HMP Prison, Belmarsh

Harvey wipes his nose one final time with the bloody tissue and throws it into the bin. It misses and bounces onto the floor, he doesn’t care; someone else can clear it up. His nose has only just stopped bleeding.  

‘You look like shit,’ his cellmate, Thomas says, swinging his legs over the side of his bed and stretching.

Harvey smiles. It was just bad luck Thomas was in here, when he got back a short while ago. Harvey would’ve much rather have spent some time to himself after what happened. ‘Yeah, the visit I had didn’t quite go to plan today.’ God this is the first time he’s had a proper conversation with Thomas; do they all think, that because his sister managed to attack him, that he’s suddenly easily approachable? News about what happened would’ve spread round here like wildfire. Harvey tries to shake the thought out of his head, but it niggles away at him at the back of his mind. The thought of everyone gossiping, and spreading lies about him being weak makes him feel sick. He isn’t weak. That’s one thing he will not be called.

‘It was your sister, who came to see you, weren’t it?’ Thomas asks, rubbing his hands together, like Harvey’s about to tell him some juicy gossip.

Shit, so everyone’s going to know. Harvey rubs his nose. ‘Err, yeah, first time I’ve seen her in twenty years.’

Thomas whistles. ‘Twenty years, hey, I remember your case like it was yesterday, it was all everyone talked about back then. People love a true crime story with a lot of unanswered questions, don’t they? It made headline news for months, didn’t it?’

Harvey nods. ‘Still does on the odd occasion, draws out all the crazies who think they have something new to say.’ Harvey's fixing Thomas with a sharp gaze, warning him not to continue. His blood’s pumping fast around his body. Keep calm, don’t react, he tells himself.

‘But only you know what happened.’ Thomas grins at him. The guy’s an idiot. Why won’t he just shut up? Surely Thomas can’t read the expression on his face, otherwise he would’ve stopped after his first question.

‘Yeah, I s’pose I do,’ Harvey replies. 

Thomas is grinning at Harvey. What the hell is he playing at? ‘So c’mon then, what was the reason why you killed your parents? Some people seemed to suggest they were abusing you and your sister; I read a report that they were religious fanatics, or devil worshippers,’ he says, excitement in his voice.

Harvey shakes his head, goosebumps racing across his skin. ‘It was nothing like that.’ He bites down hard on his teeth. Ignore him. Don’t retaliate.

‘Oh c’mon, you can tell me, we’re cell buddies, aren’t we? If you did kill them, because they were abusive, then you’d be a hero. You shouldn’t be in here if they were.’

‘I’d stop asking questions now, if I were you,’ Harvey says.

‘Mate, I . . .’

‘And don’t call me mate, we’re not mates,’ Harvey says through gritted teeth.

Thomas holds up his hands. ‘Sorry, man. Just tryna be friendly, is all,’ he says, shrugging. ‘Don’t think I’m not the only one who’s gonna ask ya now. Everyone here thinks you told your sister something which made her react in the way she did.’

Harvey watches as Thomas leans back onto his bed, the mattress creaking as he does. Harvey rubs his hands together, gets up, and curls his fist, tensing his arm. Don't do it, don't do it, a voice at the back of his head tries to tell him. Thomas's last sentence rolls around inside his mind. He spins around and starts pummelling his fists into Thomas, aiming for his nose.

‘Mate, what the fuck,’ Thomas cries, eyes wide. ‘Help.’

‘Who the hell do you think you are to question me like this?’ Harvey snarls at him as Thomas tries to cower away.

Harvey continues to slam his fists into his face, in the same way his sister did to him only an hour earlier.

‘Mate, please, stop,’ Thomas cries. There are tears in his eyes, but Harvey sees past that, the blinding rage inside him keeps Harvey going, urging him on; telling Harvey to finish Thomas off.

There are raised voices outside, before the door is wrenched open. Prison officers swarm through and wrestle Harvey onto the ground. Harvey breathes hard, rage still boiling over inside him, making his whole body tremble.