They removed Kim on a stretcher, unconscious but breathing.

My fourth attacker, the one who’d brought the shank, left in a body bag. I watched them zip it up. I felt nothing at all.

Erica sobbed. Screamed and wailed and carried on to such an extent, they finally carted her off to Medical, where she would be heavily sedated and put under suicide watch. Others were questioned, but in the way these things worked, they had no idea what had just taken place.

“In my cell the whole time …”

“Never looked out …”

“Heard some noises, though …”

“Sounded like a lot of ass-whooping …”

“I slept through the whole thing, Officer. Really, I did.”

The male inmate, however, told anyone who would listen that I was the angel of death, and please God, please God, please God, keep me away from him.

The assistant deputy superintendent finally halted in front of me. He studied me for a long time, his expression judging me more trouble than I was worth.

He delivered my punishment as a single word. “Segregation.”

“I want my lawyer.”

“Who attacked the CO, detainee?”

“Mrs. Doubtfire.”

“Mrs. Doubtfire, sir. Now, why did the inmate attack CO Watters?”

“Don’t know, sir.”

“You’ve been in prison less than twenty-four hours. How’d you get a shank?”

“Took it off the ho’ trying to kill me.” I paused. “Sir.”

“All six of them?”

“Don’t fuck with the state police. Sir.”

He almost smiled. Instead, he jerked his thumb toward the ceiling and the multiple mounted cameras. “Here’s the thing about prison: Big Brother’s always watching. So last time, detainee, anything you want to tell me?”

“Officer Watters owes me a thank you card.”

He didn’t argue, so maybe he already knew more than he was letting on. “Medical,” he said now, gesturing to my sliced-up forearms.

“Lawyer,” I repeated.

“The request will be sent through proper channels.”

“Don’t have time.” I looked the assistant deputy superintendent in the eye. “I have decided to cooperate fully with the Boston police,” I declared for all to hear. “Call Detective D. D. Warren. Tell her I will take her to my daughter’s body.”

Chapter 27

27

Fuck that!” D.D. exploded two hours later. She was at BDP headquarters, in a conference room with Bobby, the deputy superintendent of homicide, and Tessa Leoni’s lawyer, Ken Cargill. Cargill had called the meeting twenty minutes ago. Had a limited-time offer, he’d told them. Needed D.D.’s boss in the room, because if a decision was going to be made, it had to be made fast. Meaning, he was planning on negotiating for something above D.D.’s paygrade. Meaning, she should be letting the deputy superintendent, Cal Horgan, respond to his preposterous demand.

D.D. had never been good at keeping silent.