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Thinking of what she’d just read and had already known—that jailhouse witnesses were one of the reasons a certain percentage of innocent people were locked up—she had to ask, “Reliable witnesses?”
“Depends on who you talk to But he shouldn’t have had a shank to begin with”
Maybe he didn’t feel safe Maybe he knew he ed?”
“No”
Then the DA didn’t have enough evidence for a conviction But she illing to bet they’d threatened to bring charges “Someone offered him a deal?”
“If he turned inforreed to take down the Hells Fury, the past would stay in the past”
“I see And if he didn’t, he’d face the possibility of another trial”
“That’s right Even if he hired a good attorney and was able to avoid more prison time, he’d still have a record—”
“If they ed to convict him”
He ignored her interruption “And little hope of compensation for time already served That’s no place to start a new life”
No, it wasn’t She headed to the kitchen, washed an apple and took it into the living roo this for the compensation money, you know”
“Like I said, his sister’s the only reason he’s tractable”
“Is she in real danger?”
“As real as it gets Skinner could help the authorities get convictions against most of The Crew But he won’t do it He has this…twisted sense of honor Says he won’t break his word or stab his friends in the back for any reason”
Skinner’s “twisted” honor seemed more admirable than what she’d seen of Wallace’s, but she choked back what she wanted to say and took advantage of the chance to gather more information
“Then why are they worried?”
“They can’t trust that They have to assume the worst And they don’t let anyone walk away”
“What I don’t get is this—how did the CDCR get hold of him?”
“We had a problem The feds had a solution We don’t work in a vacuum”
Security asked him for his ID She waited for hi here is a favor, a loaner, from the feds?”
“It’s basically a way for everyone to get what they want”
The noise level surrounding hiuessed he’d reached the X-ray machines “At Skinner’s expense”
“No, not at his expense He’s getting so out of it, too”
“A proht not have done in prison And maybe some money”