Mistaken Identity

Alice waited until she was sure they were dead, then left the room and slipped back into her cell with Dexter’s help. She undressed in the dark to the sound of her roommate’s bogus snoring and eased silently into the saggy bed. Later she’d deal with Shetrell, pay her a little visit. It was too risky to do right now, and Alice felt tired. She was fake-sleeping by the time the sirens went off much later, signaling that they’d found the bodies.

49

Surf was hiding by the entrance to Della Porta’s rowhouse when Rosato ran out like a bat out of hell, the dog bounding beside her to the Ford. Shit! She hadn’t turned out the light upstairs so he didn’t know she was coming. He’d missed his chance to get her in the entrance hall. Fuck! Rosato was ru

Surf stepped behind the tree as the Ford roared out of the space. Then he darted to the TransAm, climbed in, and twisted on the ignition. He stopped abruptly. Hold on a minute. What was going on? Rosato hadn’t been in a hurry to get to Della Porta’s but she was in a real big hurry to leave. Why?

Surf peered over the rumbling hood of the car at Della Porta’s apartment. Rosato had left the light on. What was she doing up there anyway? Why did she run out?

Surf switched off the ignition and got out of the TransAm.

50

Be

A Philadelphia cop came toward her. “Back it out!” he shouted over the din, waving her off with a black Maglite.

Be

“Not tonight, lady.”

“What’s going on? Has there been a fire?” Fright gripped her stomach. As furious as she was at Co

“I said, back it out, lady!” the cop shouted, but Be

“Whoa, there,” said a tall prison guard, blocking the front door with another guard in a black shirt. “Nobody’s going in here tonight.”

“But my client, my twin, is in there,” Be

“Sorry. We have orders not to let anyone into the facility. Even family.”

“What? Why? At least give me some information. What’s going on? Is it a fire, a riot?”

“A problem,” the guard said, glancing at the other.

“What kind of problem? Come on, tell me. Jesus, it’s all over the news, right?” Be

“Knife fight. Two women inmates killed.”

“No!” Be

“Next of kin ain’t been notified, right, Pete?” He looked at the other guard, who shook his head. “Can’t tell you nothin’ ’til then. It’s procedure.”

“Just tell me, was Alice Co

“Co

Still the news struck Be

“That’s all we can tell you. You want to see your twin, call in the morning and arrange it with the warden. They’ll be in lockdown all night. Open for business as usual tomorrow morning.”

Be

A double murder, the night before Co

And then Be

“Jim Carson reporting, this just in,” said an anchorman’s voice. “The dead in tonight’s fatal stabbing have been identified as Valencia Mendoza and Leonia Page. Prison officials are investigating how…”

Valencia Mendoza. Valencia. Be

Be

“I have to see Alice Co

“Told you, lady. They’re in lockdown.”

“She’s my client and she’s on trial on Monday. She has a right to consult with her attorney, a constitutional right.” Be

“He’s busy.”

“You’re refusing to let a criminal defendant consult with her attorney? You want to be responsible for that?” Be

“We got orders,” the guard said flatly. “It’s not our decision.”

“Then why are you deciding?” Be

Be

The room smelled rank and its white cinderblock walls were scuffed. A metal grate with chipped white paint ran under the bulletproof panel, to allow voices to go through but not contraband or weapons. Be