Page 174 of To Die For
The guard pulled it closed behind him and made a call as he disappeared down the hall.
Devine came out from behind another door inside the building. Hiding in the shadows, he had slipped in through the front door when the guard had burst out of the building. He had made sure no one had followed him in, but the idiot hadn’t taken the same precaution when exiting the building.
A masked and gloved Devine made his way down the stairs to the basement level and threaded his way carefully along the corridor. As Campbell had said, the holding cell area was on the right.
As Devine reached it, he heard groaning coming from behind the door.
He pulled a pick gun from his belt, studied the lock, fixed a specific bit in the gun, and inserted it in the lock. It took only ten seconds to defeat the obstacle.
His Glock out, Devine slowly pushed open the door.
The holding cell held a sole occupant.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t Betsy Odom.
CHAPTER
80
THE POLICE OFFICER WHO HADmade the nepotism crack about Mayor Mercedes King on Devine’s first trip to Ricketts was lying on a cot behind a set of bars as Devine walked in. He didn’t appear to have noticed Devine’s presence.
His face was bloodied and covered in purplish welts. His knees were drawn up and he showed every sign of being in considerable pain. His moans were pronounced and steady.
Devine drew near the bars. “Who did this to you?”
The man flinched and turned his head to look at Devine.
“Please, please don’t hurt me anymore. I… I didn’t do nothing. I swear. I never told nobody nothing.”
This was the man accused of ratting out the Termites. As Jackson predicted, it seemed clear he had been beaten to try to make him talk.
“I’m not here to hurt you. I can help you.”
The man just shook his head. “Please, I didn’t talk to nobody. I swear.”
He moaned louder and gripped his belly.
“I want to help you,” Devine said in a louder voice. “I’m not part of the people who hurt you.”
The man stopped moaning and looked at him, maybe seeing him for the first time.
“Who… who are you?”
“I was sent here to rescue you.”
“W-why?”
“I know you didn’t rat anybody out. You were set up.”
“I… I was,” he gasped. “H-hey, don’t I know you? Wait, hell, you were that… fed. A fed!” He looked terrified.
Devine thought quickly. “Iamthat fed. But I’m here to help you. Because I know that Mayor King set you up.”
The man’s fright slowly faded. He nodded and said angrily, “That b-bitch. She done it. She lied. Set me up.”
“You think she was the mole but framed you to take the heat off her?”
Devine knew the answer but wanted to keep the man focused and engaged.
