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Melinda met with Cragen, Olivia and Fin in Cragen’s office the next day. Cragen eyed her.
“How did you sleep?” he asked.
“How do you think? Kareem does not belong in solitary.”
Fin and Olivia gave one another a look, before Fin spoke up.
“He’s not in solitary. I kind of forgot the rules. He’s actually in the hole...the Aryan is down there too but in a separate cell.”
“The hole?” Melinda asked.
“It’s kind of like solitary confinement...only your butt naked.” Fin said matter-of-factly. Melinda threw up her hands with disgust while Olivia decided to ask some real questions.
“Melinda, Fin here said that you thought Kareem had softened after all of these years. Does that mean you think you can find out what he knows about A.D.A.Carver?”
Melinda took a deep breath.
“I think Fin told you a little more than that. Kareem knew I was there because of Carver. He knew I hadn’t worked in Baltimore...it was as if he had been keeping up with me the whole time. He also...”
“What?”Cragen asked.
“He also spoke of Carver having people in Oz that would know if someone was trying to look into anything about him. Kareem seemed concerned for my safety. My point is, I don’t think he’ll tell me anything. Not if he thinks it’s dangerous.”
Cragen sighed.
“Well that’s it then.” he said. Olivia nodded but Fin shook his head.
“I disagree. I mean, yeah, Melinda wasn’t very good at trying to get the information out of Said. But really she’s all we’ve got. If there are people on the inside that know that questions are being asked about Carver, then Carver is going to find out and cover his tracks.”
“Which means Said could be in danger,” Melinda said quietly, “since he is the only one that has proof that Ron is really Eric Carver.”
There was a silence, one that Melinda didn’t appreciate as she looked at everyone.
“Okay...so what are we going to do?” she asked. Cragen looked puzzled.
“About?” he asked.
“About Kareem! His life in Oz is already dangerous enough, but now my visit has put him in Ron Carver’s crosshairs! We have to get him some protection or something.” Melinda insisted.
“If he’s willing to play ball with Jack McCoy, then yes, we will protect him, Melinda.” Olivia said. “But other than that...”
“Are you kidding me? Tell me your kidding?” Melinda asked in disbelief. Fin looked down, his arms folded.
“Melinda has a point. I mean chances are Carver knows already. If Said is the only one that can identify him as his twin brother, he’s already a dead man.” Fin agreed.
“Hey, I don’t like it anymore than you do. But unless he cooperates with the D.A., we can’t get him protection.” Cragen said with a note of finality. Melinda walked out of the office, then stopped short.
A.D.A. Carver was walking towards her. Melinda felt Fin’s presence behind her and Olivia and Cragen stepped out of the office as well. Ron gave them a friendly smile, staring at Melinda.
“Dr. Warner, nice seeing you again,” he said, looking around her at Cragen and Olivia, “Captain Cragen, I’m just here to see where you are on the Lanelle Ferguson case?”
Melinda stared at Ron Carver. She was probably looking right at the man that had killed Lanelle Ferguson! If he could calmly walk into a police station and be so bold, what else could he do?
To Kareem.
“We don’t have any leads.” Cragen said in a level tone. Ron looked surprised, or at least pretended to. He then looked at Olivia.
“Now that is very odd. I was told that you all were working on a lead at Oz.”
Melinda’s stomach tightened. Fin rolled his tongue around in his mouth.
“Where’d you hear that?” Olivia asked. Ron nodded at Fin.
“Your detective here was there questioning a lead...or so I heard.” Ron said.
“Heard from who?” Fin asked. Ron now folded his arms.
“Was I misinformed? Were you not at Oz yesterday questioning a witness in the Lanelle Ferguson investigation?” Ron countered.
No one said anything. Ron Carver was being cagey, devious and smarmy at this moment. He was as much as telling them that he not only knew Fin had been at Oz, and not as a police officer, but that the investigation was all about him now.
Ron looked at Melinda.
“I understand you were pulled off of the case. Why was that?”
Melinda cleared her throat.
“I took myself off of it. I’m taking some vacation time.”
“Oh. May I ask why?”
“It’s personal.” Melinda said almost coldly. Ron nodded and tore his eyes off of Melinda and rested them back on Cragen.
“So do you plan to update me or what?”
“There’s nothing to ‘update’. You’re mistaken about any witnesses to this murder being connected to Oz.” Cragen said.
Ron blinked.
“I hope so,” he said, now looking at Melinda, “because if an Oz inmate has even the slightest involvement with this...well...that would be quite the messy can of worms, wouldn’t it?” he quipped then turned and walked away. Olivia shook her head in disgust!
“I can’t believe him! He just came up in here and dared us to investigate him any further!”
“And he knew damned well that Melinda and I had been undercover there. Said was right. Carver does have people on the inside.” Fin said.
“Well, there’s nothing we can do about it now. Carver now knows we’re on to him. If we’re going to stop him than Kareem Said is going to have to give us something...pronto.” Cragen said. Melinda faced them.
“I’m going back in there.” Melinda told them. Before they could protest she held up a hand.
“We might not have a day...KAREEM might not have a day left. I have to just put all I have into him, and see if he won’t tell me the truth. But I need to reassure him that he will be protected.”
“He will, Melinda,” Olivia promised, “but I still think it’s risky. I mean just what happened your first time in there could’ve went badly.”
Fin spoke up.
“I’ll go back in too to watch over her. But Melinda’s right. For all we know Said could be shanked in the hole or something. We need to break it down to him. If he doesn’t go along with us...”
“He will.” Melinda insisted. Cragen nodded.
“Alright then. Fin, Melinda, you’re going back to Oz.”
Melinda nodded and looked at Olivia, who rested a hand on her arm.
“Be careful.” Olivia said. Melinda knew that Olivia was not just referring to her personal safety, but her heart as well.
****
Fin discovered that Said was still in the hole, by the time he and Melinda returned to Oz the next day, albeit separately.
Melinda had been busy that morning looking over the body of an inmate that had been executed, named Cyril O’Reily. Once she finished confirming that he had died of electrocution and nothing else, Melinda removed her visor and began to make notes.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a female, correctional officer twirling her stick as she casually walked into her office. The woman was not very good looking and had auburn colored hair. She also chewed her gum loudly. Melinda eyed her.
“Hello. Can I help you?” Melinda asked politely.
“I’m Officer Howell. I just a...came by to see if you needed anything. I would shake hands but you’ve been touching body parts...you know.”
“Hmmm, yes.” was all Melinda said, looking her over curiously. Claire looked around for a bit, then focused on Melinda.
“I’m here just to make sure no one else bothers you. With that Nazi Schillinger hanging around...and Said making a pest of himself...”
“Said wasn’t a pest.” Melinda said, deciding that she’d had enough of this woman. She didn’t know what it was exactly, but she suspected that ‘Officer Howell’ was not here to make sure she was safe.
“Yeah, I guess Schillinger can be one. I’ve seen him in the shower though. He’s got a bigger cock than most people would think.”
“Did you need something, Officer Howell?” Melinda asked, looking her up and down. Claire Howell moved closer to her.
“Yeah...you see...there’s a rumor running around that Said and you are close.”
“We’re not. We were just making polite conversation.”
“Good.”
Melinda now set down her clipboard.
“Why is that good, Officer Howell?”
“Well because then you can put in a good word for me with him.”
“Excuse me?”
“I want to fuck Kareem Said. I know the Muslim thing won’t permit him to do a White woman like myself, but I figure you can put in a good word for me.”
Melinda’s mouth dropped open!
“I can’t believe you’d actually have the nerve...”
Claire closed the space between them.
“And I can’t believe the cops would send some coroner in here undercover. You don’t think I hear things? All I have to do is let the wrong person into Said’s cell in the hole, and that’s it for him.”
“Claire?”
Melinda and Claire both turned to the sound of Tim McManus’s voice. Melinda vaguely knew that Tim was the Emerald City Administrator.
“I know I didn’t just hear you threaten to have an inmate killed?”
Claire rolled her eyes.
“F**k off, McManus.”
“Why don’t you find some work to do.” Tim said impatiently. Claire tore her eyes off of her former lover, then smiled at Melinda.
“Think about what I said.”
Melinda said nothing and watched as Claire left her office. Tim closed the door loudly behind her, then walked over to her, extending his hand.
“I’m Tim McManus, Em City Administrator.”
Melinda shook his hand.
“Mindy West.” Melinda told him her fake name.
“Mindy, I’m sorry about Claire. She’s just...”
“Disturbed.” Melinda said, removing her plastic gloves with a snap. She covered Cyril’s body with a sheet. Tim shook his head.
“Poor Cyril. He never stood a chance in here.” he said. “his brother is a prisoner as well.”
“Really?” Melinda asked.
“Yeah, Ryan O’Reily. Listen, do you want to get some lunch?”
What Melinda really wanted was to see Kareem, but she said nothing about that.
“Sure. Thanks.” Melinda replied with a wan smile. What she really needed before lunch, was to get to Fin and tell him that Claire Howell knew her real identity...and probably his as well.
****
“Pardon my saying this, Tim, but I don’t get the point of this whole thing.” Melinda said.
“I don’t understand?” Tim asked.
“Well the point of this place is rehabilitation...but really what it looks like is that you let a select group of prisoners live in a nicer part of the prison. I mean they’re acting the same way as they would in general population, right?”
“Well I wouldn’t say that...” Tim began but was cut off by Fin, who had entered the staff breakroom. He told Tim that Warden Glynn wanted to see him. Tim thanked Fin, as ‘Frank’.
“How is everything going? Keeping the prisoners in line?” Tim asked in a conversational tone.
“I’m doing alright,” Fin replied, “you know the rule: you have a day to make the inmates respect you, otherwise it’s over. I made Keller eat a piece of bread off of the floor with a shoe print in it.”
Tim smiled and stood up.
“Maybe we can continue this later, Mindy...over dinner, tonight?”
Melinda rubbed the back of her neck.
“I’ll get back to you before the end of the day.” Melinda replied and Tim walked out of the break room. Fin looked around, then closed the door.
“Okay, we don’t have long. I’m bringing Said out of the hole today. I’m bringing him down a hallway near Sister Pete’s office. You’ll have to make your pitch to him, quick.”
Melinda nodded and bit her lip.
“Fin, I’m worried about you. That Officer Howell seems to know who I am...which means she knows you.”
“I’ll watch my back. Let’s just hope Said agrees to protection and we can make this our last day here. By the way, are you really going out with McManus tonight?”
Melinda shrugged.
“I don’t know. We’ll see.”
****
It didn’t take Kareem Said long to realize that the new guard was not taking him directly back to his cell. Since he had never seen his face before, Kareem assumed he was a Ron Carver lackey.
“If you’re going to kill me, then do it out in the open. Where everyone can see.” Kareem said coldly.
Fin looked around the darkened hallway, then pushed Kareem down another, darker hallway. Kareem was more than a bit startled to see Melinda waiting. Fin nodded to her, then walked off to make sure no one disturbed them.
Kareem assessed the relationship between the new guard and Melinda and took her to task.
“Mel, what are you doing here? I told you to leave.”
“Kareem, there’s no time! Ron Carver knows that we’re here.”
“Are you surprised?”
“Kareem, Jack McCoy will help you! He will put you under protective guard, if you just tell him how you know that Ron Carver is not who he says he is! Please!”
Kareem began to laugh. Melinda sighed impatiently!
“There is nothing funny about any of this!”
Kareem stopped laughing abruptly.
“No, there isn’t. There’s nothing funny about Ron Carver, or your naiveté, in thinking that he won’t kill me anyway...even under ‘protective guard’. And to be blunt, I don’t care anything about him anymore.”
“You don’t care that he’s sending men to jail...many Black men, when he’s not even who he says he is?” Melinda challenged him. Kareem said nothing to that and she knew she was getting to him.
“Kareem, if you do nothing it’s a death sentence. If you help McCoy there’s hope...”
And then Kareem Said did something that caused a rush of fire to burn throughout her entire body. In one fluid motion, he grasped her hips and welded her loins to his. Melinda could feel how much he wanted her and tried to stifle a moan in the semi-darkness. He moved his lips to whisper into her ear, still gripping her tightly.
“No, Mel. My death sentence is never being with you again. Somehow helping Jack McCoy isn’t enough. Now if you don’t leave here today, I will arrange conjugal visits with women I knew on the outside, for everyday that you stay in this prison...leave here Mel. Leave.” he rasped, suddenly letting go of her and walking away.
Meanwhile, Melinda fell back against a wall. She hadn’t felt such a rush of passion in years...for anyone. It was all beginning to come back...how hurt she had been when Kareem had changed...or seemingly so. Their life paths, their wants and needs just moved in different directions.
But she had wanted him just now. Just as much as he had wanted her. And now she had to deal with an ultimatum that was on the surface, unacceptable. If she left here, Kareem would die. If she stayed, he would be having sex with women that had come here of their own free will, right within the very walls she worked in.
Suddenly an alarm went off and Melinda saw red lights going off! Fin hurried back to her.
“Oz is on lockdown and...where is Said?”
“He won’t help and he walked off...why?”
“Walked off?! I was supposed to be escorting him back to his cell! Now I have to come up with a reason why I wasn’t with him.” Fin huffed. “Never mind! I’ll think of something. Let’s just get to the staff area, okay?”
Melinda nodded uneasily and Fin and herself made their way out of the darkened hallway. Neither saw A.D.A. Carver’s mole show himself from down another shadowy hallway.
It was Poet. He nodded to himself. That mutha***ker Ron Carver said he would make sure his parole went through this time...and that he got a book deal for a new set of poems...and that he would get him a house in his neighborhood, if Poet kept tabs on Kareem and that fine azz new coroner lady.
He would have plenty to say when he made his phone call to Carver this afternoon. But first he’d better get own azz back to his cell for the lockdown. He wondered who the f**k had been killed this time?