‘Jesus! Why didn’t I notice?’ Adele cried. ‘I should have known there was something wrong. She’s been covering her arms up so I can’t see them. I even saw her pull her sleeve down one day and hide something. I thought she was injecting drugs. Why didn’t I challenge her more? I might have been able to stop her doing this!’

‘Shush,’ said Caroline. ‘Don’t go blaming yourself. We both know what’s driven her to this.’

Eventually Adele became calmer and the inmates switched their attention to the cell once more. Three more guards arrived with a doctor. Two of them were carrying a stretcher. They cleared the inmates away from the cell door.

Caroline turned Adele away. ‘They’re going to fetch her out,’ she said. ‘Come on, we can watch from over there.’

Although Adele was eager to make sure Anna was alright, she followed Caroline’s instructions. She wasn’t sure whether she could face the gruesome sight of Anna covered in blood again. And she knew Caroline was trying to protect her.

As they watched from the opposite corridor, the cell door inched open. The guards held the prisoners back while two of them carried the stretcher on which Anna was lying. Caroline turned Adele round again so she couldn’t see.

Then Adele heard a prisoner announce, ‘She’s still alive!’ and relief surged through her.

As Adele collapsed, sobbing, into Caroline’s arms, she caught sight of Shazza over Caroline’s shoulder. Her features were strained, the worry lines visible. It was obvious to Adele that Shazza knew Anna’s suicide attempt was down to her.

There would be questions asked over this. And if the governor found out that Shazza was responsible, she would be in deep shit. But would that be enough to stop her? Adele hoped so because somebody would have to put a stop to Shazza. And if no one else could do it then Adele feared that the onus might be on her.

Chapter 20

It had been two days since Anna’s suicide attempt and she still wasn’t back from the hospital. But at least Adele knew she was OK as Judy Roberts had kept her informed. According to Judy, Anna was receiving psychiatric assessment and the guards were keeping a close watch over her to make sure there weren’t any further attempts.

During the last two days, many of the prisoners had been called in to the governor for questioning, including Adele. But she didn’t give anything away. There was an unwritten rule in prison that you didn’t grass. Adele knew, deep down, that Anna’s suicide attempt was down to the torment she had received at Shazza’s hands. She wasn’t going to tell the governor that, though. She was already on the wrong side of Shazza as it was, and she didn’t want to make matters worse.