Fractured by Wendy Byrne Read Free Book Online Page A

the conversation would be monitored.
    He smiled. “Yeah, a lot of people feel that way.” After offering a small shrug, he added, “You get used to it after a while.” Even though he’d said the words, she got the distinct impression he’d never gotten used to working there.
    Within minutes it had all been arranged. She walked back out the front door and into the bright sun. Yet another guard was waiting. With him was a man who had to be close to sixty. No doubt at one time he’d been a hardened criminal, but now the fight had left him.
    The guard motioned toward a bench that had been placed between two large willow trees. “They’re taking a break now anyway, so you two can sit there for about ten minutes or so.”
    â€œThat would be great. Thanks so much.”
    The guard kept at a safe distance while she moved toward the bench. The man moved slowly, as if the ravages of age had caught up with him. It could have been illness, arthritis, or the beaten down nature of his existence. She thought about the life expectancy of a prison inmate and figured the statistics had to be dismal. Then again, that might not be a bad thing.
    Finally, he reached her and sat down on the opposite end. He didn’t seem to be the type of man who smiled easily and didn’t disappoint on that account.
    â€œYou Tyrone’s girl, the cop?”
    She nodded, as words seemed stuck in her throat. “Yes. What can you tell me about him?”
    â€œNot much. Tyrone kind of kept to himself. But I guess I was closer to him than pretty much anybody here.” He shook his head. “Shame the way he died. After all this time, to get stuck with a shiv like that and then bleed for a couple of hours before he was found.”
    Of all the things she expected to hear, this wasn’t one of them. How could her father have gotten stabbed in Stateville when he’d been shot in her apartment?
    What was going on in this place?

Chapter Four
    Nothing he’d said made sense, but Isabella couldn’t let him know. At least not if she hoped to find out more. “What do you mean?”
    â€œSorry, honey, I thought you knew.” Compassion filtered into his eyes for a brief second before his vacant stare returned. “Your father was caught in the middle of some nasty business going down here. Like usual, nobody’s owning up to it. You’d think with the cameras they’ve got in this place they’d have it figured out by now. But if they do, they’re not saying.” He somberly shook his head.
    Her mind worked overtime trying to figure out what to say and how to say it. Unfortunately none of what filtered through made any sense. The prison and the FBI were in on some kind of cover-up. But why?
    â€œWhere did it happen?” She brought her fingers through her hair. “I think the police told me, but I can’t remember the specifics. It was such a shock after all this time.”
    â€œLet’s see. That was two weeks ago Monday. Happened down by the laundry.” He gave her a wry smile. “A lot of bad stuff happens there.”
    â€œI can imagine.” Two weeks? Her father had been out of this place for two weeks. How did that happen? And why did everyone here believe he’d been killed within these walls?
    She had to wonder how pervasive that belief went. From her research it would have been the first successful prison escape from Stateville. The fictitious one chronicled in the Fugitive movie was just that: pure fiction. As far as she knew this place was impenetrable.
    So her dad had inside help if he made it out. And for some reason, the cover-up went deep. The Feds must have thought she had somebody on the inside to get him out.
    â€œDo you need to know anything else?” He grinned for the first time. “Normally I wouldn’t talk to a cop, but with you I made an exception. Besides being as beautiful as the pictures your father kept and the