Kelly nodded. It was what they all said. Except Demi. The Teacher wasn’t mentally ill. Just evil, and should be in the worst category A gaffe imaginable, with all the other bastards, not languishing in a hospital, mollycoddled by sycophants and studied by academics.

She walked through. She could hear her breath and feel her heart as she approached the window. All the way down the corridor, Amy gazed at the ceiling in her cell and never looked at Kelly once. Until she stopped in front of her, almost so close she could smell her. She sat on the chair provided.

Kelly stared through the glass at the felon before her: androgynous, chubby and, now, smiling.

‘Kelly. I’ve missed you. I knew you’d come eventually. How’s Josie?’

The question completely threw her and The Teacher saw it, and smiled. Fuck!

It was not the ideal way to start.

‘Leave my family out of this. I’m here to talk about Daphne and Kirk Junker.’

‘Your family? Things are hotting up between you and Johnny, then? I’m jealous!’ More smiling, this time with teeth: stained and wonky.

Kelly felt sick. She was instantly transported back to the night when she’d gone home to Amy’s house, held against her will, but fully knowing that Nikki was tied up somewhere, scared and alone and even possibly dead.

‘How the hell did you know about the Moon Goddess and Mabon? I thought you were more into Lakeland poets.’ It was her turn to take control.

‘It’s all there, should you choose to open your eyes to it. I was right, wasn’t I? I’ve been reading about Carry Tomlin. I think she was an incidental killing, by the way – not like Mary – who was a victim of hate, along with her animals.’

Breathe.

‘Why incidental?’

‘Opportunity. She wrote shit articles and your killer was pissed off.’

‘When I get pissed off I go for a run.’

‘But we’re not all like you, are we? You’re pure, and noble, and wholesome. You do things because you know they’re right, not because you feel them.’

‘Feel?’

‘Yes. Your killer loves killing. A bit like me. How I miss it. The sensation of…’

‘You made mistakes. You were sloppy.’

‘As will yours be. Be patient.’

‘I don’t want to wait for any more bodies.’

‘So, you’ve at least worked that bit out then? Four or five? What do you think?’

Kelly’s heart beat faster and faster as she tried to keep one step ahead of the questions.

‘What do you think?’

‘It doesn’t matter what I think. I’m sorry about your mother. Is your sister still a bitch?’

Kelly didn’t answer.

‘Colluding with journalists isn’t dignified is it? Have you told her off yet? I bet you haven’t. You don’t want to face all that again.’