“And, stay in touch with your wife. It’s tough in here, but it’s tough for her out there too.”

“I know. I will. Thank you.”

10

The warden’s office was neat, orderly, and as conservative as he was, with one exception. In the center of his wall of fame, amid the diplomas, merit certificates, and department commendations, was a hand-drawn picture of a family—a husband, a wife, and a child. The artist used crayons and showed great potential—potential he never got to live up to because of his untimely death at eight years old.

Edward Stone and his wife never tried for children again after that.

“You’re late,” Stone said.

“Sorry.”

“Let’s get to it. Don’t have much time left. But first, shut the door.”

I did. Then took the chair next to Daniels.

“Inspector, what do we have so far?” Stone asked.

“In some ways, a great deal of information,” he said, sitting up and leaning forward slightly. “But in other ways, not very much at all. I am finding your people very uncooperative.”

Daniels looked as if a day’s work felt like a week’s. His shirt ballooned out just over his belt, the way you would expect it to if it had been worn all day without a retuck. His face was red. And large, conspicuous drops of sweat trickled down the sides of his cheeks.

“Surely the chaplain has been helpful with this,” Stone said.

Unlike Daniels, Stone looked as if he had just finished getting dressed—morning fresh and military crisp.

Daniels began to speak, but I jumped in. “As soon as you left us this morning, the inspector expressed his desire to work alone and left.”

“Inspector?” Stone said.

“I’ve made it clear from the very beginning that I won’t work with him,” Daniels said, the sweat on his forehead increasing. “I am fully capable of conducting this investigation on my own. I certainly don’t need someone like him botching up my case.”

“If, as you say, you are fully capable of conducting this investigation on your own, how is it that you are having difficulty doing so?” Stone asked.

“I’m not having difficulty investigating. I am having difficulty with these mother-loving rednecks around here. I have gathered a lot of information about the inmate who was killed, though.”

Daniels withdrew a wrinkled, soiled handkerchief from his back left pants pocket and wiped his forehead. It merely smeared the sweat around. It also left some lint on his eyebrow.

“But you will work together, or I will call the secretary. Understood?”

Daniels didn’t respond.

“Understood?” Stone said again.

Daniels made a slight nod with his head.

“Understood?” Stone repeated, looking at me.

Nodding, I said, “I understood it the first time.”

“Now, tell me what you have, Inspector,” Stone said.