Mr. Good Bad Guy

15 - Watch Your Back

I did go back to work, but I knew I wasn't needed when Dr. Acosta and Dr. Wellington were nowhere to be found. I clocked out early to go to the prison for an unscheduled session. As long as none of my superiors found out about it, I didn't care. When it comes to getting leads, I wasn't about to sit back and wait for someone to give me the information I needed. The guards didn't even question me as I signed in.

"Who are you coming to see?"

"Rodrigo Melendez."

"Visiting hours are going to be over early today." The guard took the sign-in sheet. "Are you going to be here long?"

"I shouldn't be." I handed him my purse.

"I'll have someone escort you to him. Could you wait here for a moment?"

"Thank you."

I waited patiently for one of the guards to escort me to Rodrigo's cell. The prison was built in the early 1900s and had a certain charm to it. The high ceilings and ornate architecture were a stark contrast to the cold steel bars and concrete walls. The hallways were eerily quiet, with only the faint sounds of muffled voices coming from behind closed doors.

When the guard finally arrived, he led me down a long hallway and unlocked a heavy steel door.

"Mr. Melendez is waiting inside. If he starts making you feel uncomfortable, you can just slam your hands on the table for extra effect."

"Really?"

"No, but if he does make you feel unsafe, just walk out of the room. We'll handle him."

"Thank you. I feel so safe now."

The guard rolled his eyes, opening the door for me. Cool air flooded the hall for a second before the heat took over again Inside, the cell was dimly lit, with a small bed, a metal table, and a dirty toilet. Rodrigo was sitting at the table, his head hung low.

"Oh...I'm not intruding, am I?" I asked.

"Why do you trust me?" he asked instead.

I chuckled softly. "I don't."

"But you're in my cell with me. I could do anything to you right now. As a woman, you should take better precautions, Dr. Sinclair." He smiled, showing a set of perfect teeth. I couldn't help but feel a shiver run down my spine. "You're lucky I like you."

I took a seat across from him. "Well, I'm glad to hear that, because I was beginning to think that I was wasting my time coming to see you."

Rodrigo leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Oh, I wouldn't say that. I'm sure there's something you could tell me that would be...educational." He licked his lips. "Or perhaps something I could teach you?"

I smiled, trying to appear nonchalant. "I'm sure there's plenty of things you could teach me, but that's not why I'm here." I crossed my legs. "Mr. Melendez, you and I both know you're not the reason your wife went missing."

He leaned back, seemingly unimpressed. "And how would you know that, doc?"

"Because I've looked into it," I replied. "I've seen the surveillance footage from the hotel. There's no way you could've been the one who took her. You were at the casino the entire time."

Rodrigo narrowed his eyes. "That's funny. I definitely remember being the last one to see her that night."

I raised an eyebrow. "You mean when you drugged her drink?"

He laughed, a cold and bitter sound. "Oh, that. Yeah, I guess I did that. But that doesn't mean I was the one who took her, doc. You know how it is, right? In this business, you've got to protect yourself."