someone tried to kill her. She's sick."
"Wait, they told me Jasper didn't hurt her too bad."
"He didn't. Someone else did. We think it involves what you told her. She thinks guards from Silverton Jail are hurting prisoners. She told us they hurt you too." Monitors alarmed. "Shh, I don't want to upset you."
"The second I go back to Silverton, I'll be dead." Her breaths were fast and loud.
"Shh, breathe nice and easy. I can promise you one thing: you'll never go back there. The officers on your door are from Des Moines Women’s Corrections."
"I want to talk to my lawyer, not that he'll help." Her voice quivered.
“Here you go.”
“Yes. Okay? Really?” The beep from the end call sounded. “For me? He said you paid for him to represent me.”
“We did. Will you help us?”
"Guards use prisoners to move drugs. The drugs come from the cops, who steal from the dealers. It's not hard to recruit. Detox is hard. We either move stuff, or we do…"
"Tonette, you didn't deserve that. Who gave you the meth balloons?"
"Jasper. I was supposed to ask to see a prisoner. Leave the drugs by the toilet in the visitor's area. I kept one. Bad decision, huh?"
"Who raped you?"
"Sergeant McAllister, the bastard didn't use a condom. At least the others did. Sometimes they make male inmates do stuff to us, and they film it. They threaten our families if we don’t cooperate. With me, they locked me in segregation until the withdrawal got bad. Then you'll do anything for a hit."
"What about the medical staff?"
"They’re part of it. The night shift is the worst."
"I'm sorry, Tonette. I'll be back soon."
"Wait, there's more… Some girls disappeared. It’s hard to stay pretty enough or well enough inside."
“What do you mean?”
“The guards get us to do stuff, but if you’re hooked, you get old quick or sick. If you aren’t pretty enough for the films, you disappear. None of us gets to go home. That’s why I can’t go back. Even if your sentence is short, you don’t go home.”
