Page 54 of Freshman

“All roads lead back to mum and dad,” Nate mumbled.

Alfie took a step closer to the cell. “You don’t speak to yours?”

Henry said Nate had a sister, and Alfie knew about the skype calls with his Nana Doris in Australia once a month. He’d not heard anything about Nate’s parents, though.

“They’re both dead, my mum when I was ten and my dad when I was in my late twenties.”

Alfie bowed his head and blinked slowly. “I’m sorry.”

He jolted back at Nate’s bark of laughter and collided with the railing. He winced and stared at Nate’s door. “Why the hell is that funny?”

Nate’s laugh softened. “It’s obvious you haven’t read my file, Freshman, and I’m wondering why.”

Alfie opened his mouth, but no words came out. He waited until Nate’s laugh had died completely before replying.

“I know you’re in here for triple murder; I don’t need the details.”

“If you’d read my file, you would’ve known my dear old dad was one of the three. You would not have apologised for his death when I am the one that killed him.”

Alfie forced himself to swallow, backing away from Nate’s door.

“I bet you spent years wishing you had a dad, and here I am, killing mine. How careless of me, or not. It depends if you read my file.”

“I don’t want to,” Alfie whispered.

“Do you want to know how I did it?”

Alfie shook his head. “No, I don’t.”

“Why not? Everyone likes details. Everyone likes to know everyone else’s business. People see a crash on the road, and they just have to stare, have to slow down in their cars to take it all in. It’s human nature.”

“Not mine.”

Nate chuckled. “You have full access to my file, and yet you don’t want to read it.”

“I know all I need to know,” Alfie mumbled.

“And what is it you know about me?”

Alfie didn’t answer.

“How about Queenie? Do you know what he did?”

“Oi, don’t bring me into this,” Queenie hissed. “Me and Alfie get along fine. Don’t go ruining it.”

Alfie heard the slap of Queenie’s feet as he walked away from his cell door.

“I’m just curious,” Nate said. “So, have you read Queenie’s file, yes or no?”

“No,” Alfie whispered.

Queenie clapped. “Good, keep it that way.”

Nate hissed. “You’ve not read anyone’s file in here, and that’s your biggest mistake.”

Alfie shook his head. “I know why you’re both behind those doors. You’re being punished.”

“Freshman, you are surrounded by rapists and murders, and you haven’t read about what they did to their victims. That’s why you’ll never get off night shift and onto days on H-wing. Ryan knows you haven’t read any of the files. He knows you’re afraid to, and if you’re afraid to read them, there’s no chance you can be around us when we aren’t caged up.”

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