Page 102 of Kill For Me Kill For You
Amanda and Billy exchanged a look.
‘Scott, didn’t Dr. Marin tell you Ruth got released?’ asked Amanda.
‘N-no, he didn’t. He came to see me, years ago, just after I started my sentence. I haven’t heard from him since. The message I got from the C.O. yesterday was that Marin wanted me to speak to some people about Ruth and it was important. That’s it. That’s . . . all,’ said Scott, his voice just starting to break.
He wanted to say more. His lips moved, his chest puffed, but no words came. He sniffed, looked around at the other inmates and wiped the corner of his eye. Amanda guessed he didn’t want the rest of the prison to see him displaying any emotion. Weakness can get you killed in Sing Sing. A single tear in this place was like a drop of blood in a shark tank.
He sat up in the chair, cleared his throat.
Amanda realized then the weight of betrayal that had just landed on Scott.
‘How . . . how long has she been out?’ he asked.
‘A few years,’ said Amanda. ‘She didn’t come visit you?’
‘Aw, no, no, she didn’t. It’s okay. Maybe there were restrictions, you know? Maybe part of her parole was she couldn’t have contact with me?’
Amanda knew there were no parole restrictions. His wife had been released because she was no longer deemed insane. Looking at Scott, slouched, empty in that chair, Amanda thought she could be looking at herself in ten years. In so many ways, Scott was Amanda – they had made the same mistakes.
‘I don’t know if there were restrictions – maybe,’ said Amanda. ‘Look, Scott, we don’t have a lot of time. I’m going to tell you the truth. A lot of what I’m about to say may sound bizarre and I’m not in the business of opening up to strangers, but I don’t have a choice right now. I met Ruth at a group counseling meeting. It was for trauma victims. I lost my little girl and my husband in April. Ruth and I got to know each other. We were close. At least I thought we were. She went missing from the group.’
‘Missing? Like she just stopped going?’
Amanda took a breath, paused. She needed to level with Scott to get what she needed from him. It was the only way, but it came with a risk. One she needed to take.
‘No, she asked me to kill someone. Same with Billy. He met her in an online group a few months before me, and she asked him to kill the same person.’
Scott folded one arm across his chest, then placed the other on top, like he was throwing up a barricade.
‘I don’t get many visitors here, Miss White. My parents are too old now. But I don’t know who either of you are. You don’t look like cops . . .’
‘We’re not cops. And we’re not reporters. We’re concerned . . .’
‘If you were so worried about Ruth, why not go to the cops? I’m sure they can find her.’
Amanda glanced at Billy, took the phone away from her mouth.
‘You’re doing great,’ said Billy. ‘Keep going.’
She sighed, said, ‘We don’t want to get Ruth into trouble. That’s the truth. We know what happened to her. We know all about the attack. At first she seemed fine, then she started acting a little crazy. She tried to talk us into killing someone, Scott. We don’t want anyone else to get hurt and we don’t want Ruth to get into trouble with the police. She’s sick, and she needs help.’
Scott laughed, a quick burst, which died just as fast. There was no mirth in it, just incredulity.
‘She hasn’t come to see me since she’s been out. Even if I did want to help you, which I’m not sure I do, I’m not exactly up to speed on her current whereabouts.’
‘Why wouldn’t you help? This isn’t about us; this is about helping Ruth.’
Scott looked around. It seemed to be a pattern. He couldn’t settle, couldn’t focus for long without taking a time-out to check his surroundings. The lack of focus could’ve been something to do with the brain injury, but Amanda thought otherwise. You don’t survive in a place like this without watching your back. Pretty soon, it would become second nature.
‘I don’t know you. I don’t know your friend here. Dr. Marin passed a message to me that I should talk to you, but right now I don’t see why. I don’t trust you. Either of you. No offense.’
‘I’m not asking you to take what we say on blind trust.’
Amanda took the first piece of paper from the small stack in front of her, slapped it up against the glass. It was a printout from the web.
‘Recognize this guy?’ she asked.
Scott leaned forward, momentarily, studied the picture and then recoiled as if the image burned him.
