“What?”

“Here…”

She handed him a coffee, and he wanted to hurl it, to shout at her, to cry tears into the cup and make it even more bitter, but instead, he took what Morris offered, and gave her a brief smile.

“Thanks.”

“She looked peaceful.”

“She did.”

“Is there someone I can call?”

“I don’t have anyone. I’m on my own.”

“I can get you a cab.”

Rory glanced up. “Where would I go?”

“Home.”

“What home? I have no home. I have no one. The only people I’ve got left that mean anything to me are inside that prison, and that’s where I want to go.”

Morris frowned. “You can’t go back there.”

“What’s the alternative?”

“Sebastian’s out next week. It’s over, you played your part—”

“I still have a week of feeling something, before it all goes dark.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“That’s what I want.” Rory snapped. “I can’t process any of this.”

“Being in prison won’t help.”

“Yeah it will, and I’m sure Hamish won’t protest.”

“Rory—”

“That’s what I want. Take me back.”

****

Morris cast him worried looks the whole drive back to the prison. He snorted at the window, if she was worried about him, he must’ve looked bad. It was dark, and the streetlights flickered like they did in horror movies.

“Rory, you don’t have to—”

He got out of the car before she could finish, and she hurried after him. She grabbed his bicep and walked him to the door to reception.

“What do they know?”

“You were identifying the body of a friend, that’s what Hamish told them.”

Rory nodded, then ducked inside the first door. Morris didn’t leave his side, and he hissed at her to go.

“Wait…”

She took him aside by the infirmary door. “This is crazy. You’re in shock.”

“You think I need my head checked?” Rory snorted, and tapped on the door.

“I think you need to stop, take everything in—”

“This…” Rory gestured to the corridor, and the metal bars at the end. “This is home.”

“Take a minute, think about what you’re doing.”

“I don’t want to think.”

“You are not a criminal, you are not in here for drug charges, you’re a police officer.”

“I’m not really one of them, am I? I’m a cheat, a liar, a deceptive asshole, and I need to be in there, with the other cheats, liars, and assholes.”

Rory raised his hands and walked away. A guard took hold of his arm, and pulled him deeper into the prison, down corridors, through gates. He was strip searched, then redressed to go back on the wing.