Chapter
7
The following day Nikki was in her cell when
one of the two Julie’s, Julie S, poked her head in. “Got some new pictures of
my David, Nikki.”
“Let’s
have a look then,” she took the photographs and was just thumbing through them
making suitable comments when Julie J rushed into the cell excitedly. “You’ll
never guess what. I just took Miss Stewart her tea…”
“Miss
Stewart?” Nikki interrupted. “I thought
she was away for a couple of days.”
“Nah,
she was in her office on the telephone. Well, when I came out I hung around
outside the door, like you do.”
“Like
you do,” Julie S echoed.
“You
never know when you might pick up a bit of juicy goss.”
“Comes
in handy sometimes,” Julie S mused.
“For
god sake, you two! Spit it out, Julie,” Nikki snapped impatiently.
“It’s
Miss Stewart, she’s resigning.”
“What!”
Nikki exclaimed. “Julie, are you sure you heard right?”
“’Course
I did,” Julie J retorted indignantly. “I’m not deaf.”
“’Course
she’s not deaf.” Julie S agreed.
Christ!
Nikki thought, she’s resigning because of me. These must be the big plans she
was talking about. She had to stop her. Helen’s career was her whole life. “I’ve
got to go, things to do.” Outside the cell she spotted Di Barker. “Miss, I need
to see the governor urgently. It won’t wait.”
“Alright,
Nikki. I’ll see if she’s free.”
Nikki
followed Di Barker to Helen’s office. She had to resist the desire to get behind
Di and push her
to
make her hurry up. Didn’t she know how important this was?
“Wait
there, Nikki.” She knocked on the office door and pushed it open. “Sorry,
ma’am. Nikki Wade says she needs to speak to you urgently.”
Helen
glanced at her watch. “Bring her in but I can only spare a couple of minutes.
I’ve got a meeting with Mr Stubberfield.”
Di
stood to one side to allow Nikki to enter and the latter glared at her until
she closed the door. “Helen, I need to talk to you. “
“Don’t
I even get a smile?” Helen teased. She came round the desk and ran her fingers
down Nikki’s cheek. “And you have such a beautiful smile.”
Nikki
jerked her head back. “Helen, I haven’t got time for that now.”
“Well,
that’s a first.”
“Helen,
stop mucking around, this is serious. I need to talk to you.”
There
was a knock on the door and Linda poked her head in. “Mr Stubberfield is on his
way, Helen.”
“Sorry,
Nikki, I can’t talk now. I’ll meet you in the garden in about an hour.”
“Helen,”
Nikki said impatiently. “It won’t wait.”
“It’ll
have to.” As if to finalise the conversation the door opened and Stubberfield
entered. “Alright, Nikki, I’ll see you later.” She gave Nikki a reassuring
smile before turning to Stubberfield.
Outside
Di was waiting to escort her back to the wing. Nikki went back to her cell and
spent the next half-hour chain smoking and pacing up and down. Somehow she had
to stop Helen leaving. Stubberfield probably had her resignation by now but she
could withdraw it if she had a good enough reason not to leave. Nikki’s heart
sank. There was only one way Helen would stay at Larkhall and that was if there
was nothing between them. She was going to have to convince Helen she didn’t
love her. Once Helen had withdrawn her resignation she could go to her, explain
her actions and everything would be back to the way it was.
She
left her cell and went in search of Sally one of the inmates on enhanced. Sally
had once tried it on with her and Nikki had told her where to get off in no
uncertain terms. She found her playing a game of pool with one of the other
inmates. She dropped her hand on Sally’s shoulder. “Can I have a word, Sal?”
“Sure,
Nikki. What’s wrong?” She laid down her pool cue and followed Nikki to a quiet
corner where they could talk.
“How
do you fancy helping me play a little trick on one of the screws?”
“What’s
it worth?”
“Packet
of fags and a Kit Kat.” Nikki reached into her breast pocket, pulled out the
afore-mentioned items and waved them temptingly in Sally’s face.
A
greedy hand reached out to take them but Nikki pushed them back into her
pocket. “When the job’s done. Come on.” She set off for the garden leaving
Sally to trot up behind her.
“I’m
not doing any gardening,” Sally wailed.
She
dragged Sally into the potting shed. “I want you to pretend you and I are
making out. It’s just a joke so don’t take it seriously. Are you up for it?”
“Sure,
Nikki.” She’d always fancied the tall lesbian lifer so she was definitely up
for it. “Do you want to rehearse a bit?”
Nikki
snorted in disgust. “Don’t push it, Sal. This is a one-off. I’m old enough to
be your mother, or your father.” She glanced out of the window. Helen had just
emerged from the main building. “Just a couple more minutes, Sal.” She waited
until Helen was almost upon them then pulled Sally into her arms and kissed
her. Nikki drew back quickly. “Get your tongue out of my mouth!” she hissed
then bent her head and kissed Sally again just as Helen appeared in the
doorway.
“Nikki!”
Helen exclaimed.
Nikki
looked at her sheepishly. “Sorry, Miss.” Helen choked back a sob as she
staggered away and it took all Nikki’s willpower not to chase after her and
confess everything.
She
let Sally go and took the cigarettes and chocolate out of her pocket and handed
them to Sally.
“Thanks,
Nikki. Why did you want to play a trick like that on Miss Stewart? She’s one of
the good screws.” Sally laughed as something struck her. “Bet she is a good
screw an’ all.” Seconds later she regretted the words as Nikki hoisted her
bodily from the floor. “You ever badmouth her like that again and you’ll have
me to answer to. Do I make myself clear? Now piss off!” As Sally scuttled from
the shed Nikki dropped her head into her hands. Nothing had prepared her for
the look of torment on Helen’s face and once they got through this she vowed
never again to cause her such pain.