Balls for Breakfast
Page 6
Nate closed his eyes and opened them slowly. His lips twitched at the edges, and a smile bloomed over his face. “I’m gonna remember that pretty smile of yours, Freshman.”
Alfie pressed his lips in a hard line then raised his eyebrow.
Nate laughed, backing away from the gate. “Night, Freshman.”
Alfie didn’t reply, he turned back to watch his vacant wing of the prison. Gates opened and clicked shut behind him. Alfie listened to the clomp of feet, one set heavier, slower, an unrushed stride into the prison. A short time later the same gate opened and closed without the distinctive set of footfalls. Nate had been locked back in his cell.
Ian and Keith waved a goodbye to Henry, then opened and closed the several gates that led back to civilization. Alfie waited a few minutes before unlocking the gate at his back to join Henry in the office. He wanted to catch Henry before he fell back to sleep.
“So that’s Nate Mathews…” Alfie mumbled.
Henry stilled his hands, glasses inches from his face, then he lowered them into his lap.
“Evil that one. What he did to those men…” He trailed off, then shuddered before pointing at the filing cabinet in the corner. “It’s in there, the details if you wanna read them.”
Alfie glanced at the browning unit, with its dented door, and deep scratches. The files of each prisoner were on computer, but the prison still liked to keep a paper file on each too.
Alfie shook his head. “I know he killed three people, if that doesn’t make you evil, what does?”
Henry nodded. “Makes me despair the death penalty was banned. I say send him to America and let them put him down.”
Marie’s cackle broke their tense conversation. She appeared in the office doorway, shirt buttoned wonkily and thick fringe in disarray.
Glen appeared behind her, a dopy grin on his face and ruffled red hair. His rose-tinged cheeks made it look like he had run a marathon.
Alfie inwardly shuddered at the disturbing visual. “So, you sorted the noise?” he asked.
Marie cocked her head and wrinkled her nose. “What noise?” She stumbled forward at the slight shove from Glen.
“You know … the noise,” Glen said with zero subtly.
She turned to him, then whipped back to Alfie. “Oh, yes … the noise. Nothing, it was nothing.”
They moved from the door, giggling as they went.
“See, you need to be more like them. Young, playful. Not working in a prison at eighteen. Mark my words, you’ll either get depressed and turn to suicide, or end up on the other side of the bars hooked on drugs.”
Alfie sighed heavily. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”
Henry waved his hand. “Not about confidence. You’re good, you’re efficient, but it won’t last. Sometimes the straightest men bend when they start working here.”
“Well, I’m already there.”
Henry stared at him like he had grown another head.
“I mean, I’m gay. It was a joke, about sexuality.”
Henry continued to stare at him and developed a twitch in his eye. Then he shook his head. “I would keep that to yourself in here.”
Alfie nodded, then gestured across his heart. “Noted.”
“Wait, that’s not how you get your kicks, is it? Teasing the prisoners, seducing them. That’s a dangerous game you’re playing if it is.”
“Of course not! I’m here to do my job.”
Henry picked up his glasses with a tut. “Nothing but a fish, an innocent fish waiting to be caught.” He breathed on the glasses before wiping them on his shirt.
Alfie twitched his nose at the slight odor in the air, before backing away.
Nate may’ve been a triple murder that deserved to be ‘put down’, but there was no disputing the accuracy of his nose.
End of sample chapter
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