‘OK, go for it. But don’t forget,’ said Peter, ‘I’ll be waking you up later so we can hit the town.’

*

By the time they returned to Peter’s apartment in the early hours of the morning, they were both drunk, especially Adele. Peter headed to the drinks cabinet and pulled out two glasses and a bottle of brandy.

‘Ooh, not for me thanksss,’ slurred Adele. ‘I’ve had enough.’

While Peter poured himself a drink she stared around at the apartment again, still amazed at how Peter had managed to afford all the modern gadgets and high-end furniture.

‘Fuckin’ brill night, that, wasn’t it?’ he said, plonking himself down on the settee next to her.

Adele smiled back but didn’t respond. She was still thinking about how he could afford all this. Her mind drifted to earlier in the night and to some of the people they had met while they were out. Peter had a lot of acquaintances and some of them seemed a bit shady to her.

He had taken her to the nightclub that he co-owned and introduced her to a lot of the staff. Although she’d enjoyed herself while she was there, she felt a little uneasy. She’d picked up on some of the conversations with his contacts. There was all the usual talk about jobs, which took her back to the days when he had started out on his life of crime and made her think that he was still perhaps involved.

‘Fuckin’ hell, sis, you’re miles away,’ he said.

‘I know… Actually, I’m tired. I think I’ll go to bed,’ she said.

‘OK, see you in the morning,’ he said, picking up the TV remote control and flicking the television on.

Once Adele was in bed she found she couldn’t sleep. Troubled thoughts whirled around inside her head. She thought about the friends she’d left behind in prison: Caroline and Anna. She was missing them already and hoped they’d be alright without her. Caroline was one of the most genuine, caring and likeable people she had met, and Adele had even developed a fondness for Anna, despite her faults.

Her mind switched to Peter and his life of crime. She was determined to get herself a job and move out as soon as possible. While she was here she couldn’t settle; she preferred to detach herself from his shady dealings.

But she was already worried about finding herself a job. Despite her qualifications and her previous work experience, she knew her prison record would go against her. Still, she could only try her best and hope things worked out.