Tributes are usually given by family members so my starting point was, ďWhat if there isnít any surviving family? Why might that be?Ē This led me to the idea of a character who had murdered his family, then died in prison. He may not have had many friends outside and, even if he did, they would have drifted away after so many years inside. He really was alone in the world.

So who was going to give the tribute? The person who had spent most time with him lately: Allan, one of his prison officers. Allan understood Rex in some ways, and knew him on a professional basis. He didnít like him much, for obvious reasons.

Allan needs to look professional and disinterested. A prisoner has died in unexplained circumstances and someone has to say something. He is on duty. Like a family member giving a tribute, he glosses over some of the past. He canít be as honest as heíd like to be. Maybe he needs to hide some things too.

Allan is an experienced prison officer (40s or 50s). He has the face and voice of a seasoned officer. Heís seen it all. He can be cynical but knows how to play the game of political correctness and say the things management want to hear.

Heís in uniform and proud of it. He is tough, because of what he has to deal with every day, but he also understands how people fall into a life of crime. There is more to him than meets the eye, and more to his version of events than he wants us to know. He wants us to hear the story first from him.