Simona Davis

13: The Illusion🛣

A police car pulls into the Tinning Prison parking lot. Two officers step out of the vehicle.
............
"What are you gonna do when you find out the truth? You can't get him out anymore."Connor asks, closing the car door.
"I know." Jones shut his door and locks the police car."I just need to find out who killed that man. If he tells us about the hair and perfume beforehand,then there was a woman that night."

Connor scratches his head."So if you find her you're gonna arrest her?"

"I'll see. We just need to find out the truth." Jones answers.
The grounds are quiet except for the marching guards patrolling the area. They approach a security guard who searches them and asks their purpose.
"We are here to talk to a prisoner."
"Go confirm the prisoner's name at the reception."The guard signals them to proceed. They approach the reception in front of a thin woman donning black uniform behind the counter. She looks up at them and their badges. Jones notices her curly hair like the ghost woman and wonders if he'll ever find her. Her face is no match in any of their databases. This better not be a dead end.

"What can I help you with officers?" The woman pops gum writing down on a piece of paper.
"Hey. We would like to speak to a recently brought prisoner." Jones answers. The lady looks up them and raises her eyebrows.
"For what purpose?"
"It's confidential." Connor replies quickly.
"Yeah, it's confidential." Jones adds
She stares at them.
"State your purpose or leave." She says in a lazy tone pointing her pen to the exit. Jones sighs and looks around so no one hears them.

"There's a case we are working on." He leans in and whispers." We need the prisoner's statement." She looks at him and puckers her lips. She is about to ask him to explain more but looks at his badge.
"Right. What's his name?" She types on keyboard in front her.
"Walter Wilkins." Connor answers.
"All three names,please."
"Walter Jacob Wilkins." Jones answers.
She types for some time and clicks.
"Sorry that name isn't here."

"What?" Jones asks confused.
"You're prisoner of interest isn't here." She points to the computer and leans back on her chair.
"Are you sure you typed properly?" Connor asks.
She chews her gum slowly looking at Connor." Does it look like I didn't?"
"Can you check again?" Connor ignores her rude manner and asks politely.
She sighs and turns the computer towards them. They both bend to look at the screen;SEARCH WALTER JACOB WILKINS---NO FIND.
They stare at the screen surprised. She turns the computer back.
"Satisfied?" She asks.

"Wait." Connor takes out his phone and scrolls. He stops and shows Walter's face to her. "Are you sure you didn't see him?"
She scrunches her eyes as she looks at the picture.
"No I haven't. And even if I did,I probably forgot. There are a lot of prisoners here dude."
Connor puts his phone back in his pocket. Him and Jones stand at the counter still processing.
"Were there any break outs recently?" Jones asks.
She looks at them again and writes on her paper.

"Nope.You're prisoner is in another prison."
Jones replies loudly."No,he isn't. He was sent to this prison: Tinning Prison." He takes out his phone too and shows the copy of the eviction and transport receipts to her."See, it says Tinning Prison. Isn't this Tinning Prison?'
"Yep." She answers in a bored voice. She watches Jones anxious expression."Listen buddy, your Walter isn't here. If he was here, the search engine would have confirmed it. Simple. He isn't here,okay?"
Jones and Connor look at each other.

"Now if you'll excuse me,I have stuff  to do. A receptionist is always busy,especially in this dump." She dismisses them and continues writing.
They both look at her. When she doesn't look up from her writing they slowly walk out of the building. Once they step out they and look at each other flummoxed.

"What the fuck just happened?" Connor asks in a high pitched voice.
Jones shrugs not registering anything either.
They walk to the car and enter. They drive out of the parking lot to the gate and hand they're visitation card to the guard . The guard accepts the card and opens the gate. They turn into the highway heading back.