Chapter 1
As soon as you walked into Salt Bay Penitentiary it felt like you were being sucked into a different world.
Not only was it an intimidating check-in process, the guard you checked you in wasn’t exactly friendly.
It feels so depressing and sterile in here.
I hope this interview goes well, though. I really need to land this for my thesis.
You try not to let the nerves get to you.
You check your watch.
I really hate waiting.
You've been staring at the same moss green coloured wall of the waiting room for the past fifteen minutes.
Finally the door to Warden Jeffries’ office opens and you stand up.
But instead of seeing someone in a suit, you see a bright orange inmate’s uniform.
At first you’re distracted by this as well as the handcuffs on his wrists and ankles, but then you look up into the face that belongs to the uniform.
A hardened, rugged face, possibly younger than first impressions would suggest.
Added to that, a muscular frame, dark tousled hair and a strong jaw that seems to be clenched, possibly in anger or malice.
He seems to be giving you a good, long once-over.
Is he…checking me out?
You’re shocked by your own reaction.
Why am I getting goosebumps?
Am I…shocked? Scared? Slightly turned on? Or all of the above?
Something about the way he’s looking at you is unnerving, as if you’re his prey.
A correctional officer prods him forward and speaks in a harsh tone. "Get going, Moreno. We don’t have all day."
"Moreno" shuffles forward while you’re rooted to the spot, unsure of what to do.
He slows down when he passes you and tilts his head towards you as if he wants to tell you a secret.
In a deep but hushed voice, he gives you an almost imperceptible smile.
You find yourself holding your breath.
"You think you’re going to save my soul, Doc?" He holds up his chained hands making you gasp at the sudden movement. "I’m beyond saving."
He chuckles and narrows his eyes at you.
Before you can respond, he’s shoved forward, this time pretty roughly.
I said get moving! You wanna night in solitude?
“Moreno” scowls and shuffles forward again.
You watch them leave as another man pops his head out from the office door.
"Come on in, uh…"
You quickly gather yourself and smile. "Reina Aikawa. And thank you, Warden Jeffries."
"Ah, yes, Ms Aikawa. Good to finally meet you," he smiles.
You shake his outstretched hand.
"Oh, I wasn’t expecting a woman…" he trails off.
Really? Ok…let’s be diplomatic. I don't want to get fired before I even start.
You force a smile. "I have many years of counselling experience and I’m confident I can make a difference here."
He gestures for you to come inside. "I’m sure you do. I didn’t mean to offend."
You step into his office and sit down after the Warden takes his seat. You notice a number of certificates on the wall behind him as well as photos with notable government figures.
Impressive.
He notices you looking and puffs out his chest. "We take great pride in our reputation here at Salt Bay Penitentiary."
You nod, "Yes, your reputation is outstanding."
He seems pleased by this compliment and it gives you some hope.
"So, you would have met Moreno outside just then," he asks.
"Oh…yes," you reply. Moreno. That’s what the officer called him.
The image of him whispering while staring straight into your eyes has you shivering again.
"What did you think of him?" Jeffries' cuts your train of thought.
You think carefully, "He seems troubled. Closed off."
Jeffries nods, "Good observation. He’s one of our most disturbed individuals here. And he’ll be your patient if I decide you’re right for us."
He pauses for effect. "I have a few other people to interview after you."
And then puts the nail in the coffin. "I’m just really not sure a woman can handle someone like Moreno. He will be quite the challenge."
You're about to respond when he continues. "He hates authority, doesn’t open up to people and likes to provoke and antagonise every chance he gets. What makes you think you’re the right person for this?"
I can’t stand his scepticism as well as his sexist attitude! He’s not just doubting your capabilities, he’s convinced a woman can’t do the job.
Why do you even want to bother with these low lives?
You take a deep breath before continuing, "I’ve been a counsellor for nine years and I’ve specialised in patients with severe trauma. Of those nine years, I’ve concentrated on violent criminals for the past four years."
Yeah, I worked my ass off.
"I’m also undertaking a thesis on criminal psychology for my doctorate and having access to someone like Moreno is crucial for this. So I assure you, I’m well equipped to handle any hardened criminal you happen to throw at me."
The Warden shrugs, "I mean, it’s handy that this government program helps us with funding and tax cuts."
Right. This is really what he’s interested in. Not about helping people. Perhaps I need to give him something else to think about.
"At the heart of this program is trying to understand and identify people with potential to become criminals. It’s about trying to prevent future Dahmer’s or Bundy’s," you say dramatically.
The warden snorts out a laugh, "Or Moreno’s."
"Exactly, or Moreno’s," you play along.
He’s silent for a moment and you hope you’ve argued your case sufficiently.
He starts to nod slowly, "Alright Ms Aikawa. Colour me impressed."
You finally relax a little.
Then the Warden shakes his head, "To be honest, I don’t really believe in this whole program. I don’t believe criminals, especially Moreno, has anything valuable to offer you...but welcome to Salt Bay Penitentiary."
He holds out his hand and you shake it eagerly.
I got it?
"Thank you Warden Jeffries!" You try to contain your excitement. "He may not believe in the program but I do."
He nods again, "Alright, you’ll be dealing with Moreno, as I’ve mentioned. Since you’re dealing specifically with death row inmates, I’ve picked him because his execution date is the soonest."
He says it so matter of fact, as if someone’s death is nothing in his eyes.
"I’ve explained the program to him already. Not surprisingly, he couldn’t care less about it. But it gives him time off some of this duties, so that’s a plus in his books."
Then he looks at you, more seriously. "I do have to lay down some ground rules."
Then he rattles off a list. "Don’t always believe what he says, if he even talks at all. Don’t underestimate how dangerous he is. He’ll be shackled at all times. Absolutely no romantic involvements with anyone in the prison."
You're a little taken aback. "I assure you, I’m a complete professional and I take my job seriously. I have never crossed those line with anyone I’ve worked with."
Jeffries seems pleased, "Very good. Officer Simon will be your point of contact. He’ll be signing you in and out and explain any other things about the operation we have here. Are you busy after this?"
"No, not really. Why do you ask?" you reply, surprised.
"Well, since we’ve settled on you, perhaps you’d like to get familiar with your office already?"
"That would be terrific actually," you smile.
He picks up his phone. "Simon, are you free? Could you come to my office?"
He puts the phone down and looks up at you, "And when would you like to start officially?"
"As soon as possible, Warden Jeffries."
"Tomorrow too soon?" he asks. "The sooner we start, the sooner I get my funding."
Of course. "That’s fine by me."
I didn’t think it would be so soon…but I can do this!
There’s a knock on the door and Jeffries stands up. "That should be Simon. This is everything you need to know about Moreno."
He hands you a manila folder.
You take it gratefully, "Thank you Warden Jeffries."
"It’s been a pleasure, Ms Aikawa. I look forward to hearing your progress." He stands up and opens the door and addresses the man standing outside.
"Simon, just show Ms Aikawa her office so she’s familiar with it and see her out. She’ll be starting from tomorrow. So you can set up an appropriate timetable with her."
You excuse yourself and step into the waiting area where you see a friendly officer sitting down.
He stands up as soon as he sees you. "Hello, Ms Aikawa. I’m Simon."
"Officer Simon. It’s nice to meet you. I’m Reina, but you can call me Rei.
"Nice to meet you too. I’ll show you to your office now," he smiles politely.
He walks ahead of you and you follow him quietly.
At least he seems friendly and genuine, unlike the Warden. Something about Jeffries was off-putting. He smiled the whole time you were in his office but there was no sincerity behind his eyes.
Finally you stop outside a door and Simon unlocks it, holding it open for you. It’s pleasant enough but bare. "This will be your office from now on. There’s a lock on the inside."
You notice the desk has some metal brackets attached to it.
Simon sees you eyeing them, "Those are to secure the inmates to…so you have that added security."
You frown, "I understand they might be dangerous, but it doesn’t exactly promote an environment of trust. I have to get them to open up to me…"
Simon shrugs, "I don’t know what to tell you. We haven’t exactly had a shrink here before. But seeing as you’ll be dealing with Moreno, it’s probbaly a good thing."
You bite your tongue. You don’t want to seem difficult on your first day. Maybe you can have them change that eventually.
Simon smiles and points to a corner of the room. "At least you got your own coffee machine!"
'Well, that is something."
You share a laugh together.
You take a seat in the chair and place Moreno’s file on the table.
Simon continues, "Whenever you have a session, I’ll be right outside your door. You also have a panic button located under your desk."
You bend down and spot the red button he’s talking about. All these precautions…It’s kind of scaring me. "I’ll have my first session tomorrow, so I have to get familiar with his file."
Simon nods, "Word of advice?"
"Sure."
He rattles off a list as if it's committed to memory, "Don’t look the other inmates in the eye if you pass by them. Don’t engage with them and don’t draw attention to yourself."
"Attention?" you ask.
He hesitates for a moment and then says, "Try to…dress appropriately. Remember, some of these men haven’t been around female company for a while."
"Oh! Right. I’ll keep that in mind." God, I hope I'm not blushing right now.
"If that’s all, I’ll see you out." He opens the door open again.
"Yes, thank you." You stand up and put the file in your bag.
Back at the entrance, you sign out and Simon writes his initials next to your signature and then asks, "Are we able to settle on a routine time for your sessions?"
"Yes, of course. I usually have one to one and a half hour sessions, so I’d like to ask for two hours just in case. I'd like to do two session a week if possible. I'll be starting tomorrow, so can we agree on Tuesdays and Fridays?"
Simon types this into the computer. "All right. I’ll pass this onto the Warden but it should be fine. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow Ms Aikawa."
"Please, call me Rei."
"Have a good day, Rei," he smiles.
"You too, Simon." You nod as you leave the prison.
A short time later, you’re back in the office. You take out Moreno’s file, eager to have a read when there’s a knock on your office door.
"Hey, there. How was it?"
You look up to see your boss, Sarah.
"I got it!" you blurt out excitedly.
Sarah looks shocked. "You’re kidding! I thought we had stiff competition!"
"I guess…I’m that good. They knew I was the best," you say half jokingly.
"Confidence is sexy!" she laughs
"By the way I’ll be starting tomorrow too," you inform her.
"God, you are good! Alright, well, I have a meeting, but good luck!" She smiles and disappears.
"Thanks!" you call out to her.
You take a sip of your coffee while opening up the file.
"Knock knock!"
This time it's your best friend and colleague Keri.
"I saw Sarah with a huge smile on her face so I know it’s good news. Congrats!" she beams.
"Thanks!"
She walks in and sits opposite you and plops a burrito on the table."
"Are you trying to bribe me?" you laugh.
"Oh, just wanted to know who your client is going to be," she asks coyly.
You shake your head, "You know I’m not supposed to say!"
She puts her finger on her chin, "Well, seeing as you’re dealing primarily with death row inmates for your thesis…I’ve kind of narrowed it down anyway."
"You should have gone into law, but thanks for lunch," you start unwrapping the burrito.
"Fine. I’ve got work to do anyway" she pouts.
"I’ll shout you next time," you wink.
"Don’t worry about it. See you later!" she waves and leaves.
Finally, some time to myself.
taking another bite, you open the folder.
The first page has a small passport sized photo with Matheus Moreno written under it.
He looks so distant and angry. He’s been here for 11 years already.
Oh my gosh…
You see what you’ve been wondering this whole time.
He killed six people!
Your heart starts beating faster.
You were standing so close to him.
I shouldn’t do this.
You were that close to searching online about his crimes, but now having met him briefly, something tells you you should wait.
I should let him tell me himself. I shouldn’t judge him without knowing him first.
It’s a terrible thing to form preconceived misconceptions about people. Especially in my line of work. I have to remind myself that everyone is different.
Everyone deserves a chance too…even though the Warden doesn’t seem to think so.
I’m going to meet him in person tomorrow so I better make sure to bring my A game.
You woke up before your alarm went off.
I must be anxious.
You make sure to pick something elegant but modest and give yourself a once-over in the mirror.
Come on. I’ve done this a thousand times.nWhy am I feeling so apprehensive?
Probably because my thesis rides on this…oh, and my job. No pressure!
At the check-in Simon is there to greet you. "You’re early! How are we this morning, Rei?"
"I’m a little nervous actually, Simon."
"Understandable," he nods sympathetically. "Have a coffee to settle your nerves."
He brings out a box of donuts and some serviettes. "Here, some sugar courage."
"You’re a Godsend!" you gawp at the assortment.
"I have a sweet tooth. My dentist hates me…or loves me…" he jokes.
You grab a strawberry glazed one. "Thank you!"
He signs you in and escorts you to your office.
"Expect Moreno in twenty minutes. That’ll give you time to have your coffee and donut." He points to a chair set up outside in the corridor. "And don’t forget I’ll be right outside.
"Thank you, Simon." You nod and close the door.
You set your donut on the table and pick mug and make yourself a cappuccino.
You sit down and take a sip. Ah, that’s better.
You take out Matheus’ file and place it on the table.
You also take out your laptop and a notepad.
There’s a knock on the door.
"Come in."
The door opens and Matheus immediately spots you, his face giving nothing away.
Simon's voice is calm yet firm, "Step inside, sit down, palms on the table."
He does so quietly and without fuss.
His hands and feet are shackled as before.
Simon takes the chain of the handcuffs and attaches it to the metal ring on the table.
He gives it a tug to check it’s secure. "Remember, I’m right outside if you need me."
"Thank you, Simon."
You’re finally alone with Matheus and the quiet is almost deafening.
His expression doesn’t give anything away.
Is he…angry? Hostile?
He leans back in his chair.
Not a good sign.
Leaning back indicates either indifference or dislike.
"Couldn’t stay away, Doc?" You're surprised he said anything at all.
You ignore the jibe, instead you smile politely.
"Hello, Matheus. I hope I can call you Matheus."
No response. Not good at all.
"My name is Rei. We met briefly yesterday. I’m sorry about the restraints. Unfortunately, that’s not up to me. I’m not sure how much was explained to you about why I’m here."
No reaction. Still, it’s not something you’re unfamiliar with. You’ve dealt with hostile patients before.
"I’m here to try to ease the burden you might be feeling from…how do you put it…your sentence."
Matheus snorts out a grunt.
He comes across as arrogant and aloof.
At least it’s something.
"These sessions are confidential, so whatever you decide to tell me will be safe. I’m going to ask you a series of questions and I hope you feel comfortable enough to answer them. If not, that’s perfectly fine. I know it may be daunting since we don’t know each other. If you want to ask me something, feel free to ask me anything at any time."
He leans forward as if he wants to tell you a secret.
Finally! A good sign! It means he wants to engage.
Instinctively, you find yourself leaning forward slightly too.
Then he suddenly reaches for you, his hand around your throat, pulling you closer to him.
His grip is firm, but not constricting…yet.
You’re completely thrown off.
The panic button under the desk is just out of reach.
You’re forced to look right into his eyes as he whispers.
He growls in a low and deep voice, "Are you scared of me? Because you should be.
Or do you get off being around murderers?"
I need to defy him. Show him I’m not afraid, gain his respect & challenge him.
I need to be very careful here.
He squeezes ever so gently, until you can hear your heart beating in your ears.
You try to regulate your breathing and keep your voice as calm and steady as you can. "Are you sure you’re not getting off on this, Matheus?"
His face is so close you can see his pupils dilate in response.
Is that a sign of…Excitement? Arousal?
he says softly, "You do know that I could snap your neck if I wanted to?"
The thrill of getting him to break, even though he wields the physical power here, has your adrenaline pumping. "And is that what you want?"
He gives you a smirk, clearly entertained. "You’re a curiousity."
You reach up, tentatively touching his hand around your neck. "Then it would be a shame to kill me so soon, don’t you think?"
He seems to take in a breath, his pupils dilating again, and then finally lets go of you.
You instinctively rub the skin on your neck.
His eyes follow your hand, quietly observing.
You notice he doesn’t lean back, but keeps his body upright, his elbows on the table.
That’s the first time any patient has ever touched you during a session.
Although you came out unscathed, you’re rattled.
I’ll just try to push forward.
You try not to sound shaken, "Shall we move on?"
When he doesn’t reply, you continue. "How about I ask you some questions? Can you tell me something about your childhood? Where you grew up?"
He folds his arms across his chest. A definite bad sign of closing up.
"Ok, what if I tell you something about me?" you offer.
He arches his eyebrow.
You keep going. "I’m a single child. My father is from here and my mother was Japanese. She passed away when I was young and that’s part of why I became a therapist.
I’ve been doing this job for a long time and I really like being able to help people. I like to think that I have the ability to empathise with almost anyone…and that’s what makes me a good therapist.
And…"
Matheus sighs, "Do you always talk this much?"
"It depends," you reply.
"On?"
"Whether my client talks or not," you quip.
He starts to form a reluctant smile and then seems to think better of it, his face returning to a scowl.
"So do you feel like talking now?" you ask.
"I just did. And it was only to shut you up," he responds.
You can’t help it, you let out a laugh.
Then your alarm goes off.
You smile at him. "Congratulations. You’ve just finished your very first therapy session."
The office door opens and Simon walks in. "All good?"
He looks like a concerned father.
"Yes, thank you, Simon," you reassure him.
He unlatches Matheus’ cuffs from the metal fixture. "Back to your morning duties, Moreno."
He stands Matheus up and you watch as they walk towards the door and turns to you, "I’ll be back to sign you out."
You nod and look down at your notes. You smile to yourself.
Talking about yourself helps patients open up and the tatic worked on Matheus too.
However, you remember his reaction when you asked about his childhood and where he grew up.
You sensed anger as well as ssadness in his eyes.
Something bad happened? Or something sad…
You hope he opens up to you about it eventually.
It could be the key to understanding everything.
Just like with you, but you didn’t want to dwell on it now.
All in good time. He needs to want to tell me.
Back at home you’re on the laptop and your curiosity gets the better of you. You decide to look up what you can on Matheus and the nature of his crime.
Just the facts…I’ll try and avoid any speculative or biased sounding articles.
It says here that he was arrested on the spot at a nightclub after killing six people.
You involuntarily shiver, remembering that his hand was around your throat earlier today.
The article mentions Judge Reynolds sentenced him to life in prison with no chance for parole.
Then the death sentence was issued shortly after.
No mention of an attempt at an appeal.
Interesting. The case went to trial very quickly too…and the sentence was swift.
You’re puzzled at how fast the trial was.
Hmm, it also says Matheus was under the influence of drugs and alcohol which induced him to go on a “senseless rampage.”
What’s even more puzzling is the injuries sustained by the victims.
Several stab wounds to the chest on each victim.
Stabbing is usually more intimate. You need to get up close and personal.
But this didn’t sound like a frenzied stabbing. Each victim was stabbed multiple times.
This sounds more personal to me.
You try to picture yourself in his place.
What would make me want to kill someone like that?
I’d have to be…Angry about something. Desperately trying to defend myself.
You’d studied criminal psychology, which is why you were doing your thesis.
Just then you get a message from Keri.
Keri: Hey! How was your first sesh?
You: It was interesting. Different. And I’m still not telling you who my patient is!
Keri: I’m offended! I was just asking how your day was.
You: Sure sure.
You: Hey, you worked with Judge Reynolds before, right? What’s he like?
Keri: Ruthless. No-nonsense. He’s getting on though. Been doing it for a long time.
Keri: He gets a lot of the big cases.
Keri: Wait a second…this is a clue, right? Your patient must have been tried by Reynolds…
You: Ok, thanks for the info! Gotta go!
keri: Aw, you’re no fun. Alright, see you tomorrow!
You: Night!
It’s the day of your second session with Matheus.
Matheus is sitting before you, silent, just like in the first session.
You’re afraid the progress you made the other day may have worn off.
"It’s good to see you Matheus. I’m looking forward to our talk today."
"I really don’t know what the point of all this is. But it means I don’t have to do laundry duty. It’s stinking hot in there," he scowls.
Wow, he's said more than in the entire first session!
"I’m glad you rate this above laundry duty then," you chuckle. "As to the purpose of our talks…I suppose I should confess something."
Your statement has the desired effect.
Matheus furrows his brow and leans forward, curious as to what you’re going to say.
"I’m also here to gather research for my thesis on criminal profiling," you say matter of factly.
"So you’re convinced that I’m guilty?" he doesn't sound angry, more, resigned.
I wonder if he’s going to tell me he’s innocent.
You’ve heard many a criminal claim they were framed. Sometimes you’ve wondered if some of them were telling the truth.
"I’m as guilty as they get. I did it. I’m a cold-blooded killer," he says.
You’re a little surprised at how calm he is. He doesn’t say it with any hint of sarcasm or anger.
But his next words send a shiver up your spine. "Tell me something, Doc. Do you like the heat?
You know if you get too close to the flames, you get burnt.
Do you want to get burnt?"
