Lewis sat down on his bunk and Georgio perched himself at the small table.

‘So, Georgio, what’s been happening?’

He shrugged casually. ‘This and that. There are a couple of nonces on the Wing here, as you no doubt know. I didn’t deal with them, I thought I’d let you have the pleasure of that. They’re paedophiles, little boys mostly but little girls as well. There’s a circle of them, been operating for years. They copped the big one, fifteen and eighteen respectively. They’re shite.’

Lewis closed his eyes and nodded slowly.

‘I know of them. The people we get in here, eh? What would we do with them if we administered justice ourselves? I don’t know, Georgio. The Governor must have been off his fucking trolley to stick them in here with us. Who else knows about them?’

Georgio shook his head. ‘Sadie knows, but no one else has said a dicky bird. I’ve seen big Ricky eyeing them up, but nothing definite’s come from him. I thought he might just be trying to scare them, you know. The men are getting suspicious because the two of ’em keep together and don’t discuss their cases, which in here is like a page three girl in a vest, ain’t it? No way would it happen. Everyone talks their cases through, it’s the only way to cope in the first few months.’

Lewis raised his hand for silence. ‘What’s been said about Timmy?’

Georgio dropped his eyes. ‘You was out of order there and you know it. He didn’t deserve that, and that’s the general consensus from everyone. But knowing you like I do, I don’t suppose that’ll bother you too much. Let’s face it, Donald, you enjoy the notoriety, don’t you?’

Lewis grinned, showing small white teeth.

‘I had a fucking kidney cut out and you have the gall to sit there and tell me I was out of order! How long have I been away? Not three weeks, and you’re telling me what you think as if I’m some kind of cunt! I lost a kidney. That prick was lucky I was in the hospital when he got topped. I’d have tortured the ponce with my bare hands if I’d had my way.’

Georgio ran his hands through his thick dark hair and realised that for the first time since walking into Parkhurst, he wasn’t scared of Lewis. The guy was weak now. Like a dog sniffing at the leader of his pack, Georgio had discovered that Lewis was weaker than he’d thought . . . and that could only be to Georgio’s good.