Chapter 15 Chapter fifteen

The fourth floor of the Judiciary Center Prison is heavily guarded for security reasons. Prisoners who have mental problems and need to be isolated are all imprisoned here. The warden has known Abby for a long time, and has always liked her.A few days ago, when she appeared in this prison, the warden personally registered her as a detainee, and then ensured that she was safely imprisoned in the isolation cell on the fourth floor.Because he knew very well that if a district attorney was locked up with other prisoners, there would be trouble. The door of the prison elevator opened, revealing a small narrow hall, a gray concrete building painted with brown-yellow tones of paint.The reception room on the fourth floor is just opposite the elevator, and there is a small wooden round table and two plastic chairs inside.When the jailer led Abby into the reception room through the heavy iron gate, Matthew had already been waiting there.

Abby's hair was combed back, but she had a plain face with puffy dark circles under her eyes.The guard released Abby's handcuffs, and she sat down, rubbing her wrists together.When the jailer was still in the room, she kept her face livid and expressionless; but as soon as the jailer left, she immediately opened her hands and showed Matthew the female prisoner's uniform in blue shirt and blue trousers; A weary and helpless smile flashed past. "Not very popular?" "Glad to see your sense of humor hasn't been worn out yet." "I'm very aware of the wishful thinking that Geddis has in mind. Do you think I will really be intimidated by that bastard?" Abby paused, the smile on his face disappeared, followed by a rather determined and calm look. Look, "It's a tough time here. I can't sleep. It's so loud! The woman in the next room wails all night long."

"Until last night, I felt very tired. When I forced myself to lie down, one thing kept circling in my mind. I began to imagine what it would be like if I had to spend the rest of my life here. At that time, I suddenly understood why the woman in the next room would cry all night." Abby came back to her senses, "I'm sorry, I get sentimental and cry too easily! I promise myself I won't be like this again." "It's okay! That's why I came to visit you, to listen to you and relieve some pressure for you." Abby forced another smile. "I appreciate it. When does the arraignment start?"

"This afternoon. The hearing can't be held too soon because they're bringing in a magistrate from out of county to handle the case. All the magistrates in Multnomah County are unsuitable because every one of them knows you. .” "Who is going to be in charge of this case?" "Jack Baldwin, from Bianhe County. Don't worry! I've seen the man, he's a nice guy." "Can you get me out?" Abby tried to keep her frustration from showing. "I don't know. Guedes won't budge. He won't let you bail. You know very well that murder doesn't come with automatic bail."

"Then what are you going to do next?" "I will fight hard for the court hearing. In the meantime, I will first send Trish to your place to get some materials for the court." "Thank goodness! I can't imagine facing the death penalty and the ridicule from the public." Matthew couldn't help laughing, "You can't escape the challenge of the media. I don't want you to look like that crying Fromme." Abby laughed too.But not long after, her eyes suddenly lost focus, and she was dazed. "What's wrong?" Matthew asked. Abby took a deep breath, "I'm afraid I'll lose everything, Matthew, my reputation, and my career."

"You have nothing to lose, not now, nor ever. There is absolutely nothing Geddis can do to rob you of your reputation unless you want to. You know you are innocent, don't care what the papers say, what the people think; just You just have to look at yourself in the mirror and feel good about yourself.” Abby laughed, "They won't even give me a mirror. Broken glass can easily be used as a suicide weapon. In this case, the prison will be sued." Matthew returned a smiley face.It was a flawless time, the fear and intimacy they shared with each other, showing her trust in him.Matthew really didn't want this meeting to end.

"I have to go." Matthew was full of reluctance, "I have an appointment with Jack Stein later." "That's your struggle?" "If we're lucky." "Long time no see, Matthew," Jack greeted enthusiastically as he stepped forward.Matthew sat down in front of the district attorney. "Thank you for taking the time to see me." "I'm not sure yet—whether I should meet you." Stan unconsciously picked up a newspaper clipping from piles of legal documents. "Surely you already know what Guedes is doing, don't you?"

"Do you think he's doing the right thing?" Stan seemed a little bewildered and bewildered.He flattened the discounted corner of the newspaper clipping in his hand. "Abby is my friend," Stan's tone was even and conciliatory. "I have to avoid suspicion, which is why I took the case to the chief prosecutor. I can't get involved in this case." "You're the county's district attorney, and Guedes is only a case attorney; logically, he's supposed to be on your staff." "In theory, yes, but I think you are also very clear that I cannot interfere with Geddis's work."

"Guedes is using this case to challenge me, and it's all for the sake of his own dignity. Look at what he said at the press conference after arresting Abby." "We really shouldn't meet to talk about this case. I have to let him handle it." "I'm not here to ask you to intervene in this case, but I just want you to talk to Guedes about bail. You can't believe that Abby was locked up for months before we got to trial on this case, Fair thing to do to her. I just visited her and she looked awful. She was trying to pull herself together, but you could easily see the damage it had done to her. gone."

"Abby is so rich, she could easily abscond and smuggle to any country. Guedes is just afraid that she will escape." "Unless she's really guilty. You know her better than I do, Jack. Do you think Abby's going to murder Rob Griffin?" Stan flattened the newspaper clipping, then folded it in half, before saying, "No, I don't think she's guilty." "In that case, how can you let Gaddis put her in jail?" "Look, Matthew, you've fought Geddes and you should know what he's like. I've told him how inappropriate it was, but he insists he's right and won't budge on anything. What else can I do?"

"You can call the Chief Prosecutor! Report to Gary Graham what Guedes did, and tell him what he did was wrong." "I have no idea……" "While you're talking to Graham, tell him that I've assured you that Abby will hand over her passport and that she's willing to accept the twenty-four-hour video surveillance program. Me and the people who ran that program We've talked about it, and they'll keep tabs on Abby. That way, Abby can stay out of jail, and Geddes can keep track of her whereabouts; Abby won't leave the house without telling him first. of." Stan nibbled at the newspaper clipping in his hand, pondered Raynor's proposal, and then said, "I don't know if Guedes will agree, but I'll try to convince Gary to order him to do it." "Then, please call Graham!" Stan hesitated for a moment, "If I call Gary, you have to promise me one thing." "It's okay to be blunt." "Guedes would be furious if he knew I was doing this behind his back. So, I can make this call for Abby, but you have to save face for Guedes. I hope this surveillance program proposal , you can get him to bring it up in open court, and you have to publicly praise his thoughtfulness." Renault's lips trembled for a while, then regained his smile, and then said coldly: "I personally don't have any prejudice against Mr. Gaddis, what I'm thinking about now is what kind of treatment method will treat me parties are in the best interest.” "I'm glad to hear you say that. Now, I want you to listen carefully." Stan put down the newspaper clippings in his hand and leaned forward towards Renault. "Speaking of this for a friend, I may violate the 'Cannon Judicial Ethics Agreement' , so, just this one time, no next time. I won't do anything more, you understand?" "certainly." Stan stood up and held out his hand, "Do everything you can for Abby. Good luck!" As the days went by, the technicians responsible for the electronic monitoring plan finally hung up a long rectangular box on the phone at Abby's home.Abby was there too, wearing a bracelet and twisting a small piece of metal in her hand.The computer in the monitoring center would call her from time to time. When the call came, she had to answer the call in person, report her name and time, and then insert the metal piece in her hand into the keyhole on the long box.The people at the surveillance center were trained to recognize Abby's voice easily, and the little piece of metal inserted was to make sure her person was really in the house. Abby also had a small transmitter on her bracelet. If she moved more than a hundred and fifty feet away from the long box, the monitoring center would lose the signal and the alarm would go off. Matthew accompanied the technicians to the door, then turned back to the living room.The window was open, and Abby stood in the inner courtyard with her arms around herself, gazing at the sunset in the sky.Matthew stopped and looked at her.Abby closed her eyes, tilted her head slightly back, and sniffed the refreshing and slightly cool air. This scene seems to have appeared in Matthew's dream. He and Abby were alone in the drowsy twilight of summer. The grass was covered with slender black shadows of old oaks and evergreen trees, turning the original green The meadow gradually turned dark.At the other end of the horizon, the fiery red sun shone brightly on the tops of the bushes, and the afterglow reflected into the swimming pool, reflecting blue ripples. Abby realized Matthew's appearance, opened her eyes, and turned around slowly.Matthew's heart trembled slightly, fearing that she would read his mind and discover the deepest secrets of his mind.Abby, however, just smiled at him.Matthew walked slowly towards her. "The police are all gone," he said. “It’s really nice to be alone like this.” "If you want me to leave, I will leave immediately." "No! Stay. I don't mean you." Matthew stopped beside Abby.It was something he never dreamed of, that Abby was beside him. "The reason why I bought this house is because I fell in love with it so much." Abby said thoughtfully, "However, when I found out that Rob had betrayed me, I couldn't bear to continue to be with him." He lived with him. I used to miss this little house when I lived on Middlebrook Street. However, I never really discovered the beauty of it until this evening. Maybe, everyone should take some time in the jail Squat." Matthew didn't reply right away, he just hoped that this wonderful time would last forever.Finally, he said, "It's really beautiful." The two stood in silence for a while, then Abby turned to look at Matthew. "Are you hungry?" she asked. "a little bit." "Prison food is what it feels like. I'm starving and craving some real food. Would you like to have a meal?" "I've asked Barry to help you fill the fridge." "I know. You really know everything!" Hearing what she said, Matthew blushed a little on his face.Abby couldn't help laughing. "You, when will you stop blushing? We still have a long time to live together! You can't make me talk like walking on thin ice, so as not to make you blush every now and then." "I'm very sorry." "It's okay, don't take it to heart. How about it, have you decided to stay for dinner?" "If you really want me to stay, I will stay." "Okay! But you have to wait for me to take a shower first. I'm going to wash off the musty smell of this prison, and then I'll fry some bacon and eggs, lots and lots of fluffy eggs, and serve them on toast Eat. What do you think? Bacon and scrambled eggs are my personal preference." "That's fine." "There's coffee in the cupboard above the fridge, why don't you make a pot while I go upstairs." Matthew strolled unsteadily into the kitchen, savoring every minute of it.He lingered in the kitchen, brushing his hand across the walls, touching the moldings.Somewhere on the second floor came the sound of a shower, and Matthew listened intently, imagining water cascading from the shower head and gurgling over Abby's body.He felt a sudden shudder; not about passionate fantasies, not about romantic affection, but overwhelmed by the possibility of intimacy with Abigail Griffin. The fire was lit and the coffee was served.Matthew sat at the kitchen table and waited for Abby to come downstairs. She was the one who asked him to stay.Had she asked the others to stay, too?Or was she just looking for random company for company after a tough prison life?Does he mean something special to Abby?Or is it just an object she uses to distract herself from her loneliness, like a TV set that buzzes late at night? The sound of the running water stopped abruptly, and the room suddenly fell silent.The silence was a warning sign, and Matthew tensed up like a little boy on his first day of school.He got up and paced up and down the kitchen, rummaging through drawers, cupboards, silverware, and dishes.As he was setting the table, he heard Abby standing by the door.Matthew turned slowly.Her wet hair was draped heavily on her shoulders, and her face was fresh and pink. Although she had no make-up, she was completely different from the women he visited in prison, without the slightest sense of despair or fatigue; With fiery hope. When the phone rang, both of them were shocked.Abby looked at the bracelet on her wrist, and all the enthusiasm disappeared in an instant.The phone rang a second time, and she walked over slowly, lowering her arms heavily, as if the bracelet on her wrist weighed a thousand catties. The phone rang for the third time, Abby picked up the phone, listened for a while, and then made a lazy voice, breathing weakly: "Abby Jill Griffin, it's eight forty-five now .” She put down the receiver, took out the small piece of metal and brushed it through the keyhole in the long case next to the phone.Although she only spoke a few short words on the phone, she seemed to have exhausted all her energy.When she turned around, the face returned to the same one that Matthew had seen in the prison reception room, wistful and lifeless.Facing that desolate and lonely expression, he also felt a heavy sense of powerlessness.