Kevin had made many mistakes with Cornwell, but his first mistake of all was when he’d gobbed in DI Davies’s face, and only seconds later realized that the psychiatrist would no doubt have witnessed it behind the two-way mirror. On reflection, Kevin realized he should have been subdued, frightened even, but he was just so furious when he realized that Renee had sold him out. The second mistake was when he took the IQ test a few weeks later. He should have flunked it, but he just couldn’t resist showing off. The psychiatrist’s eyes had widened–Kevin would have laid his pocket money down that his IQ was higher than the good doctor’s. A slow smile crept across his face as he saw the books for children on the shelf again; he turned on his back, put his hands under his head and stared up at the ceiling. The light shade was navy blue with stars on it. The stars glowed dirty white in the dark. Gazing at the luminous blobs helped him think. He had read somewhere that intelligence was supposed to be inherited from your mother; he snorted out loud at the idea, then held his breath again. Every nerve was alive. The hairs on his neck stood to attention: was any ‘carer’ coming to investigate? Who’d been jangling those keys? What were they up to?

The minutes passed and there were no more footsteps. Kevin let the breath escape from his lips in a low whistle. Tonight, of all nights, the authorities had doubled the guards, and they were observing him closely, watching for suicidal tendencies. He swallowed another snort. Suicide wasn’t in his plans. He had his whole life ahead of him.

Kevin Milne stared back at the stars and considered again the possibility that he could have inherited his genius (for that was what he considered it) from his mother. He shook his head silently. Not possible. His body shook. For months he’d seen only his family, the guards and Dr Gerry Cornwell, and he didn’t really want to start thinking of anyone else now. Food had been plentiful for the first time in his life and he’d gorged himself on macaroni cheese, sausage and mash, ice cream, lots and lots of ice cream. Now he was paying the price; now he was getting fat and beginning to look like his mother. A great wail came from the pit of his stomach. This morning was his first entrance into the world as a killer.