I, the Accused
Chapter 5
1
Philip Brody looked at his watch. Baldwin and Bricker had more than enough time to do the job. It was time to go to the showers and accuse Ross Howard of murder. If they did the job right, it shouldn't be any problem in making it stick. Brody's experience was nobody really cared when an inmate was murdered. A guard was altogether different. However, it would ensure that Howard never left this prison. More importantly, his buddy, Robert Ironside would never believe that he committed the murder. That would bring the crippled detective into the prison to investigate.
Brody was confident he set this up properly. The only problem he could see, was Baldwin and Bricker. Brody didn't like witnesses. He was confident he could control Chuck Baldwin under normal circumstances. The prison guard agreed with him on how to handle prisoners. Brody was not confident Baldwin wouldn't turn on him if Ironside was able to get to him. If that happened, he would probably squeal. If there was any indication of that happening, Brody would take care of him himself. That way, there wouldn't be any witnesses. He would just have to make sure that he had an alibi.
The other problem, of course, was he didn't trust Burl Bricker. The man would make one demand after another. He was never leaving this prison. He would die here. Furthermore, he knew it. Therefore, he had nothing to lose. Brody was certain he would continue to make demands, and probably ones he could never fulfill. What that all came down to was he would have to be eliminated. That wouldn't be easy. With his size and temperament, every inmate in the prison was scared of him. Finding someone to waste him would be nearly impossible. He would have to do it himself. That meant he would have to eliminate both of the men who carried out the murder of Jeremy Smith. He would certainly have to start planning and thinking about how he would do it. It would have to be done in such a way that it could not lead back to him.
Turning to one of the other guards, he said, "Where is Baldwin? He should be back by now."
"Don't know, boss. I haven't seen him."
"I better go check on them. Take over here until I get back."
The guard nodded in acknowledgment.
Philip Brody left the laundry room and headed for the showers. He knew exactly what he would find as long as Bricker and Baldwin did as they were told. He planned it the way he did for a reason. He had the perfect alibi. He was in the laundry room with witnesses. Well, the inmates weren't very good as witnesses because the courts would believe the other guards. Fortunately, there were guards that gave him an alibi.
He walked down the corridor toward the shower room. He had to keep from grinning from ear to ear. Everything was going just as he planned. When he arrived at the shower room, he opened the door and found exactly what he was expecting to find.
"What the hell happened in here?" he shouted.
The only ones left in the room were the dead guard, Ross Howard, and Chuck Baldwin.
"I tried to stop him, but I wasn't fast enough." Baldwin looked at Brody and winked.
Ross Howard was just beginning to stir. He opened his eyes and rub the back of his head. When he saw the scene in front of him, he didn't have to guess what was going on. It was a setup, that was very clear. Yet, he knew there would be no doubt that he wouldn't be able to prove it. Philip Brody was responsible for what happened, and he knew it.
"Don't you think I know what you guys are doing?" Howard said. "I have nothing to do with this. I was in the shower when somebody clobbered me."
"He's lying, boss," Baldwin argued. "He came out of the shower and stabbed Smith. I was across the room. I couldn't get to him quick enough. He concealed the knife."
"That's ridiculous. I'm stark naked. Just exactly where in the hell would I conceal a knife?"
"He held it behind him," Baldwin lied.
"Oh, sure I did! How exactly did I carry a knife into the shower without him seeing it?"
"Probably the same way you concealed the knife coming out of the shower," Baldwin said.
"You stay here with him, I'll call the police and let them know that Howard has committed murder," Brody ordered.
Leaving the room, he went directly to the warden's office. Knocking on the door, he waited until he was invited inside.
Warden Leyton looked up from his desk. "Yes, Philip, what is it?"
"I'm afraid there's been a murder."
The warden stood up. "Where, who?"
"One of our guards, sir. Jeremy Smith. It appears that Ross Howard has killed him."
"Howard? I find that hard to believe. He has been completely docile since he arrived here."
"Well sir, he was found in the shower room with a bloody knife in his hand. Jeremy had been stabbed to death. There wasn't anyone else around."
"Who found them?" Leyton asked.
"Chuck Baldwin. He followed them. When he looked in the locker room, Jeremy was lying on the floor. Howard was next to him."
The warden picked up the phone and begin dialing. Connect me with the San Francisco Police Department." He waited for a moment and then said, "I would like to speak with Chief Ironside."
Brody had to hold back his smile. Everything was going as planned. It wouldn't be long and Ironside would be inside the prison. That is exactly where he wanted him. He was going to pay for what he did to Brody's family. He waited a long time for this. The time finally came.
"Chief Ironside's office," Mark Sanger said.
"Mark, this is Warden Leyton. I need to speak with Robert."
A moment later, the gruff voice of the former Chief of Detectives came on the line. "Hello, Warden. What's wrong?"
The warden was always amazed at the chief's ability to surmise a problem with nothing other than a tone of voice. "There's been a murder here at the prison. And, since you have taken such an interest in Ross Howard, I thought you would want to know. One of my guards was murdered by him less than an hour ago."
"By Ross Howard?"
"I am afraid so."
"Warden, if it is okay with you, I would like to investigate this one myself," Ironside requested.
"I thought you might. When can you get over here?"
"Right away. I'll bring Sergeant Brown with me."
"All right, Robert."
"Keep everybody away from the scene."
"That's already happening," the warden said and hung up the phone. Turning to Brody, he ordered him to go back and make sure no one altered the murder scene. "Hold Howard there until Chief Ironside gets here."
"Yes sir." Brody turned around and left the warden's office. The whole situation couldn't turn out better than it had. Soon, Ironside would be inside the prison. He didn't know it yet, but he was never going to leave it, at least not alive.
2
"What was that all about?" Mark asked.
"A prison guard has been murdered. According to the guard in charge, Ross Howard did it."
"You should have stayed out of it, Chief," Mark told him.
Ed literally cringed. He couldn't believe Mark spoke to the chief that way. Then on the other hand, Mark usually did speak his mind. "Obviously, you are going over to the prison. Do you want me to go with you?"
"Driving that van is my job," Mark said.
"You're not a cop, Mark" Ed reminded him.
"I wasn't a cop in all the other situations I've been put in. This one should make no difference. Like I said, it's my job to drive the van."
"You're both going. Mark you're driving, but you will remain outside the prison. Ed will go in with me."
"But, Chief!" Mark started to argue before Ironside interrupted him.
"There's no negotiating this. That's an order. Now, let's go." Ironside turned his chair around and headed up the ramp. Mark and Ed ran to catch up with him.
Nothing much was said on the way to the prison. Ironside knew Mark wasn't happy with his decision. It made no sense to take him into the prison. It was a dangerous place despite the guards. He saw no reason to risk his safety. When they arrived, Mark parked the van in a handicap spot, shut off the engine, and turn to look at his boss.
"No, Mark, I have not changed my mind. You stay here. Let's go, Ed."
Sanger clearly was not happy. Yet, the chief was the boss, and he had no choice but to stay in the van. He was starting to think he made a mistake by forcing the issue. Heaven only knew how long the chief and Ed would be in the prison. All he could do was sit there and wait. He watched the two of them until they disappeared into the prison.
Brown and Ironside headed directly for the warden's office. When they arrived, they were met at the door by Warden Leyton.
"Hello, Robert. It seems you are spending a lot of time here lately."
"The governor is not going to be real happy about it either. He is expecting me and my staff to complete those lists of prisoners to be released."
"Some things simply have to take precedent."
"You said this happened in the shower room, is that right?" Ironside asked.
"That's right. I left instructions with Philip Brody not to allow anyone into the room or to disturb the crime scene. I figured that is exactly what you would want."
"Well, let's go. No sense in hanging around here." Ironside turned and began wheeling his chair in the direction of the shower room. The warden and Sergeant Brown followed him down the hall. When they arrived, they were met there by Philip Brody.
"As you requested, Warden, no one has been allowed in or out of the shower room." Brody glanced over at Robert Ironside. With difficulty, he contained his disgust and hatred for the detective.
Chief Ironside wheeled his chair into the locker room. He surveyed the scene in front of him. Ross Howard was standing there, handcuffed and naked. "Get this man some clothes, now!" He was certain that Brody was attempting to humiliate him.
"I didn't let him get dressed because I know how you don't want a crime scene disturbed in any way. He was naked when he killed Jeremy."
"I didn't kill him. This is a setup." Howard put on the traditional orange jumpsuit all prisoners were required to wear.
"Supposing you tell me exactly what did happen," Ironside requested.
He pointed at Brody. "He had me leave my shift early. He sent me to the showers with Baldwin and Smith. I took my clothes off and went into the shower. While I was taking it, someone clobbered me from behind. I woke up next to Smith's dead body. Someone put that knife in my hand, Chief Ironside. I had nothing to do with his death. I have been set up."
"Who would want to set you up?" Ironside asked.
"Brody! He has been riding herd on me ever since I got here. He's had Bricker and others pounding on me constantly."
"Why didn't you tell me that when you had the chance? Are you just telling me now to divert suspicion from yourself?"
"Damn it, Ironside! Okay, I killed my wife, but I had nothing to do with this. Jeremy Smith at least tried to protect me from Brody. Why in the hell would I kill him? If you don't believe me, why don't you check the goose egg on the back of my head?"
Ironside turned his head and looked at Sergeant Brown. He nodded at him.
Ed Brown walked over to Ross Howard. Being much taller than Howard, he didn't need him to bend over in order to look at the back of his head. When the sergeant was finished, he turned to his boss. "He definitely has a large bump on the top of his head, Chief."
Ironside was under no delusion. Ross Howard was a cold-blooded killer. He murdered his wife for the sake of a senatorial run, and simply because she didn't want to wait to divorce him. Yet, the detective didn't think he was capable of murdering a prison guard for what seemed to be no reason. He didn't like or trust Philip Brody. He had heard much about him, and it wasn't good. Prisoners complained before that he was unduly cruel toward them. Was he capable of murder and setting up Ross Howard for what he did?
"What about it, Mr Brody?"
Before Brody could say anything, Chuck Baldwin spoke up. "He slipped in the shower and fell down. I saw it through the glass. That is where he would have gotten that bump on his head."
"Really?" Ed said, not believing a word Baldwin had said. "The wound is on the top of his head. If he slipped and fell backwards, it should have been on the back of his head."
Baldwin shrugged. "I can only tell you what I saw. I'm telling you, he slipped and fell. He hit his head on the shower room floor."
"Sure he did," Ironside said sarcastically.
Brody didn't like it. This wasn't going as he expected it to. Ironside was already suspicious. Then again, did it really matter? The plan was to kill Ironside inside the prison. That would have to be set up so that Ross Howard was blamed for that as well. After all, he certainly had plenty of motive. Ironside was the one who put him in the prison. That was definitely motive enough for him to snuff out the detective.
"So what are you trying to say, Chief Ironside? Are you calling my guard a liar? Who the hell are you going to believe, a prison guard or a murderer. You are the one responsible for putting him in here. You're the one who proved he murdered his wife. What makes you think he's not capable of doing it again?"
"Howard murdered his wife. He planned it, which made it first degree murder. Many a man has murdered for power. That was his motive. What was his motive in this case?"
"How the hell should I know?" Brody snarled. "You're the detective. You figure out what the motive was. All I know, is that I trust what Chuck said. He's a good prison guard. Howard has been nothing but a problem since he got here. He doesn't follow rules, he talks back, and he's a genuine pain in the ass."
"I suppose he puts all those bruises and cuts on himself," Ironside said, again with sarcasm. "Whose idea was it to put him in a cell with Burl Bricker?"
"If you haven't noticed, Ironside, this prison is extremely crowded. You keep sending them here, and we have no place to put them. Bricker's cell, at the time, was the only one that was available. So, Howard was assigned to that cell."
Ironside again slipped into sarcasm. "You couldn't possibly have moved one of the more violent prisoners in with Bricker, could you? After all, it is so difficult to switch a prisoner from one cell to another."
Brody could barely contain his anger. Who the hell was he to tell him how to run the prison? He didn't have to deal with murderers on a daily basis. He sat in his secure little office, in a building full of cops. What did he have to worry about? Brody dealt with murderers every day who would just as soon stick a knife in his back as to look at him. They had to be kept in line. The prisoners had to know who the boss was, and they had to fear him. That was Brody's job. He worked in prisons for years. Ironside didn't have a clue what went on inside these institutions.
Warden Leyton entered the room. "Chief, your forensics team is here. Are you ready for them?"
"Send them in," the chief ordered. Turning to Brody, he barked, "You and Baldwin can leave, but make yourself available."
"I have a right to be here. This man murdered one of my guards."
"You are a prison guard, not a police officer. We'll take it from here. Now, leave!"
"I'm not going anywhere."
Ironside looked at the warden who understood exactly what the look meant.
"Phil, Chief Ironside is capable of handling the situation. He's right, you are not a police officer. He's far more qualified to check out the crime scene then you are. Go about your duties."
"What about Howard?" Brody complained.
"He stays here," Ironside said. After Brody left, Ironside wheeled over to Jeremy Smith. "You said you didn't do this, why should I believe you?"
"Look, Chief, ever since I got here, I have been trying to get along. I took nearly daily beatings at Bricker's hands until you had me moved to a different cell. Brody has been constantly after me. He encouraged prisoners to beat me and abuse me. Jeremy Smith was not one of them. He stepped in more than once to stop prisoners from pounding on me when Brody stood back and watched. I had no reason to kill him, and every reason to want him alive. He was the only one standing between me and Brody. I am telling you, I didn't kill him."
"All right, did you see who hit you?"
Ross shook his head. "I was hit from behind. I never saw it coming."
"So you were in the shower when it happened?" Ed said.
"Which means you were dragged into the other room and the knife placed in your hand. Do you have any idea why you would be set up?" Ironside asked.
"Obviously, it has to do with the program I did on the prison. They resent me and what I exposed."
"Mr Howard, you never allowed a dissenting voice. Whenever someone tried to explain themselves, you attacked them."
"No, Chief. I exposed them. I have seen firsthand what goes on in this prison. My program regarding the guards was right on. Look, I know this place is full of men who committed murder. Obviously, I am one of them. That doesn't mean that we shouldn't be treated humanely while we are in here. I am sure that you've noticed that I have lost considerable weight. If you asked Brody, he would say that I am not eating. The reason I am not eating is half the time my meal is taken away from me by Bricker or some other inmate that I can't stop. Even if I tried, several of them would step in to help. I'm constantly being tripped, knocked into walls, and slugged when these guys pass me. The guards just laugh and allow it to happen. Can you honestly say that the program I put on was not a true picture of what happens in here?"
Ironside didn't answer him. "I suspected they were targeting you because of that program. Why didn't you let me help you?"
"Chief, you have never been in a prison. You have an idea of what goes on in here, but you have never experienced it. I have tried to get along. Brody has made that impossible. If I enlisted your help, it would only make matters worse. Just having me moved to a different cell increased the punishment they inflicted upon me."
"I would have thought the other inmates would have applauded what you did in that segment. Why would they retaliate against you?" Ed Brown asked.
"Because they don't want to be targeted by Brody. I have had a few come up to me and tell me how much they appreciated what I did. They made it clear they could have nothing to do with me because they didn't want to be on Brody's radar. He's mean and he is abusing his authority."
"Before I question Mr Baldwin, tell me what happened when Brody came in," Ironside said.
Ross Howard blew out a breath and continued. "Baldwin told him that I went into the shower. He was across the locker room. He claimed I came out of the shower and stabbed Smith. Baldwin told him he was unable to get across the room fast enough to stop me."
Warden Leydon took a step toward Ironside and told him, "That is not what Phil told me. He said Baldwin found Jeremy on the floor, and Howard was beside him, unconscious, with the bloody knife in his hand."
"Seems they can't get their stories straight," Ross grunted.
"Lieutenant, I want that knife dusted for prints. Find out of there are any prints besides Mr Howard's."
"Yes, Chief," the officer called out.
"Seems to me, this is just a matter who you believe," Warden Leyton said.
"The facts don't add up," Ed said.
"Why not? What makes you think Howard is telling the truth?" Leyton asked.
"What Sergeant Brown is saying is their stories don't agree. Did Baldwin find them after the murder, or did he try to stop it? Why is the contusion on Mr Howard's head on the top of his head if he fell in the shower? If that was the case, it should be on the back of his head."
"Robert, don't you think you're making something out of nothing. This man is a murderer. I admit that since he came here he's been fairly docile. But, if the other inmates have been hassling him, he could have committed murder again."
"I might buy that if it was an inmate that was ha murdered. It wasn't. It was a guard. He stepped in and tried to stop the other inmates from bullying this man."
"What proof do you have of that? If you question the other guards, will they substantiate it?" the warden asked.
"I don't know whether they will or not. They will be questioned. However, there have been a lot of complaints out of this prison regarding Philip Brody. He has been accused of bullying and abusing prisoners for several years now."
"Who says so? Prisoners who do not want to follow the rules? Not one inmate has come to me with a complaint," Leyton said.
"Nor would they," Ed said. "They have to get along in here. If they complain to you, and what is said about Brody is true, he would only make their life more miserable."
"You are assuming that Philip Brody actually is abusing prisoners. There isn't one iota of proof of that. As I said, no one has complained. He has kept the prison running smoothly. Sometimes, the guards have to get rough with the prisoners. You know that fully well. I have never known Philip to be abusive toward any of them. He has only used the force necessary to keep them in line."
"And has had numerous complaints regarding abuse, far more than any other guard. In fact, you could put them all together and you still would not have the number of complaints that have been lodged against him."
"All right, Robert, what are you trying to say?" the warden said.
"What I am saying, is I am not going to charge Mr Howard with a murder I am not sure he committed. We will investigate this fully before I charge anybody."
"Thank you, Chief," Howard said.
"I wouldn't thank me if I were you," Ironside told him. "If I find the evidence leads to you as the killer, I won't hesitate to charge you."
Ross Howard smiled. "No one knows that better than I do. In this case, I didn't do it. So, you will not come up with the evidence to charge me."
"Warden, I want this man isolated. I want him kept away from all of the other prisoners. Nothing better happen to him while I am doing my investigation. Is that clear?" The detective demanded.
Warden Leyton didn't like being told how to run this prison, not even from Chief Robert T Ironside. Furthermore, he had no idea how he was going to keep him from all of the other prisoners. "We don't have any open cells. There is nowhere for me to move him. As it is, he is in a cell with one of the less violent inmates."
"Until further notice, he has to remain in that cell. There will be no work detail, and his meals will be brought to him in the cell. I suggest you make it clear to Mr Brody that if anything happens to him, he will be dealing with me. I will put in a formal letter to the State Board of Corrections regarding all of the complaints that have been lodged against him. You make sure he understands that."
"I will tell him, but he isn't going to like it anymore than I do. I am telling you, Robert, despite complaints that have been made against him, he has done an excellent job as the head guard in this prison."
"We will simply have to agree to disagree. If he were under my command, he would already have been bounced out of here."
Outside the door, Philip Brody listened to the conversation. Leave it to Chuck Baldwin and Burl Bricker to screw things up. Ironside wasn't buying any of the evidence they supposedly planted. This was a problem. Brody knew Ironside well enough to know that he wouldn't let it go. He doubted there was much chance that Ross Howard would be blamed. That only meant one thing. Chuck Baldwin and Burl Bricker had to be eliminated. Bricker was a lifer and had nothing to lose. When he found out that Brody could not keep the promises he made to him, he would turn on him until the warden or Ironside figured out what really happened. It didn't matter that he killed Jeremy Smith. He was never leaving this prison anyway. Besides, Brody figured Bricker would blackmail him with the murder, in order to be the actual boss of not only the inmates, but also the guards. He wasn't about to allow that to happen. He left the shower room door. He had two murders of his own to plan.
Yes, that included Chuck Baldwin. He was a weak link, and Brody couldn't take the chance Ironside would break him down. He would be easy to eliminate, Bricker on the other hand would be more difficult. He had been in the prison for a long time and many inmates hated him. Because of that, he was always very aware of his surroundings. Burl Bricker would be extremely difficult to catch off guard.
"Robert, be reasonable! This prison is already way overcrowded. I can't just shuffle people around. Howard is already in a cell with a docile prisoner. He doesn't need to be changed to another cell."
"Warden, we have known each other for a lot of years. I have never interfered with your running of the prison because I considered it to be a well run prison. Things have happened to change that opinion. I don't believe you really understand what Brody is doing inside here. I think there is a good chance that he was responsible for the death of Jeremy Smith. As you know, my instincts are rarely wrong. Move Howard, or move his cellmate. I don't care which one, but I want Howard in a cell by himself. And remember, nothing better happen to him. Call a guard to escort Mr Howard back to his cell, and make sure it is not Philip Brody. In fact, Ed, you go with them."
"Of all people, I never expected you to come here and protect me," Ross Howard said.
The warden called in one of the guards who was on duty. Howard left with him and Sergeant Brown.
"Robert . . ." Leyton said before the detective interrupted him.
"I want to know where Burl Bricker was at the time of the murder. I also want to know why Howard was brought down here by himself. Why were there no other inmates in the shower room?"
"I don't know, Robert. It could simply be because he finished before anyone else. He has a tendency to do that. Phil may have decided just to send him down early so that the other inmates could not hassle him. Regardless of what you think of Philip Brody, he would try to protect Howard from the other inmates"
"That's not what Howard says, Ironside contradicted him. "He claims that Brody intentionally allows the inmates to abuse him."
"Oh for cripes sake! Who you going to believe? A guard who has been here for several years, who has run this prison in an orderly manner, or a murderer?" Leyton was becoming irritated.
"It's a little difficult to believe Brody, whose story is different from the other guard. It sounds like they didn't have time to make sure there's stories coordinated."
"How do you know it isn't Baldwin that isn't telling the truth?"
"I don't trust either one of them at this point. Something doesn't pass the smell test."
"Well, Robert, I'll leave you to investigate your way," the warden said.
"I always do," Ironside replied.
The warden left the room. A few minutes later Sergeant Brown returned to the shower room.
"Ed, look around. Considering where Ross Howard was found on the floor, do you see anything that he could have hit the top of his head on?"
"No, sir. He was too far away from the benches to hit his head on them. The only place he could have hit his head if he slipped and fell is the floor itself."
"Baldwin or Brody is not telling the truth."
"Are you thinking that one or the other, or both were involved in the guard's murder?" Sergeant Brown asked his boss.
"Philip Brody has a long list of complaints against him. I want to talk to some of the prisoners who have filed complaints. Also, I want Chuck Baldwin checked out as well. I don't think Ross Howard had anything to do with killing Jeremy Smith. If he didn't kill him, and those two are lying, what's that add up to you?"
"I'd say they were involved," Brown said.
The forensic team completed their investigation of the scene. The lieutenant came over to Ironside. "Chief, we found traces of blood in the shower. Most of it was washed away, but we were able to get a sample."
"Ross Howard's DNA should be on file. I want it checked against that sample. If it matches, it will only further prove that Howard is telling the truth."
3
Warden arrived at his office, Philip Brody was waiting for him. He needed more information. Ironside suspected he was in on the murder. If that was the case, he had to do something before that damned crippled detective figured it out. The warden trusted him. He would get him to tell him what Ironside learned so far that Philip didn't know.
"So, how's it going?" He casually asked Warden Leyton.
"Phil, would you kindly explain to me why you're version of what Chuck Baldwin said and did does not match with what he says he did?"
"What do you mean?"
"You told me that Baldwin found Howard laying on the floor beside him with the knife in his hand. Baldwin says he tried to stop Howard from killing Jeremy. So, which is it?"
The warden sounded suspicious. Obviously, they should have gotten their stories straight before Ironside came on the scene. Now, they had a major problem. "I am sorry, warden. I must have misunderstood Chuck. Everything happened so fast. I would take what he said over what I told you. Chuck was extremely excited. He was talking so fast, I could barely understand him." That seemed to placate the warden. The eyebrow that he raised a moment earlier went down.
"I suppose that is entirely possible. You should talk to Chuck and find out exactly what he did see and do. It is important that both of you tell Chief Ironside the truth. Don't mislead him. I know of no one who reads people better than he does. Remember that. I want you to cooperate with him fully. He will figure out what happened. If Howard did kill Jeremy, he will never get out of this institution. I will fight moving him anywhere. No one gets away with killing one of my guards."
"Yes, sir. I'll talk to Chuck. Then the two of us will go and speak with the chief." Brody turned and walked toward the door. He was unable to contain the smile that spread across his face. If he could keep the warden on his side, he might be able to control Ironside until he had everything in place.
He set out to find Chuck Baldwin. It was imperative they get their stories straight. If they varied even the least little bit, Ironside would be the proverbial terrier with a bone. Obviously, he was already suspicious. Damn! Why didn't they take the time to be sure they were on the same page? Of all detectives, Ironside was not to be messed with.
Really, why should he care? He had Ironside in the prison and that was where he wanted him from the beginning. Did it really matter what Ironside thought? Only to the extent that he be kept busy until Philip could get everything in place.
He wondered if it was even possible to set the rest of the wheels in motion. He reached the employee lounge for guards and three other people who worked inside the prison. Looking inside, he spotted Chuck Baldwin. He was sitting at a table drinking a Coke and eating a sandwich. Baldwin didn't appear to have a care in the world. If he could, Brody will kill the dumb son-of-a-bitch right here and now. Unfortunately, he couldn't do it. He still needed the moron.
The more he thought about it, his original plan wasn't going to work. Even if he and Baldwin straightened out the stories, It would probably make little difference to Robert Ironside. Once his suspicions were aroused, he would be relentless.
"Chuck, what the hell are you doing in here?"
Startled, Baldwin looked up. "I am taking a break. I'm hungry."
"You're nervous. You always eat when you are nervous," Brody snarled.
"Well, aren't you? Ironside is enough to unnerve anyone. Did you see the way he looks at you? Those eyes of his! God, I couldn't look at him." He picked up his sandwich. As he was about to take a bite, Brody knocked the sandwich out of his hand.
"Listen you fool, it won't take Ironside long to figure out that Howard didn't kill Jeremy."
"What the hell is wrong with you, Phil? You wanted Ironside here. Well, you got him here. I'm beginning to believe this was a really big mistake. I wish to hell I had never agreed with any of it. If he figures out what happened, you and I could end up inmates right in this very prison."
Brody wanted to throttle the moron. Unfortunately, he couldn't do it in front of everybody. "That is exactly what will happen if you don't listen to me and do exactly as I tell you to do." Brody sat down at the table with him. "First of all, we have to get our story straight. You're going to tell Ironside that it was the first time you ever saw a dead guy."
"But that isn't true, and you know it. You think Ironside won't check that out? You're a fool if you think he won't."
"Then tell him you never get used to seeing dead bodies. Tell him they rattle you. I don't care what you tell him but you better make sure that whatever it is, he believes you."
--
I am sorry for the long delay between chapters. Work has be consuming my time, and then I got Covid and was sick for a time. I am going to try to get back on track.
Kaleen1212