Chapter 17
Nikki
went back to her cell where Barbara was sitting writing her diary. She looked
up as Nikki entered.
“You
look as if you’ve won the lottery,” she remarked, seeing Nikki’s smiling face.
“Well,
I’ve certainly hit the jackpot. I’ve just seen Helen. Babs, we’re back
together,” she told her unable to conceal her delight.
Barbara
stood up and removed her glasses. “Nikki love, that’s wonderful news. I’m so
pleased for you,” she replied sincerely. “Come here.” She wrapped her arms
around Nikki and gave her a big hug. “But how?”
Nikki
shrugged, still not quite able to believe it. “Karen Betts arranged for me to
see her.” She hugged Barbara again then, much to the older woman’s surprise
gave her a kiss on the lips.
“I
knew you two was at it,” Shell Dockley spoke from the doorway. “What’s wrong,
Nikki? Can’t you ‘andle a woman wiv a bit o’ life in ‘er?”
Nikki
raised her eyes to the ceiling and strolled across to the door. “Michelle,
would you do me a favour, please?” she asked in a cultured voice.
“Yeah,
sure, Nikki,” Dockley answered in surprise.
“Piss
off!” Nikki closed the door on her and turned back to Barbara a wide grin on
her face. “I suppose I’m going to have to keep my nose clean now or I’ll have
two governors after my blood, Helen and Karen Betts.”
“You
can do it Nikki,” Barbara assured her. “Just don’t let people like Dockley and
Fenner wind you up.”
Helen
dialled Joan Wade’s number nervously. After their last conversation she wasn’t
sure what sort of reception she would receive. She needn’t have worried. Nikki
had already telephoned her mother and smoothed the way for her.
“I’m
really pleased about you and Nikki, Helen,” Joan told her sincerely. “I know
Nikki wasn’t entirely blameless.”
“She
had my best interests at heart,” Helen defended her.
“That’s
the trouble. She has to fight everyone’s battles for them, she never thinks
about the possible consequences to herself until it’s too late.”
“That’s
what got her into this mess, isn’t it?” Helen commented bitterly. “So what are
you and I going to do to get your daughter out of it?”
“Welcome
back, Helen,” Joan said warmly. “I really need an ally. Look, why don’t you
come down here and I’ll fill you in on what’s been happening?” she suggested.
“My
solicitor advised me to hire a private investigator,” Joan informed Helen when
they were seated in her lounge. “This is his preliminary report.” She handed
Helen a sheaf of papers. “It seems Detective Sergeant Edwards wasn’t as white
as he was painted at the trial.”
Helen
read through the report. “Hints of bribery, corruption, protection money,” she
muttered. “But nothing concrete. It’s all circumstantial,” she said
disappointedly.
“I
know it’s not much to go on,” Joan agreed. “But it proves he wasn’t the saint
he was made out to be.”
“We’ve
got to prove he attempted to rape Trish so blackening his character seems to be
the only line of defence,” Helen replied dismally. “I just wish we had
something more to go on.” She didn’t feel very hopeful but she couldn’t let
Joan know. It seemed to be an open and shut case. Edwards had tried to rape
Nikki’s girlfriend and she had killed him without any remorse or so the police
had made out. The Nikki she had come to know and love over the past few months
still had a volatile temper but she wasn’t the cold-blooded killer described at
her trial and nothing would convince her of that. She made up her mind. She
would go and see the only other person who knew the real truth about what had
happened that night…Trish Johnson, Nikki’s ex-girlfriend.
Nikki
waited expectantly outside the Wing Governor’s door. She had been summoned to
Karen’s office and was hoping Helen was here to see her. However, when Karen
opened the door, Nikki was disappointed to find she was alone. “Come in,
Nikki,” she said with a smile. “Helen wants you to give her a ring, the number
is on the pad and you can use the phone in here. Sorry I can’t leave you alone
but I promise not to eavesdrop.” She suppressed an urge to laugh at the stunned
expression on Nikki’s face.
“Hi,
it’s me,” Nikki said softly when Helen answered her call.
“Hello,”
the soft Scottish lilt greeted her. “It’s so good to hear your voice. I’ve
really missed you.”
“Yeah,
me too.”
“I
can’t wait ‘til I see you again.”
“Yeah,
me too.”
Karen
smiled at Nikki’s non-committal answers and buried her nose in the report she
was pretending to read.
“Do
I take it you’re not alone?” Helen asked with a laugh.
“You
could say that.”
“So,
I could say anything to you and there’s nothing you can do about it?”
“Ye…es.”
“Well,
since Larkhall is paying for this call.” Helen proceeded, in graphic detail, to
tell her what she would like to do with her and to her when she got out of
Larkhall.
Nikki
listened in shocked silence. She hadn’t realised what a dirty mind, or mouth,
Helen had. She cleared her throat noisily.
“Sorry,
love,” Helen laughed. “I couldn’t resist it.”
“Yeah,
well, wait until I take you up on what you’ve just said,” Nikki muttered hoping
Karen wasn’t listening too intently.
“I
look forward to that,” she drawled sexily. “Now, I suppose I’d better get back
to business. I need Trish’s address. You’re still in touch with her, aren’t
you?”
“What
do you want Trish’s address for?” Nikki asked suspiciously.
“I
want to go and see her about your appeal.”
“No,
Helen!” she exclaimed. “I want you to stay away from Trish.”
“But,
Nikki, we’ve got to…”
“I
said stay away from her, Helen,” she repeated emphatically. “I’ve got to go, Miss
Betts wants to use the phone. Love you.” She replaced the receiver with a deep
sigh.
“Is
everything alright, Nikki?” Karen asked with concern.
“I
hope so. Thanks for the use of your phone, Miss. May I?” She indicated the
sheet of paper upon which Helen’s number was written.
“Sure.”
Karen watched Nikki leave. So Helen wanted Trish’s address, did she? She went
to her filing cabinet and took out Nikki’s file. Leafing through it she gave a
smile of satisfaction when she found the information she was looking for. She
picked up the telephone and pressed last number redial. “Helen, it’s Karen. I
couldn’t help but overhear some of what Nikki said.”
Helen
smiled to herself. Thank goodness she hadn’t been able to hear what she had
said.
“Patricia
May Johnson is listed as Nikki’s next of kin. Trish?”
“Trish,”
Helen repeated triumphantly. “Is there an address?”
“It’s
the same as Nikki’s,” Karen told her reluctantly.
Helen
felt a stab of jealousy. She knew Nikki and Trish had been in a nine year
relationship so it stood to reason they had lived together but it still hurt
nevertheless.
“There’s
a telephone number as well.” Karen read out the information.
“Thanks,
Karen. You’ve been a great help. Now I’ll go and see what Miss Johnson has to
say.”