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we’re told there’s none available.’
    Baxter nodded his head, understandingly. ‘Yes, I know what that’s like – we have similar problems in the Mid Lancs Constabulary,’ he said. ‘Second question – what system do you use for monitoring the prisoners’ mental state?’
    â€˜I’m not sure I know what you mean,’ the governor confessed.
    â€˜I assume that Templar was exhibiting signs of depression before he hanged himself. Were you made aware of that, Mr Wilton, and if you were, what action did you take?’
    Wilton glanced across at his chief officer again.
    â€˜Most of the men in here don’t like being in prison, so most of them are depressed for some of the time,’ Jeffries said. ‘I dare say most of them even feel suicidal once in a while. Those of us on the other side of the bars sometimes feel that way, too. But if every time one of the cons was feeling a bit down in the mouth we reported the fact to the governor, he’d have no time to carry out any of his pressing and important duties. And let’s be honest – even though they might
think
about it, most cons
don’t
hang themselves, do they?’
    â€˜No,’ Baxter agreed, ‘but Jeremy Templar did.’
    â€˜That was regrettable,’ the governor said.
    The conversation was all going a little too cosily, Baxter decided. It was time to stir up the murky waters, and see what bobbed to the surface.
    â€˜Was Templar alone in his cell when he topped himself?’ he asked.
    â€˜Yes.’
    â€˜And why was that? Was it because of the nature of his crime?’
    â€˜That was indeed the reason,’ the governor said. ‘The other prisoners hate sex offenders, and if we’d put him in a cell with any of them, we couldn’t have guaranteed his safety.’
    â€˜We couldn’t have guaranteed his safety,’ Baxter repeated. ‘It seems to me that in terms of guaranteeing his safety
in general
, you did a pretty poor job.’
    â€˜Now, look here—’ the governor said, flushing.
    â€˜How many times was he attacked?’ Baxter interrupted. ‘Was it three? Or was it four?’
    â€˜It was four,’ said Chief Officer Jeffries, who, unlike his boss, still seemed to be completely in control of himself.
    â€˜It’s all very well for people like you to come in from the outside and start criticizing us,’ the governor said, turning almost scarlet now, ‘but without a completely separate wing for sex offenders –
which we don’t have
– there’s only so much we can do.’
    â€˜You could, at least, have punished Templar’s attackers,’ Baxter said. ‘Have you?’
    Chief Officer Jefferies’ eyes flashed the governor a warning that he should calm down before he said any more, but the governor, like all weak men who find themselves trapped in a corner, chose to ignore it.
    â€˜No, we haven’t punished them,’ Wilton said, ‘because we have no idea who they are.’
    â€˜Then shouldn’t you have made it your business to find out?’ Baxter asked. ‘I shouldn’t imagine that would be too hard.’
    â€˜Do you have any idea of how a prison actually works, Chief Constable?’ the governor demanded. ‘Do you really think that the staff are in total control for twenty-four hours a day?’
    â€˜I certainly think they’re
paid
to be in total control for twenty-four hours a day,’ Baxter said.
    â€˜We keep a large number of convicted men – many of whom are violent – within these walls while they serve out their sentences,’ the governor explained. ‘In general, we manage to curb most of their worst excesses, but we can’t watch them all the time, and when we are not watching them, they play by their own rules. That’s how it’s been since the very first prison was opened centuries ago – and that’s