The March of the Black Queen (book III)

7.) It's A Rip Off (Part One)

It's early still. I should be back in time for the party tonight. I step out of my car and head towards the steps of the front of the woman's correctional facility.

"Can I help you?," The buff police officer behind the entrance station looks down at me from his raised platform.

"Uh, yes. Um, I'm here to see someone- Mary Austin..," His glare is intimidating or maybe it's the fact that I know I shouldn't be here, but I feel my palms begin to sweat as the guard huffs and turns toward his computer screen.

"Are you on the list?"

"List?...Uh, well- yes. I suppose I should be," I'm a stuttering fool feeling under pressure from the cold, stale feel of my surroundings.

I hand over my I.D. And drivers license, sign my name on the visitors sheet and empty my pockets. My keys, wallet, watch, belt and wedding ring are all placed in a plastic bin as I walk through the metal detector with my shoes off. The whole process feels like an invasion of personal space and I had the ear piercing sound of the static from the wand that scans my body. I'm then green lighted, but the last step is a full body pat down, a flashlight shining into my mouth and under my tongue. I'm asked to take my socks off as the guard rings them out, feeling for drugs or money- I don't know. Geez, what the hell kind of people try to sneak things into prisons?

"You can put your shoes and socks back on. Here's your belongings. For the record, anything you posses cannot he handed to or touched by the inmate. You may not hug or touch except at hello and goodbye and your visit is limited to two hours. Please, follow me and I will take you to the visitors room.."

I nod my head at his instructions, gulping against my dry throat as we pass through a set of heavy metal doors. The doors clink shut behind us, sounding like a locked vault. There's no turning back now- if I do they'd think me suspicious or something!

I'm directed into the visitors room, given a visitors sticker pass on my shirt and told to sit and wait. "She will be escorted her shortly. Please remain in your seat at this table. If you wish to use the vending machines- only you can get up and handle the money. The inmate will have to stay seated the entire time," The monotone voice he uses to speak makes this place all the more terrible. Hmm, I guess it's a good fit for Mary.

A few minutes pass and I try to convince myself that I've come here for good reason and I have to stick to my gut instincts. I didn't even tell my own wife where I was going! Mary said the kids were in danger and I'm not taking the chance of anything bad happening to them if I can help it! I swear this better not be some sort of little ploy she has to try and reenter Freddie's life.

Mary comes into the room in front of another guard. Her hands are taken out of handcuffs right outside the door, and she is ushered to my table. There are three other inmates having visitors in this room with us- I don't know how much she will be able to speak out loud, but she swore she would tell me everything.

"Hi, Roger..," She nods her head at me as she takes her seat across from me. I say nothing.

"Um, well- how have you been? How are the guys?," She looks to be asking out of genuine concern. Her bright blue eyes twinkle in the fluorescent lights and the wrinkle between her eyebrows knit to show her worry lines.

"I'm fine. They're fine. Now get on with it, I have plans later today," I don't feel she deserves any acknowledgement, and especially not when asking about things and people that she's hurt tremendously unforgivable in the past.

"Right- uh, well...I don't know how to start," Her fingers drum on the top of the table. She begins to fidget in her seat and I can't tell Marys body language very well- I was never able to. She's always had such a cold cut exterior about her. Never readable in any way- at least, to me.