A Room Full of Killers, Michael Wood [best books for students to read txt] 📗

his right was an appropriate adult – a woman brought in to monitor the interview to make sure Craig was dealt with fairly by the police, not put under any unnecessary duress and treated with respect.

‘Craig, I want you to tell us what’s been going on with Richard Grover,’ Sian said, starting the proceedings.

‘Why?’

‘Because we need to know.’

‘He … gets us things.’

‘What kind of things?’

‘Anything we want. Food, chocolate, magazines.’

‘What kind of magazines?’

‘You’ve seen what kind of magazines,’ he replied, nodding and smiling.

‘Pornography?’

‘Yep,’ he leaned back and folded his arms.

‘How long has this been going on?’

‘For as long as I’ve been there.’

Sian looked at her notes. ‘And you’ve been there for just over a year?’

‘That’s right.’

‘We only found magazines in your room and Lee Marriott’s room. Does he get things for all the boys or just you two?’

‘All of us. We hand the mags round. Although you have to make sure Callum Nixon doesn’t get to them first as he rips the best pics out.’

‘How do you pay for the things Richard gets you?’

He flashed a knowing smile. Looking up at Sian out of the top of his eyes made him look sinister. ‘You know what he does or you wouldn’t be asking.’

‘We need you to tell us, Craig.’

‘What’s in it for me?’

‘I’m sorry?’

‘What do I get for telling you all the gory details? Will I get time off my sentence?’

‘No.’

‘Then there’s no reason for me to talk, is there?’

‘There’s every reason for you to talk, Craig,’ Scott spoke for the first time. ‘Things like cooperation go down on your file. When you get moved to an adult prison and the guards see how you’ve behaved they’ll treat you accordingly. Piss us off and you won’t get a moment’s peace until your parole comes up in thirty years’ time.’

The smirk on Craig face fell. ‘Grover liked to watch us while we … you know… ’

‘You’re going to have to tell us, Craig. For the benefit of the recording.’

‘He liked to watch us while we wanked off,’ he replied loudly.

‘Is that all?’

‘No. Sometimes he sucked us off.’

‘You sound like you didn’t mind?’

‘I couldn’t give a toss. If that’s how he gets his kicks then it’s up to him. At the end of the day I’m getting free stuff and I’m getting my dick sucked,’ he shrugged.

‘You do realize what he’s been doing is a criminal offence? You’re underage and he is abusing his position.’

‘Not my problem,’ he shrugged again. ‘It’s him that’s going to lose his job and go to prison, not me. How can things get any worse for me? I’m already locked up.’

Matilda was sitting at her computer watching the interview. Her screen was split in half. On the other side of the screen, Callum Nixon was impatiently sitting alone with a uniformed officer standing guard. His eyes wandered around and settled on the camera in the corner of the room. He knew he was being watched. He sat back in his chair and looked deep into the lens. He smiled. It was a haunting smile that stretched across his face. Matilda felt a cold chill run through her body. Callum Nixon was pure malevolence. He was due to be interviewed by Aaron and Rory. Matilda found Craig’s interview difficult to comprehend. It wasn’t that she didn’t believe him – the evidence of the magazines spoke for itself. It was the nonchalance of an abused teenager that she found hard to fathom. Craig Hodge was being abused, there was no other word for it, and he didn’t seem to mind.

‘Sian, ask him if any of the other guards take advantage in any way,’ Matilda said into the microphone on her computer.

‘Is it just Richard Grover who treats you all in this way or are there any others?’ Sian asked.

‘Well, none have done anything else to me. You’d have to ask the others. Elly Caine once gave Jacob Brown a good kicking and Call Me Fred often looks at you a bit funny, but that’s it.’

‘In what way does Fred look at you?’

‘Like he wants to do something but knows he can’t.’

‘Don’t you think you should have reported Richard Grover to Kate Moloney?’

‘Where would I have got my wanking material from then?’ He smiled.

Outside the interview rooms in the custody suite, the other boys were sitting uncomfortably for their turn to be interviewed.

‘I need a piss,’ Lewis Chapman called out to anyone who would listen.

‘I’ll take him,’ Rory said to the desk sergeant.

‘You sure? I can get a uniform.’

‘No it’s OK. I can’t do anything yet. Aaron’s checking up on his wife again. If you ever hear me mentioning getting married, you have my permission to give me a good hiding.’

Lewis wasn’t handcuffed, but he couldn’t be allowed to go to the toilet on his own; this wasn’t Starling House. When they entered, Lewis looked underneath all the cubicles to see if anyone was in them before going over to the urinals.

‘What did you do that for?’ Rory asked.

‘In Scream the killer is waiting for Sidney in the cubicles and then attacks her.’

Rory remembered Lewis’s crime – he killed his younger brother while dressed as the killer from the Scream films.

‘Do you always check under the doors in the toilets?’

‘Always,’ he replied, looking over his shoulder and smiling at Rory.

‘Are you allowed to watch horror films in prison?’

‘Sure.’

‘What’s your favourite scary movie?’

Lewis started laughing. ‘You’re supposed to say that in a deep menacing voice like Ghostface.’

‘Sorry?’ Rory said, not getting the reference to the Scream films.

‘It doesn’t matter. I don’t have a favourite. I love them all. You can’t beat Hannibal Lecter as the ultimate bad guy though.’

‘Why did you do it?’

‘What? Kill my little brother?’ Lewis asked, washing his hands. He shrugged. ‘I dunno. Just wanted to, I guess.’

‘Had he done something to upset you?’

‘No.’

‘Was it revenge or to get back at someone, your parents maybe?’

‘No, no, and no. I just wanted to kill someone.’ He dried his hands on his trousers and walked up close to Rory, backing him