The problem was that she didn’t know what she was looking for exactly. Something out of the ordinary. Something that didn’t quite fit. She figured she’d know it when she saw it.

She stopped and sniffed the air. Beyond the smell of sawdust and oil there was some other odour which she recognised, distinct and out of place in here…

The smell of cologne.

She spun around.

Dylan was standing right behind her. She jumped back in surprise. He had somehow snuck up on her.

‘You were following me,’ he said softly, his blue eyes boring into her.

‘No I wasn’t.’

‘I’m not stupid. Why were you following me?’

That was why he’d left the door unlocked – to lure her in here and trap her. The question was, what was he going to do next? A bolt of fear spiked through her.

She swallowed and forced an expression of casual innocence onto her face. ‘It’s just a coincidence that I’m down here the same time as you.’

He shook his head and smiled as if he found something amusing. ‘You suddenly come up to me out of the blue and start striking up conversations, wanting to know all about me. Why would you do that? Inmates are never friendly unless they want something… and I think I know what you want.’

His tanned face crinkled into a knowing smirk.

Realising what he was getting at, she felt herself relax a little, relieved that his intentions at this stage didn’t entail attacking her.

‘You’re getting the wrong end of the stick,’ she said.

‘Am I?’

He took a step towards her. She took a step backwards.

‘You’re an attractive woman,’ he said.

She studied his handsome face, trying to ascertain at what point the psychotic sub-personality might emerge and how she would know when it did.

‘What about Agata?’ she asked, in an attempt to deflect his advances.

‘You know about Agata?’

‘I know all about you.’

‘She doesn’t get me. Not like you do. You’re different from the others here. There’s something about you. I don’t know what it is.’

‘You’re breaking the law by sleeping with the inmates.’

‘It’s a stupid law.’

He took another step towards her. She tried to retreat but found herself backed up against a workbench.

‘Keep your distance,’ she said calmly.

‘I’m not going to hurt you.’ He reached up and brushed her hair aside to reveal the scar on her face.

She raised one eyebrow. ‘I’m warning you.’

‘I have to have you.’

The tanned skin crinkled around his eyes. Good-looking as he was, she certainly wasn’t going to surrender to him. But how would he take her rejection? Would it tip him over the edge? Better not to take that chance. Better to act pre-emptively and deal with the consequences afterwards.

He reached up with his other hand.

As he did so, she grabbed his forearm, simultaneously twisted to the side of him and pulled him across her outstretched leg. Tai otoshi – body drop. He crashed to the floor.