Mind Games

“I know how you feel right now,” Alice said to Rem. “But he’s only eighteen years old. The longer he lives in prison, the more he pays. Me, I’m hoping he lives a long life.”

“What’s it like in prison?”

“I’ve never been on the wrong side of it, but you’re locked up, and you eat when they tell you to eat, what they tell you to eat. You wear what they tell you to wear, and every day that’s the same. You’ve got a toilet in your cell, and you have to do your business with no privacy.”

“Eew.”

“Right? You can’t go out of the cell whenever you want, or outside whenever you want. When they let you outside, it’s walled in, with guards and with barbed wire on top of the wall.”

“That’s right, and there are people like him in there with him. People who like to hurt,” Tate continued. “People who’ve killed. It’s a dangerous place.”

“Are you sure he’ll have to stay there all his life?”

Tate shifted to Thea.

“Honey, they’ve got the glass cutter he used, a box of white medical gloves, they’ve got the car, and all the rest. They’ve got the gun he used. They’ll find out where he got that gun. And they’ve got the other car, parked on the other street, and that they’ve already tied to two more murders in Maryland.”

“He killed somebody for the car.”

“Yes, he did, so they’ll charge him there, too. He won’t get out of prison. He’s going to die in there, and like Alice here, I hope that’s a long way away.

“Now, the detective who had this case up in Fredericksburg is still going to want to talk to you.”

“Will these children have to go into court, Tate?”

“I can’t say for absolute yet, but they got him cold, Lucy, and I don’t see a reason for that. My sense is he’ll try for a deal.”

“What does that mean?”

Tate shifted back to Thea.

“Virginia has the death penalty for first-degree murder, and he has two counts there, and we’ve got a pile of evidence. I think he’ll say guilty if it saves his life. He’ll trade execution for two life sentences without the possibility of parole.”

“Even murderers cling to their own life,” Alice added.

“Do you have any other questions?”

“Does he go to prison for the people in Maryland, too?”

“I expect that’s going to add more years on, as he still had some of the things he took from them. I think we can count on more years there. Anything else?”

“Not right now, Sheriff.” Thea looked at Rem, who shook his head. “Thank you for believing me and helping them catch him.”

“You caught him, Thea. The police did their job, and they did it well. But it’s you who caught him. You remember that.”

Tate set down his glass, rose. “We’re going to get on. If you need anything from me, you just call.”

“We’re grateful to both of you. And the police artist.” Lucy got to her feet. “I hope you’ll let her know we’re grateful.”

“I’ll do that. Lucy, Leeanne sends her love and sympathy to all y’all. If you need any help with anything, you call her. Will’s set to come around in the morning, and for as long as you want.”

“I could use one more day, then I think we’ll need to get back to routine. But he only gives me one more day if he comes in for breakfast after.”

“I’ll let him know.”

When they’d driven off, Lucy poured more lemonade. “Can you tell me how you feel?”

“It feels good they caught him, and he’ll go to prison forever. But…” Rem trailed off.