By the time they were sitting down for the morning briefing, the news of his arrest appeared to have spread throughout much of the prison and speculation was rife.

Dylan had sat down next to her. He seemed to have been making a habit of doing that recently in the morning briefings. Not that it bothered her particularly. She could smell his cologne and she couldn’t deny that he smelt quite pleasant. He smiled at her, observing her appreciatively with his pale blue eyes. She adjusted her bun and straightened her glasses.

‘I hear you witnessed the big drama,’ he said.

‘I’ve never seen so many police in all my life. What do you think it was all about?’

He shrugged in an offhand manner, a humorous slant to his mouth. ‘I heard his wife was a bit of a shrew. Maybe she tipped him over the edge.’

Amber emitted a giggle. ‘What? You think he did her in?’

‘Probably with a side-handle baton.’

The two of them promptly stopped their joking as soon as the Governor entered the room. The assembled officers all fell silent, hoping to get a definitive explanation.

The Governor looked solemn. He cleared his throat.

‘As many of you are probably aware by now, Terry has been detained by the police.’

He paused to look over the room. They were all sitting forwards on their seats in anticipation of what he was about to say next.

‘In case you’re wondering why he’s been arrested, that information hasn’t yet been disclosed to me, so I’m as much in the dark as you are.’

There were a few groans of disappointment.

‘I heard drugs were involved,’ said someone.

‘Do you think he’s on the take?’

‘He has got a gambling problem.’

‘And that wife of his…’

‘That’s enough speculation!’ barked the Governor. ‘Now there’s no reason why this should affect your work. So it’s business as usual, understand?’

Amber knew how much the Governor detested Terry, and vice versa. They locked horns in almost every briefing. But if the Governor was pleased at the misfortune that had befallen his enemy, he made no outward show of it.

The prison officers all stood up to begin their day’s work. As Amber got to her feet, she noticed something lying on the floor next to her chair. She frowned and leant down to pick it up. It was a black leather glove.

She held it up and examined it. The leather was soft and supple and it felt expensive.

‘Hey, Dylan,’ she said to his departing back. ‘Did you drop this?’

He turned around. At the sight of the glove, his face broke into a surprised smile.

‘Whoops! Must have fallen out of my pocket.’ He took it from her. ‘Thanks.’

‘Looks like it’s designer,’ she said.

He pulled the matching glove from his trouser pocket and held them together in a pair. ‘They’re Italian,’ he said. ‘I find I drive better when I’m wearing them. I guess I should go and put them in my locker.’