McKenna wasn’t reacting and Jessica could sense his solicitor was about to step in. ‘So let’s talk about the phone, shall we?’ The prisoner was staring at his own cuffed hands, refusing to speak or acknowledge he was being asked anything. ‘Oh, come on, Donald, you were so keen to engage the last few times we’ve been in. Aren’t we friends any longer? You can’t have been that quiet on the phone, well, unless you used it for dirty phone calls. Is that what gets you off, all that heavy breathing?’

‘You don’t know what you’re talking about.’

‘So were you just using the phone to play games or something? Maybe you needed the calendar on there to manage your busy diary? What is it? Wake up 7a.m, breakfast at eight, table tennis at nine, pottery classes at eleven? I don’t think you need a phone to remind you of all that.’

McKenna’s solicitor finally interrupted. ‘Is there really any need to taunt my client?’

‘Oh, I’m sorry. I wouldn’t want to hurt his feelings. I know he must be of a delicate persuasion.’

The inmate had clearly had enough and banged his fists on the table. ‘Just ask your damn questions.’

‘Fine. Question number one: where did you get the phone that was found in your cell?’

‘No comment.’

‘It wasn’t a miracle then? It didn’t just materialise out of nowhere?’

‘Don’t ridicule my beliefs.’

‘Faith still strong?’

‘I fight temptation every day. Sometimes I don’t reach the levels I should.’

Jessica nodded. McKenna still hadn’t met her eyes but the final words did actually sound genuine. She had no idea if his religious conversion was genuine or not but pushing him on it wasn’t going to get her anywhere. ‘Who did you call? We know there were two numbers but who did they belong to?’

‘No comment.’

‘How long have you had it?’

‘No comment.’

Jessica sighed and looked behind her towards Cole, then at the man’s solicitor before finally focusing on the prisoner again. ‘What are you hoping to achieve by refusing to answer questions?’

‘What have I got to gain? I’m probably going to die in here so what do you want me to say? Grasses aren’t very popular around these parts.’

‘Okay, but if you are a believer and genuinely have no knowledge of everything that has been going on outside of here, then why wouldn’t you do everything possible to clear your name?’

‘I’m at peace with myself. I know I’ve done nothing wrong and if you don’t believe me then maybe it is part of His plan?’

‘So why not tell me about the phone? Tell us who you were talking to and why you had it.’

‘No.’

‘Did you have Lee Morgan killed because he smuggled you in the mobile and was beginning to ask questions?’

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

‘It’s how you did it though, isn’t it? Is that why you allowed your accomplice to plant your blood and hairs at the scene, so that we’d be looking at you instead of them?’

‘No comment.’

‘Why won’t you give us the name? Is it because you’re scared?’

‘Mortals don’t frighten me. I’m only worried by His judgement when the day of reckoning comes.’

‘I thought you said you didn’t want to “grass” because of what could happen.’ McKenna said nothing. ‘If you’re so worried about your day of reckoning, wouldn’t it be better to tell us everything you know?

The prisoner clearly had no intention of adding anything and his solicitor spoke again. ‘Detectives, I’ve said before, if you want to charge my client with anything then please do so. You can’t keep returning here and endlessly ask him the same questions over and over. He has repeatedly told you he knows nothing.’

Jessica looked from the solicitor back to McKenna. She had one final question and wanted to make sure she could see any changes to his expression. ‘Final question then, Donald. Is the reason you won’t talk to us because there’s someone in authority you’re worried about? Perhaps a person that’s high up in the prison service or a senior police officer?’ She felt Cole fidget nervously in the seat next to her but more importantly thought she saw the smallest amount of recognition on the prisoner’s face. His top lip and the bottom part of his nose twitched as if he were about to say something but he stayed silent.

‘I think we’re done here,’ Jessica said. She had been thinking of Farraday and wondered if that was what had crossed McKenna’s mind when she thought she saw that flicker of movement.

After the prisoner had been escorted out, Jessica and Cole were left in the interview room waiting for someone to take them back to the entrance. ‘What was that last question about?’ he asked.

‘Nothing really, I was just wondering if there’s someone else working here who might have something to hide?’

Jessica wasn’t sure if her superior was convinced but he didn’t follow his question up.

‘Didn’t get much, did we?’ he asked instead.

‘I don’t think either of us were really expecting to. The problem with the life prisoners is they have nothing to lose by keeping quiet. It’s not as if their sentence is going to be overturned. I still don’t know if this whole religion thing is a front but either way he doesn’t have much to say.’

A minute or two later, a guard knocked on the door and led them back to the front office. Dennis asked them both to sign out and they walked through the main doors towards the car. As they got to the vehicle, Jessica started flicking through the files she was holding. ‘I think I might have left something in reception. Can you wait here a minute?’ she said.

Cole looked a little confused but shrugged his shoulders and nodded. Jessica walked quickly back to the office. She knew she hadn’t left anything but there was one more thing she wanted to do. She beckoned Dennis over towards the door away from any of the other staff in the room. He looked surprised to see her returning but moved over to her.

‘Are you okay?’ he asked.

‘Dennis, how long have you worked here?’

He seemed confused and a little shy given that she was talking to him directly. He stuttered as he replied. ‘A few years.’

‘Have you always been on reception?’

‘Yes but I’m in the training programme so I can move onto the wings.’

‘Do all visitors come through here?’

‘Yes, this is where the body scanners are. Even the governor and staff have to pass through them each day.’

Jessica reached into one of the envelopes she was carrying and took out a clipping from the previous week’s newspaper. Originally it had been a story about Carrie’s death but at the bottom of the page had been a photograph of DCI Farraday that was taken at a press conference. Jessica had cut the photo out without its caption so it wasn’t obvious who the image was of. She handed it over to Dennis. ‘Do you know if this man has ever visited here? Maybe in the past six months or so?’

Dennis took the picture and looked at it, narrowing his eyes and then pushing out his bottom lip. ‘He sort of seems familiar but I wouldn’t want to say for sure. I can ask around if you want?’

‘That’s fine,’ she said. ‘I’ll give you my number.’

She didn’t want to give him an official card so instead wrote her mobile number on the back of the picture. ‘Can you try to be discreet. Only call me if someone’s sure they’ve seen this person. It doesn’t really help if people aren’t one hundred per cent certain.’

Dennis nodded nervously at her.

Jessica left the reception for the second time in a few minutes and headed back to the car. She knew it was a gamble but thought of Carrie’s mother and the funeral she had been at the previous day. She wanted a result for them. If news did somehow make its way back to the chief inspector she would simply say Dennis had misunderstood what she asked him to do. She doubted the man would end up reporting anything though. Cole had been right on their first visit and the man’s nervousness had given him away; he definitely had a thing for her. Jessica hoped he didn’t follow it up by calling her for no reason.