‘I know,’ laughed Adele. ‘And even if I was that way inclined, I don’t think Louise would be my type,’ she added, pulling a face to display her repugnance, then glancing down at her snot-stained top.

Then Caroline’s tone changed. ‘It was good of you to comfort her, though,’ she said. ‘Especially considering you didn’t have any visitors either.’

‘Thanks. I think that’s why she turned to me.’

‘You miss your mum, don’t you?’ asked Caroline.

‘Yes, but it’s something I’ve just got to accept. It’s hard trying to patch up differences while I’m in here. Maybe when I get out I can try to make her understand.’

‘I know what you mean,’ replied Caroline. ‘And it’s also hard to feel that you won’t be with your loved ones again for years. Visits are one thing but it’s not the same as being with them every day.’

Adele noticed the wistful look in Caroline’s eyes. ‘You really miss your kids, don’t you?’ she asked.

‘Oh, yeah.’

‘How are they? Are they OK?’

‘Yeah, they’re muddling along but I’ve missed so much of them growing up.’ Adele spotted a tear in Caroline’s eye as she quickly switched the subject away from herself. ‘What about John? Have you not heard from him either?’

‘No, and I don’t expect I’ll ever hear from him again.’

‘Well then, he’s not worth the trouble,’ said Caroline.

‘I can’t blame him really. After all, who wants a killer for a girlfriend?’

‘I’m sorry,’ said Caroline. ‘I can tell you really miss him but I’m sure you had your reasons for doing what you did.’

It was Adele’s cue to talk about what had happened but she couldn’t. Not yet. Not even to Caroline, who she confided in so much. In the weeks since she had been inside, she had tried her best to block it from her memory.

It wouldn’t do to focus on it too much because, every time she did, all she could picture was her father’s bloody, battered head. And, no matter how badly he had treated his family, Adele couldn’t find the words to justify why she had killed him so brutally, bludgeoning him over and over till his brains spilt out of his shattered skull.

But Caroline seemed to understand how Adele felt. ‘Don’t beat yourself up over it,’ she said, covering Adele’s hand with her own in a comforting gesture. ‘The memories will ease with time, I promise.’ Then she quickly switched topic again.

‘I tell you what else I miss,’ she said, gazing at her mug and grinning. ‘A bloody decent cuppa. That’s one thing I’m looking forward to once I’m released.’

Adele smiled back and clinked her mug against Caroline’s. ‘I’ll drink to that,’ she said, relaxing her strained features.