reminded them all of their responsibilities to not leak any details to the papers. Jessica made sure she caught Rowlands’ eye. She hadn’t been able to prove it at the time but she was as sure as she could be that he had been giving information to Garry Ashford at the time of Randall Anderson’s killing spree. It wasn’t malicious and had drastically enhanced one of his friend’s careers but it still shouldn’t have happened. Neither he nor the journalist had ever owned up to it but the reporter’s knowledge of the police force’s inner workings had certainly stopped appearing in the local paper since Jessica had challenged them. Rowlands wasn’t keen to make eye contact and looked away.
After the briefing was finished, she motioned him over to one side. ‘Fancy a trip to the prison?’
‘You know how to show a guy a good time, don’t you? Hospital one day, prison the next. Are we off to the cemetery tomorrow?’
‘Are you seriously giving out dating advice?’
Rowlands winked at her. ‘Word around the station is that you might be looking for some.’
Jessica didn’t think Cole was the type to gossip and doubted it was him who had said anything about Adam but news travelled pretty quickly around a police station, especially if it involved officers’ private lives.
She thought about asking how Rowlands knew but didn’t think it really mattered. ‘Why? Are you jealous?’
‘Nah, you’re a bit old for me.’
Jessica snorted. ‘Only if you’re talking about mental ages.’
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
On arrival at the prison, they had been greeted by another member of front-office staff who was slightly unnerving. The people who worked there had obviously been given some sort of briefing regarding the police visit and the man was keen to ask questions and try to show how efficient he was. Jessica did her best to ignore him as Rowlands pulled out his phone and had what was almost certainly a fake conversation. Jessica thought she would remember that trick for next time.
If it was a phoney talk, he didn’t have to pretend for too long. They had called to confirm they were visiting after putting off their trip the day before and the governor had been pretty quick to meet them in the reception area. After the usual security checks, he took them through into the main arrivals yard. He told them the large concreted area was where the security vans first arrived. Inmates were either taken back to their blocks if they were already prisoners, or moved into a separate processing office if they were new arrivals.
The governor was outwardly far friendlier on their second visit but his tone definitely seemed forced and a tad over-enthusiastic. He talked them through the areas that had been rebuilt and showed them where the old parts of the establishment had been before the riots. He led them off to an area where he said executions used to take place. Jessica knew the basics but was surprised when he told them the last hangings took place in the 1960s. She wouldn’t have guessed it was quite so recent.
He took them into the main prison area and pointed out the various wings. He mentioned a famous rock star and told them how he had spent six weeks in the prison a few years previously. He offered to show them the cell but Jessica decided that would be a step too far. The pleasantries were at least interesting but they were there on business. If the governor was annoyed at having his impromptu tour interrupted, then he didn’t react, instead walking them through to the wing McKenna was kept on.
It was essentially a wide and long hallway, with cells that went up three storeys high. There was a big gap between the two sides with a couple of pool tables interspersed with a few other chairs in the middle of the hard grey floor. Jessica had been into a few prisons but rarely into the area where prisoners were actually housed. In terms of the actual cells, there wasn’t much sign of the stereotypical vertical
After the briefing was finished, she motioned him over to one side. ‘Fancy a trip to the prison?’
‘You know how to show a guy a good time, don’t you? Hospital one day, prison the next. Are we off to the cemetery tomorrow?’
‘Are you seriously giving out dating advice?’
Rowlands winked at her. ‘Word around the station is that you might be looking for some.’
Jessica didn’t think Cole was the type to gossip and doubted it was him who had said anything about Adam but news travelled pretty quickly around a police station, especially if it involved officers’ private lives.
She thought about asking how Rowlands knew but didn’t think it really mattered. ‘Why? Are you jealous?’
‘Nah, you’re a bit old for me.’
Jessica snorted. ‘Only if you’re talking about mental ages.’
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
On arrival at the prison, they had been greeted by another member of front-office staff who was slightly unnerving. The people who worked there had obviously been given some sort of briefing regarding the police visit and the man was keen to ask questions and try to show how efficient he was. Jessica did her best to ignore him as Rowlands pulled out his phone and had what was almost certainly a fake conversation. Jessica thought she would remember that trick for next time.
If it was a phoney talk, he didn’t have to pretend for too long. They had called to confirm they were visiting after putting off their trip the day before and the governor had been pretty quick to meet them in the reception area. After the usual security checks, he took them through into the main arrivals yard. He told them the large concreted area was where the security vans first arrived. Inmates were either taken back to their blocks if they were already prisoners, or moved into a separate processing office if they were new arrivals.
The governor was outwardly far friendlier on their second visit but his tone definitely seemed forced and a tad over-enthusiastic. He talked them through the areas that had been rebuilt and showed them where the old parts of the establishment had been before the riots. He led them off to an area where he said executions used to take place. Jessica knew the basics but was surprised when he told them the last hangings took place in the 1960s. She wouldn’t have guessed it was quite so recent.
He took them into the main prison area and pointed out the various wings. He mentioned a famous rock star and told them how he had spent six weeks in the prison a few years previously. He offered to show them the cell but Jessica decided that would be a step too far. The pleasantries were at least interesting but they were there on business. If the governor was annoyed at having his impromptu tour interrupted, then he didn’t react, instead walking them through to the wing McKenna was kept on.
It was essentially a wide and long hallway, with cells that went up three storeys high. There was a big gap between the two sides with a couple of pool tables interspersed with a few other chairs in the middle of the hard grey floor. Jessica had been into a few prisons but rarely into the area where prisoners were actually housed. In terms of the actual cells, there wasn’t much sign of the stereotypical vertical
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