The Unforgiving Minute by Paul Casselle

Author:Paul Casselle [Casselle, Paul]
Language: eng
Format: epub

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Part Ten

The next day the Professor sat eagerly waiting for Julie at his usual table. He had all the paperwork ready for her arrival. Every other Wednesday was visitors’ day, and today was that special day that had become the sole focus of each fortnight.

They only had a window of fifty minutes every two weeks, so every second counted. Julie arrived and went quickly to the table. Phillips thrust some papers at her.

“Right, I need you to look at…” Phillips began hastily without looking at her. His eyes scanned a notebook in front of him, “… pages seven, fifteen and thirty-five.”

“And hello to you also, Professor,” she said.

Phillips looked up.

“What? We don’t have time to go through pleasantries at every visit. I asked you how you were two weeks ago. I really don’t expect that much has change since then.”

“Professor,” Julie said forcefully, “we have two years to work on this. Even if you can function like a robot, I can’t. I need a little human interaction now and again, all right?”

The Professor breathed deeply and tried to relax.

“I’m sorry, Julie. I’ve never been good at anything other than work. So, I focus on what I’m good at. I know I’m a pain, a cantankerous old pain in the arse, I know… You’re right. You come all this way every two weeks and I just…”

“It’s okay, Professor. Really, but I just need to talk a little… Sorry.”

“What would you like to talk about?”

“I would really like to know how you’re doing,” Julie asked.

“I’m all right,” said Phillips with a shrug.

“What are the other prisoners like?”

“I don’t know. I don’t have much to do with them…” The Professor cocked his head to one side and stared Julie in the eye. “I’m not an idiot, Julie. Is this really what you want to talk about?” Julie furrowed her brow, shook her head then looked away. “If you need to ask,” continued the Professor, “for god’s sake, just ask.”

Julie sat down and studied the old man’s face.

“Well, did you… do it?”

“You’ve sat there every other Wednesday for eight months,” he said calmly. “Why have you never asked?”

“I don’t know,” Julie stammered. “Maybe I just don’t want to hear…”

“… That your beloved Professor killed a man?” Julie shrugged and sighed. “If it helps, I didn’t kill anyone,” Phillips continued, then snorted a laugh through his nose. “I can’t say there weren’t times when I could have happily wrung the annoying bastard’s neck.” Julie turned away and involuntarily bit her lip. Phillips feared that in his attempt to handle the situation with a light touch, he had instead made things worse. “Julie, I’m sorry, really, I didn’t mean to upset you… Look, he was a good man, really. As I say, he could be a pain at times, but can’t we all… I mean look at how I’m messing this up right now. Julie, please look at me.” She turned wet eyes to him. The level of her reaction confused him. “Did… did you know Alan Newton?” Julie instantly erupted into full-blown crying.

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