“We laughed at you, you thinking you had some power in the prison, you thinking you might be able to take me on. I’m everywhere in this prison, and you were a fool to forget it.”

“Fuck you.”

“You’re nothing in here, Pauly, and after I’m gone, someone else will take over the wing, and you’ll still be nothing.”

Pauly roared and launched at Sebastian. The guards rushed up from the ground floor, shoving inmates aside, trying to get to the two men killing each other.

“Lock down!”

The siren started blaring, but no one moved. They watched as Sebastian grabbed Pauly by the throat, pulsed his fingers around his windpipe like he’d done to Lester sixteen years before. Pauly struggled against the hold and flailed for breath. His lips turned blue, and his eyes bulged from their sockets, then Sebastian let him go.

Pauly fell to his knee, spluttering and gasping, and Sebastian raised his hands in the air, ready for the guards to swoop on him.

“Back to your cell!”

Rory let himself be manhandled by a guard, and shoved in his cell. They were restraining Sebastian, leading him away, and Rory knew him and Pauly were heading for solitary.

The door slammed on Rory’s face. He pressed his forehead to it and sunk down to the floor.

Chapter Nineteen

“This is the first time we’ve actually met…”

He didn’t know why, but he’d expected the governor to be bigger, taller, wider, but he was a skinny man with bushy eyebrows, and even bushier hair.

Rory followed him into the office and sat down at his desk. “Thank you for seeing me.”

“This whole undercover operation, highly unorthodox. I’ll admit I wasn’t happy with the idea, concerned over your safety more than anything, and when you were stabbed, I tried to call it off, but Hamish was persistent.”

“He’s definitely persistent,” Rory muttered.

“Like a dog with a bone, and he assured me you could handle it, and I’m impressed to say you have. Hamish has told me you’ve been a huge help—”

“I’ve not handled it.” Rory laughed sadly. “I’m leaving this prison not having a clue who I am anymore.”

“You’re a police officer.”

“Am I? The only thing I know for sure, is that when I look in the mirror, I don’t like what I see.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. Hamish assured me you were happy, content being inside—”

“Happy? My sister died, and he didn’t tell me.”

“What?”

Rory tried to remember Morris’s words. “I think he told you I was identifying a body.”

The governor’s lips bobbed open and closed.

“That was my sister.”

“I had no idea. I…” he trailed off, shaking his head. “I’m sorry.”