Page 51 of Guess Again

Boscobel, Wisconsin Wednesday, July 30, 2025

GOVERNOR MARK JONES WAS ESCORTED INTO WARDEN ARI CUTLASS’S office at the Wisconsin Secure Program Facility on Wednesday morning.

It had been less than twenty-four hours since his meeting with Ethan Hall, during which he had learned that Francis Bernard had set in motion a proverbial ticking time bomb that not only threatened a girl’s life, but Mark’s political career if he mismanaged things.

He’d also learned, in the most definitive manner in a decade, that his daughter was dead.

“Governor,”

the warden said when he walked in.

“To what do I owe the pleasure of an unannounced visit?”

“Hey, Ari.

Sorry to drop in unannounced.”

“Not at all.

Something big must have come up to pull you out to crappy, little Boscobel from your cushy mansion in Madison.

Something important?”

“I’m afraid so, yes.

It has to do with one of your inmates.

Francis Bernard.”

“Bernard? He’s a lifer.”

Ari looked up in contemplation.

“Actually, he’s not.

He was grandfathered in and probably has mandatory parole coming at some point.

But he’s been here thirty years.”

“Thirty-two,”

Mark said.

“And I need a favor.”

“Oh yeah?”

“We need to transfer him to Columbia.”

“Why?”

“Grab a cup of coffee and take a seat.

I’ll tell you all about it.”

After he listened to the governor’s story, Ari Cutlass cocked his head.

“That’s quite a situation you’re in.

How long has this girl been missing?”

“A month.

And my guys are worried she doesn’t have much time left.”

“Damn, Mark.”

“Tell me about it.

But there’s even more to the story.

Somehow the son of a bitch claims to have information about my daughter’s case.

And he’s willing to hand over what he knows only after he’s transferred.

I’d consider this a personal favor, Ari, if we can make this happen quickly.”

“Quick isn’t the issue, Mark.

I can send him up to Columbia today.

The problem is the liability.

If I approve the transfer and Bernard gets dumped into general population at Columbia and then kills someone, I’m on the hook.”

“I’ll make sure you’ve got immunity from any liability.”

“That’s a nice promise, but your signature will be on the transfer order below mine.

So if something breaks bad up at Columbia, you’ll be in as much shit as me.”

“I’m calling in a favor, Ari.

Not only for this missing girl, but for my daughter as well.

What will it take to make this transfer happen on Monday?”

The warden looked up at the ceiling as he thought.

“I’d at least need Bernard to undergo a psych eval and have the doc confirm that he’s mentally fit to associate with other inmates.

If we can get that, there’d be a layer of protection in place just in case something goes wrong up in Columbia.

We can blame it on the shrink.”

“How quickly can you facilitate a psych eval?”

“I’ll make some calls.

But scheduling the eval is not the problem.

The sociopath passing it will be.”