Page 142 of Stolen Ones

‘However, I have reservations.’

Alex didn’t care for that word very much. ‘Which are?’

‘The opinions of other people that have known you for much longer than I have. I’ve known you only a couple of years, but my predecessor noted in your file that you should serve no less than your full sentence.’

‘But surely…’

‘And then there are people in responsible positions who have made their feelings known.’

Fucking Stone, Alex thought, still smarting from being interrupted by this woman who thought she was controlling both the conversation and the situation.

‘So, on balance, I’m sorry to say that I am not going to recommend your early release to the probation board, as I think you would benefit from further—’

‘Is that your final decision?’ Alex asked.

Siviter appeared surprised at her curt tone but continued anyway. ‘I understand your disappointment but I have to do what I feel is in the best interest of—’

‘I think you might want to reconsider,’ Alex said, unwilling to listen to concerns of the interests of anyone other than herself.

‘Excuse me?’ she asked, narrowing her gaze.

‘For your own sake,’ Alex explained.

‘Are you threatening me?’

‘Absolutely not,’ Alex said, offering a half-smile. She was in control now. ‘I am merely forewarning you of what is about to happen next.’

Alex took a breath. ‘There is no doubt that you are a firm and fair warden. You are professional, objective and approachable. You have the respect of your team as well as the inmates. You’re here early and you leave late. You actually do care about the people in your prison, and I can understand why.’

Alex sighed heavily and forced sympathy into her eyes.

‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

‘Every one of these ladies could be the child you gave away. They could even be the child you lost.’

The colour drained from her face.

Alex continued. ‘You put every ounce of love and affection into these prisoners as if they were your own—’

‘How did you find out…?’ Her words trailed away as she remembered one particular woman being held in her care.

‘Of course, if you’d been lucky enough to have your own children now you wouldn’t be so focused on the women under your care, but that’s no bad thing for these prisoners. I mean it when I say that your absence would be a huge loss to this prison.’

‘I’m not going anywhere,’ she said as the sadness in her eyes grew hard.

‘Well, maybe not by choice. It’s been a very busy day here today. There was a serious assault and a suicide attempt. The guards did their best, but they were floundering, lacking direction, leadership, prioritisation from the person in charge. You weren’t here and things got missed. Decisions were delayed.’

‘My time off on Thursday is completely authorised. I wasn’t here because I was visiting my mother in residential care.’

‘There will be an enquiry, obviously, and your performance will be questioned – more so if Lisa dies.’

‘I was visiting my sick mother,’ Siviter spat.

‘Well, yes, you were at first.’ Alex paused. ‘Until 1.30ish and then you walked fifty metres down the road to the betting shop. You would have left at around half past two if you hadn’t received the emergency call. So let’s be clear: at twoo’clock, when everything kicked off here, you were betting on horses and playing fruit machines. That’s a headline that’s going to—’

‘You can’t prove that,’ she said, reddening. Alex would swear the stain beneath her armpits was growing.

‘I don’t need to. I only have to contact a couple of reporters who will establish within half an hour of my call that there is CCTV from both inside the betting shop and across the road. You’ll be the juicy headline instead of the events that occurred. The bad press will be too much for your employers, and you will be forced to resign.’