Chapter 44 – Penn in Jail

It was the dead of night. Eerie rays of white moonlight reached in through the cell’s window.

A window? Don’t call it a window, Penn thought. It’s an air hole no bigger than a brick.

He was lying on his cot with his hands behind his head, staring up at the light and listening to the faint sounds of the city falling asleep.

Even if the air hole was only as big as a brick, he was glad it was there. During the day, the cell had become unbearably stuffy. The guards had ignored all his complaints, as well as his suggestion that the fastest way to solve the problem would be to let him go.

When night fell, the wind picked up, carrying some cool air in through the gap. That tiny hollow was his entire connection to the outside world. A little air, a little light, a little sound.

Penn heard the scrape of footsteps coming toward him, and a shadow blocked the moonlight. He sat up.

A gruff voice said, “You know, Jeremy’s worried about you.”

Penn smiled. “Oh, Stewart, you should have told him!”

“Told him what?”

“Never being caught—that’s impressive. But a grand escape?” Penn wagged his finger at the empty cell. “That will do wonders for my reputation.”

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“You can feed that line to him yourself. I’d gag on it.”

“How long do we have before the guards are a problem?”

“Long enough. You?”

Penn glared at the door to his cell. “Probably until dawn. So! Do you need my help with something?”

Stewart grunted. “Sure. That’s why I’m here. To ask for your help.”

“How can I be of service?”

“Why’d you let Haley live, Mr. Penn?”

Ryce’s smile faded. “I don’t kill people.”

“But you didn’t have to save him. He wasn’t even for-sure dead.”

“You’re saying I should have trusted the police to know what to do?”

“It’s better than getting thrown in here because you came down with a nasty case of conscience.”