Chapter Ten
The electronic doors behind Logan clanked shut and the lock engaged loud enough to be heard across the large room. By design, he was sure. There was no doubt that this was a prison. There were at least a half dozen locked doors between him and the outside and a phalanx of armed guards on all sides.
Everything was gray. The tiled floor, the walls, the faces of the guards and prisoners. Depressing and drab, all the hope had been sucked from inside these walls like air from a balloon.
The visitor’s room was chilly, over air-conditioned and dry. It smelled of sweat, desperation, and pine-scented cleaner. The pockets of happiness as loved ones reunited weren’t enough to lift the blanket of sadness that hung over the institution.
A tall woman in a navy blue suit approached him, her hand held out tentatively.
“Mr. Wright, I’m Dr. Marilyn Bartlett. I’m the psychologist here. May I speak to you, please, before you go in?”
Logan wanted to get this task out of the way as quickly as possible, but it looked like there was one more hurdle to go. Did she talk to every visitor the first time?
“Of course. What can I do for you, Doctor?”
She nodded toward a hallway. “Why don’t we speak in my office? I promise this will only take a few minutes.”
He followed her into a small office that was as gray as the rest of the institution despite a few personal touches. Even the plant in the corner looked listless and dry as if it didn’t want to be here either.
Dr. Bartlett waved him into a chair while she sat down at her desk. Logan was well aware of what that move was. It was a power play. She now had the “power” as the official behind the desk. He’d used it a few times himself. Unfortunately for the good doctor he didn’t give a shit about who was the dominant dog in this conversation. He just wanted to tell Wade the news about Lyle and get the fuck out of here.
“It’s nice to finally meet you, Mr. Wright. You may not remember me, but I remember you from the trial.”
His mind raced back trying to place her but he came up blank. “I’m afraid I don’t–”
She shook her head. “Don’t worry about not placing me. My hair was different.” Her fingers pushed back a stray strand. “I worked for the prosecution during the penalty phase.”
Now he knew who she was. Her hair had been different. Much shorter and maybe blonder. She’d also been a spectacular witness for the prosecutor, testifying that Wade Bryson shouldn’t receive any leniency because he wasn’t capable of it himself. She’d diagnosed him as a sociopath with narcissistic tendencies. He felt no empathy and therefore couldn’t feel remorse for his crimes.
“I remember you now. I didn’t realize you worked here also.”
“I didn’t at the time, but I’ve moved away from private practice.” She folded her hands on the desk. “The reason I wanted to speak to you is that Wade Bryson hasn’t accepted a visitor in quite a long time, but he’s agreed to meet with you. Do you know why that is?”
Logan had a few theories.
“Honestly? I think he wants to mess around in my head for fun.”
The woman didn’t even crack a smile. Okay, she didn’t have much of a sense of humor. So noted.
“You believe that?”
“Yes,” Logan answered frankly. “I do. I also think that Wade agreed to see me because he’s curious as to why I’m here.”
“Why are you here?”
“I’m here to inform him that his brother Lyle was shot and killed two days ago.”
Her eyes widened ever so slightly and he could hear her sharp intake of breath, although her features stayed calm and composed.
“I have concerns about that, Mr. Wright. Wade might act out after learning this news. You’ll be gone but that will become my problem.”
“I would imagine Wade is a problem every day.”
The doctor sat back in her chair. “Well…yes. It might be better for me to break the news in a more controlled environment.”
“Is there a more controlled environment than a maximum security prison?”
Not a flicker of annoyance or amusement crossed her face. She was like stone. Ballsy woman and she probably had to be to work here.
“I’m concerned about the wellbeing of all the inmates.”
Logan wasn’t going to push but he was here for a reason. He’d promised Aaron he’d do it and a promise was a promise. Even an unwilling one.
“Are you asking me or telling me that you’d like to break the news yourself?”
“Asking you, of course.”
There was no of course about it.
“Then I’ll do it, if you don’t mind.”
The doctor merely nodded and stood from her chair. Logan stood as well and followed her to the door that led to the visitor’s room.
“Please try and not upset him, Mr. Wright.”
“I’ll do what I can. It’s not my intent to cause trouble.”
They had Wade for that.
Logan pushed the door open and stepped into the large room. Along the wall were small cubicles where visitors could sit and visit with a resident. Through a thick piece of plexiglass. Face to face but not really. Logan slowly walked down the length of the room until he found what he was looking for.
Wade.
Settling into a chair across from the half-brother he’d put behind bars, Logan reminded himself not to get caught up in Wade’s bullshit. He’d try and play games and get a rise out of Logan.
Not going to happen.
Logan lifted the phone on the wall from its cradle and looked for Wade to do the same. As he’d expected, Wade didn’t pick up the receiver right away, instead making Logan wait. A play to establish dominance. If Wade wanted to beat his chest and play king of the jungle from behind bars that was fine with him.
Wade’s curiosity though eventually got the better of him and he picked up the phone.
“What a pleasure to see you, brother. This is such a surprise.”
It probably was a surprise since Logan hadn’t seen Wade in years. The last time he’d spoken to his former childhood friend had been during the trial when he’d been trying to convince Wade to tell about his other victims.
Ignoring the brother greeting, Logan wanted to get right to the point. “Aaron asked me to come here today. He says you won’t see anyone from the family.”
Wade smiled. “I’m seeing you.”
It was Wade’s mission in life to try and somehow convince Logan that they were alike, one and the same. Brothers in more than paternity.
Logan wasn’t buying it.
“There’s news about your brother Lyle and I’ve come here to tell you.”
“So tell me.”
If Logan had seen even a spark of emotion in Wade’s dark, dead eyes he might have tried to softball the news. Soften the blow a little.
But he saw nothing there but a blank gaze. Emotionless and cold. Wade had shown he cared little to nothing for his friends and family. They were there simply to orbit around him, only good for his use or amusement. He acted the part of the devoted big brother but he used those emotions for his own gain. He didn’t actually feel anything.
“Lyle is dead.” Logan paused for a moment to let the news sink in. “He was shot while jogging in the park. I’ve been asked back to Corville to help with the investigation.”
A corner of Wade’s lips turned up. “Always the hero, Logan. You swoop in at the last minute and get the bad guy. Your story never changes.”
Neither did Wade’s.
“I can see you’re heartbroken about your younger brother,” Logan mocked. “No concern for your family? No questions as to why someone would shoot a seemingly innocent family man?”
“Those are questions for you to answer, my brother. I’m sure you’ll find out why and who. After all, you’re the great Logan Wright.”
“Aaron should have just had the warden tell you the news. I’m wasting my time here.”
“What is it you want me to say? That I’m sad? Death is inevitable. You can’t cheat it. It’s chasing all of us. Some of us just run faster than others.”
Death did seem to be chasing Wade. He looked older than before. Far older. His skin was pale from lack of sun and he’d lost weight, making his face appear gaunt and lined. His lips looked thinner and his cheekbones sharper. He was a far cry from the soft, rich businessman he’d been a decade earlier.
“How fast are you running, Wade?”
“Fast enough.” Wade stroked his chin and smiled. “I am sad about Lyle. He was a good brother but a stupid man. He didn’t understand anything. He wasn’t like you and I.”
He was at it again. Equating the two of them.
“What do we understand? Enlighten me.”
“We understand that it all comes down to power. It’s not money or love or friendship or whatever god you pray to. It’s power. That’s the only thing that matters, and it’s the only thing that’s mattered for thousands of years. Study history and you’ll see.”
“You’ve had a lot of free time to do that?”
Chuckling, Wade sat back in his wooden chair. “That’s the thing about prison. You have nothing but time. But you know I’m right because you love power, too. That’s why you’re a cop, brother. You want power over people like me. You think I’m less than you but we’re the same, really. We both want power. We just go about getting it a little differently.”
Logan’s stomach lurched with nausea at what he was hearing. It was sickening, the way Wade was speaking. He really didn’t give a shit about anything or anyone. How had Logan missed the signs all those years? Maybe he simply hadn’t wanted to see. Of course, now Wade wasn’t trying to hide. He didn’t have to camouflage himself and fit in with regular society. He could openly be the monster that he was.
“Did you feel powerful when you took a life?”
That question seemed to snap Wade to attention and he leaned forward, so close to the glass that his breath left a circle of steam. “That’s the ultimate power. Like God.”
“You think you’re like God?”
Wade shook his head. “I know I’m like God. I take life and I can grant it. Just like you, brother. You decide every day who lives and who dies. The ultimate judge.”
“I don’t.” Logan couldn’t even fathom what Wade was talking about. “I’m not a cop anymore. I’m just a consultant.”
“Yet here you are. Looking for a killer. Why are you here? You hate Corville and the residents hate you. Why did you go back?”
Logan had been asking himself that very question all morning. “I did it for Lyle. He didn’t deserve to be shot in cold blood like a dog in the street.”
“How do you know?” Wade shot back. “Maybe Lyle was a terrible person. He might have had a secret life that no one knew about. He certainly was weak. He and Aaron are two of the weakest people I know. It’s survival of the fittest and they’re just cannon fodder.”
“They’ve supported you all these years. They could have cut you off from the family funds but they didn’t.”
“Only because they wanted to try and save the Bryson family name,” Wade argued, shaking his head. “They didn’t do it because they loved me. They hate me. They loathe me. No, they did it because they want to believe that there’s something to save with the Bryson name.”
“And there isn’t? You killed to clean up the family.”
“I did, but I also knew that there was more than one simple man could handle. Evil runs rampant in the world. Protect your own, brother. It’s a cruel life.”
Wade was truly delusional if he thought killing innocent people was ridding the world of evil. But then he’d always wanted to be the hero. He’d wanted the adulation of the crowds.
“You sound like a crazy person. Do you listen to yourself anymore?”
Wade threw back his head and laughed, causing several of the guards to place their hands on their weapons and look more alert. “Not only do I listen to myself, I have others that listen to me. I’m something of a celebrity, you know. People follow me around and want just a tidbit of wisdom from me. Women write to me and want to have my babies. They’d do whatever I asked of them. You should see the letters I get. It’s really quite amazing.”
That was the most disgusting thing Logan had ever heard. Murder groupies. He’d heard about them of course but had never met one. Wade would be in heaven playing in someone’s head like that, convincing them of all sorts of horrible things. Manson-like in his influence.
“Since I’ve delivered the news, I think I’ll go. I’d like to say it was nice to see you, Wade, but it wasn’t. Not even close.”
His statement didn’t seem to bother the other man. He was still smiling as if he didn’t have a care in the world. That might be true. He certainly didn’t have the worries of other people – jobs, bills, family.
“It was nice to see you, brother. How’s that sweet little wife of yours? Ava was always a pretty thing.”
Logan didn’t like talking to Wade but he liked Wade talking about Ava even less. He didn’t even want Wade thinking about Ava. But he couldn’t show that it bothered him either. Not bothering to reply, he hung up the phone and gave Wade a mock salute before standing. What an incredible fucking waste of time this visit had turned out to be. As predicted, Wade didn’t give a shit about Lyle.
He only cared about himself.