Page 26 of I’ll Be Watching You

“Shit,” he muttered.

“We’re not going to jam you up,” Margo said. “We need your phone.”

“You know how hard it is to get a phone in this place? Sure, some guys can get whatever they want, but not people like me. I have no one on the outside who gives a shit.”

“I’ll replace it,” Ava said.

“How you gonna do that?”

She didn’t say anything, just stared at him.

“Shit,” he muttered. “Fine. It’s not going to be easy, so come back tomorrow—”

“Give it to Officer Zanutti. He’ll get it to me.”

Ken looked wary. “You sure?”

“Yes.”

Margo glanced at Ava, but Ava ignored her daughter’s unspoken questions.

“Fine. Okay. Shit. You owe me, right?”

“When you go back to your cell, Officer Zanutti will come by. You won’t get in trouble, and I’ll replace it in a few days.”

“If you say so,” he grumbled.

“Did my dad say anything to you about something he might have been worried about?” Margo asked.

“No, he doesn’t talk about himself much, but, well, a few weeks ago—not more than a month—he had a visitor and came back to the yard upset. He was supposed to help a couple of the guys who were testing for their GED, but told them he couldn’t. And he asked to go back to his cell because he was feeling ill. But I think it was the visitor.”

“Who?” Margo asked.

Ken shrugged. “Dunno.”

Ava would know when Dave gave her the visitors’ log. Was Cooper trying to find answers about Devin’s murder from inside prison? Why would he do that, risk himself, without confiding in her?

She was deeply worried about his safety.

“Thank you, Ken,” Ava said.

He walked away and Margo said, “You didn’t push him for answers.”

“He doesn’t know. We’ll get the visitor log and the phone. Let’s go.”

On their way out, Ava pulled Tony aside and told him what she needed from Ken. “If you can bring them out along with the logs and anything else Dave has for me?”

“Of course.” He reached out and touched her arm, a small comfort, but one she desperately needed.

They went back to the car and Ava said, “Let’s sit here for a few minutes.”

Margo looked frustrated, but she complied. Ava called Rita. This was the first Rita heard of the transfer, and she said she’d call the court.

When Ava ended the call, Margo said, “No more secrets. Family meeting, now.”

Ava’s stomach was twisted in knots, but she didn’t have a choice. Cooper was in trouble.

“Call Jack,” Ava said. “We’ll be at the office in an hour.”