“I keep my ears to the ground,” he said.
“You do?”
“People talk. I listen.”
“Who the hell is talking about my maternity? Why would anyone in here care?”
“I didn’t say it was anyone here.”
“Are you saying you have other visitors? Who the hell would want to see you?”
He scoffed. “Kid, you have no idea.”
“I have a pretty good idea,” Ruby said. “You know I can easily get access to the visitors log, don’t you?”
“You think anyone who visited me left a trace of who he might really be?” Larry laughed, wincing. Then he eyed Ruby, narrowing his eyes. “Shit.”
“What?” I said.
“You’re her, aren’t you?”
“Who?” Ruby asked. “Who do you think I am?”
“No one.” Larry motioned to the guard.
“Not so fast,” I said, grabbing his cuffed arms. “You’re not going anywhere.”
“I have rights, you know. I don’t have to talk to you.”
“The guards may think you have rights, but as far as I’m concerned, your rights ended the day you took my bro—”
“Damn it!” Larry whisked his arms away. “I had nothing to do with that.”
“We know that’s a lie,” I said. “You tortured and raped him just like the others.”
“I had nothing to do with taking him. Ask him yourself. Two men took him. I wasn’t one of them. I fed him, for God’s sake. And I’m the one who fucking helped him to escape.”
“And that absolves you from the crimes of rape and false imprisonment?” I said. “I don’t think so.”
“Look, kid, you know who your mother is now, but I still have other secrets to keep.”
I had to stop myself from standing up and punching him in the fucking nose. “What are the secrets worth to you, Larry? Because I’ve got all the money in the world.”
“You think your brother hasn’t already offered me money?”
“I know he has. He offered to pay for the best defense lawyer in the state. You turned him down. I’m going to offer you something else.”
Larry eyed Ruby again. “I won’t say a word with her here.”
“She stays,” I said.
Ruby grabbed my arm. “It’s okay. I can go.”
“No, I want you here. You have every right to be here. There are cops swarming all over this place.”
“I don’t think the fact that I’m a cop is the issue”—she turned her gaze on Larry—“is it, Mr. Wade?”
Larry said nothing.