Page 24 of Say Nothing
That finally wiped the smile from Jason’s face."What?You don't think I had anything to do with a double homicide, do you?"
"We’re just talking here," Derek said.
"Maybe I do need a lawyer," Jason replied.
Derek furrowed his brows."I thought you had nothing to hide?"
"Yeah, I don’t, but I didn't know this was so serious.I thought that…" Jason started.
"You thought that what?"Alison asked."We don't need to open the files to know that you were up to something with the inmates in that prison, Jason.Do you want to let us in on what that might have been?"
Jason looked like he was trying to smile to maintain his cool and calm demeanor, but he was physically unable, and the smile turned into more of a grimace.
"I really don't know what you’re talking about," he said."I went to work, did my job, and made sure people were safe."
"We have a meeting scheduled with Calvin Reynolds and Casper Douglas," Alison lied."What might they tell us?"
"Lies, most likely," Jason said."I wouldn’t trust them one bit, and I should know.I was in there for months with them, years in some cases.They’d sell their grandmothers before blinking an eye.So, go ahead and talk to them, but if you bring anything against me based on their testimonies, then it’ll be laughed out of court."
"Maybe, but maybe not," Alison said."They’re in prison right now because of me.I coached the women who testified against them, and they were both found guilty.I have a great relationship with the court system, and my words hold weight.With Special Agent Sullivan opening the files on why you were fired from the prison and me presenting the evidence to a judge, do you really like your chances?"
Jason shifted in his chair.He still tried to bring back the smile, but the grimace on his lips had found ascendancy, and he couldn’t stay still as he squirmed in the chair.
"Add that into the fact that you ran from us, and we’re building a pretty compelling case that something is very, very wrong, Jason," Derek said.
Jason sat forward and placed his hands on the table."Look," he said, making it sound like a threat."We don't need to go there, all right?You said that you’re investigating a double homicide.Whatever happened at the prison has nothing to do with that.I’ll gladly help you with your investigation, but Iwillneed to talk with a lawyer if we need to revisit the past."
"See, that’s the problem," Derek said."The two are connected.The two women who are now dead have direct links to the two men you associated with in prison.Margaret Donovan and Sarah Livingstone.Do those names mean anything to you?"
Jason took a second before saying, "No, I’ve never heard those names before."
There was a small hesitation before answering, but Alison suspected it was because he was genuinely thinking about the names.Still, his face had become paler and paler since entering the room.
"Calvin and Casper never mentioned them?"Derek asked.
"No, never," Jason claimed."I’ve never heard those names in my life."
"Not even in passing," Derek asked.
"No, I told you," Jason said, becoming agitated.He turned to Alison."Are two women really dead?"
Alison nodded."We want to help you out, Jason, we really do, but you have to work with us here.You can see how this doesn’t look good."
"Yeah, but I didn't do anything."
"Were they blackmailing you?"Alison asked."Calvin and Casper."
For the first time since the interview started, Jason was speechless.He said with his mouth hanging slightly open, staring at Alison, and she gained more information from that than anything he’d said so far.
"They were, weren’t they?"she confirmed."What did they have you do?"
Jason wrung his hands together and looked down at the table as he spoke."They get a cut of the company profits.That’s why we’re still in the red.My partners don't know, and they can't know.I thought maybe I could find a way out of it, but…"
"What do they have on you?"Derek asked.
"I…"
Alison could see he didn't want to talk about it, and if they continued to push it, he would put down and request a lawyer.
