Page 47 of Psychopath

“Do I fit? This pattern you’ve predicted.”

Quinn looked away.

“This is a heavy conversation, right?” Zane asked.

“Just a bit.”

“Okay. Who’s your favourite Tellytubby?”

Quinn broke into a laugh. “What?”

Zane smiled. “You have a nice laugh.”

“And your compliments are getting old.”

“Really?” Zane looked Quinn over. “Perhaps you’re right. It’s time for a new one. I love that mole under your eyelid.”

Quinn blinked. “What?”

Zane pressed his finger to his under-eye in the area of Quinn’s mole. “That one there, I thought it was just dirt or something the first time we met.”

“Thanks.”

Zane smirked. “But it’s the cutest thing.”

“Zane…”

“When you laugh, the skin around your eyes folds and hides it from me, but there it is again, looking cute as hell.”

“It’s a mole.” Quinn shook his head.

“You have no idea how badly I want to touch it.”

“No touching,” Quinn reminded.

“I wish I could kiss it. I’d kiss all of your moles if you’d let me.”

Quinn avoided Zane’s gaze. “You can’t say things like that.”

“Well, I just did.” Zane glanced at the camera. “There’s no one monitoring.”

“Of course, there—”

“This prison is understaffed. Your study got accepted because they’re desperate for money. There’s no way they have an officer watching that feed live.” Zane shook his head. “The governors here, the big bosses in charge, they’re gambling with your life. You do know that, right?”

“No one’s done anything,” Quinn whispered. “Everyone is behaving.”

“It only takes one prisoner, one day, one moment.”

“I need this study.”

“So much so you’ll put your life at risk?”

Quinn swallowed. “Yes.”

8

The only prisoner the governor at Greenwood took precautions for was Virgil. A prison officer always stood in the room with his arms folded and a look of anticipation on his face. Quinn had been wracked with nerves when Virgil put his name down to take part.

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