There was a moment of silence, after Deb had confided in Susan. Then, Susan let out a long breath.
“Wow. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t that. Do you know what I would do if I were you? I’d try to find out more about the subject. I’m sure there are books about cults in the library”
“What good is that going to do?” Deb shrugged.
“You’ll need a job when you get out of here. You might as well specialize yourself in something you have experience with” Susan replied.
“I’m not getting out, Susan” Deb hissed. “I’m convicted for murder. I’m in here for the rest of my life”
“You’re in here, until the person that got you in here, is either fired or dead” Susan corrected her. “Then, when they see how they handled your case, it will be reopened”
Deb couldn’t respond, as someone yelled her name.
“Parker! You have a phone call” The correctional officer walked to her, and ordered her to walk with him, to the director’s office.
The director held the phone in his hand, and covered the mouth piece with his other.
“First, I would like to say that this is not standard procedure, but I’ll allow it just this once. Keep it short” He gave the phone to Deb.
“Hello?” Deb said, shy, and suspicious. Who, in Heaven’s name, would call her here?
“Deb! Oh my God, what happened? Some guy came by the house today, saying he was a lawyer. He said you were in jail. What happened?” Annabel repeated her question, breathlessly, sounding shocked.
“That was James Hyland” Deb explained, a little embarrassed. “You were right about Rob. He set me up” She looked at the director, who was raising his eyebrows and tapping his watch. “Listen, I have to go now” Deb said, and she began talking a bit faster. “ Can you do something for me? Can you find out what I need to do to get my high school degree?”
“Wow. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t that. Do you know what I would do if I were you? I’d try to find out more about the subject. I’m sure there are books about cults in the library”
“What good is that going to do?” Deb shrugged.
“You’ll need a job when you get out of here. You might as well specialize yourself in something you have experience with” Susan replied.
“I’m not getting out, Susan” Deb hissed. “I’m convicted for murder. I’m in here for the rest of my life”
“You’re in here, until the person that got you in here, is either fired or dead” Susan corrected her. “Then, when they see how they handled your case, it will be reopened”
Deb couldn’t respond, as someone yelled her name.
“Parker! You have a phone call” The correctional officer walked to her, and ordered her to walk with him, to the director’s office.
The director held the phone in his hand, and covered the mouth piece with his other.
“First, I would like to say that this is not standard procedure, but I’ll allow it just this once. Keep it short” He gave the phone to Deb.
“Hello?” Deb said, shy, and suspicious. Who, in Heaven’s name, would call her here?
“Deb! Oh my God, what happened? Some guy came by the house today, saying he was a lawyer. He said you were in jail. What happened?” Annabel repeated her question, breathlessly, sounding shocked.
“That was James Hyland” Deb explained, a little embarrassed. “You were right about Rob. He set me up” She looked at the director, who was raising his eyebrows and tapping his watch. “Listen, I have to go now” Deb said, and she began talking a bit faster. “ Can you do something for me? Can you find out what I need to do to get my high school degree?”
Rob returned with a notepad, and a pen. He gave both items to Deb and sat down. “They’ll be here soon” he explained. “They asked if you could write your statement down, and sign it. It would save them some time, and they would see it as a sign of cooperation. It’s really important that you cooperate, Deb. Do you understand that?”
Deb nodded scared. What the hell had she gotten herself into?
Rob nodded at the notepad. “Just remember what I told you, and write it down”
Deb gazed at the notepad, swallowed, and opened it. The blank page, staring back at her, looked so uninviting she wanted to shut the book, and smash it against the wall.
“You can do it” Rob encouraged her softly. “I’ll be with you, every step of the way”
Those words seemed to do the trick, because Deb conjured a faint smile, and started writing…
Deb nodded scared. What the hell had she gotten herself into?
Rob nodded at the notepad. “Just remember what I told you, and write it down”
Deb gazed at the notepad, swallowed, and opened it. The blank page, staring back at her, looked so uninviting she wanted to shut the book, and smash it against the wall.
“You can do it” Rob encouraged her softly. “I’ll be with you, every step of the way”
Those words seemed to do the trick, because Deb conjured a faint smile, and started writing…