By
Jan
Chapter 12
Helen
woke with that Monday morning feeling. She had had a good weekend and couldn’t bear
to leave the warmth of her bed.
“Coffee’s
up, sweetheart,” Nikki announced as she came into the bedroom carrying a mug of
coffee for Helen and drinking her own as she walked.
Helen
groaned. Nikki had something to get up for…it was her first working day at the
bookshop…and had dived out of bed at the first ring of the alarm clock then she
had been singing in the shower. Sometimes she couldn’t stand her being so
cheerful in the morning.
“You’re
going to be late,” Nikki warned as she put the mugs on the bedside table and
sat down on the edge of the bed.
“Ask
me if I care.”
“Do
you care?” Nikki asked dutifully.
“No
I don’t! I don’t care if I never set foot in Larkhall again!” Helen snapped
petulantly. “I could have had the job you’ve given to Catherine.” She knew she
was being petty because, apart from it enabling her to see Nikki all the time,
she didn’t really want the job in the bookshop.
The
comment made Nikki laugh incredulously. “If I’d have thought for one minute
you’d be happy working there you could have had the job but it’s not
challenging enough for you. You need to be somewhere where you’ll make a
difference like you did at Larkhall.
“Fat
lot of difference I’ll make with a knife stuck in my back!”
“So
that’s what this is all about. Oh, love, come here.”
Helen
sat up quickly and put her arms around Nikki and laid her head against her
chest. “I’m scared,” she admitted tearfully. “I try not to be but sometimes it
just gets to me. When I’m here with you, that’s the only time I feel safe.”
Nikki
hugged her tightly and stroked her hair. “You’ve just got to make sure you’re
never alone on the wing. Take Bodybag with you everywhere you go, even to the
loo.”
“She’s
worse than I am! She’d have a heart attack if somebody said ‘boo’ to her!”
“There
must be something the police have missed,” Nikki mused. “Our girl hasn’t
vanished in a puff of smoke; she must still be on G wing.”
Helen
drew back and looked at her. “I thought you were trying to make me feel
better.”
Nikki
kissed her gently. She might be able to make Helen feel better but that didn’t
stop her being fearful every time she thought of Helen at the mercy of G-wing’s
unknown attacker. “Tell Subberfield to stuff his job and get someone else; let
them have the hassle of looking after the wing until Karen gets back.”
“And
how would I feel if something happened to them? As guilty as hell for putting
them in the firing line.”
“Sod
your feelings of guilt, you selfish bitch! Think about how would I
feel if anything happened to you!” Nikki exploded then she looked at
Helen and they both burst out laughing.
“Thank
you,” Helen said softly.
“For
what?”
“For
making me realise how irrational I was being.”
“No,
you weren’t. It’s only natural you should feel nervous.” She picked up the two
mugs from the bedside table and handed one of them to Helen. “I just wish I
could be there to protect you.”
“I
wouldn’t want to see you back in Larkhall for any reason let alone to protect
me.” She took a sip of her coffee. “As you said, whoever did it is still on the
wing so I’ve just got to keep my wits about me.”
“Come
on, up and at ‘em!” Nikki ordered as she slyly grabbed hold of a handful of
duvet then stood up and dragged it off the bed.
“You’re
evil, you know that, Nikki Wade!” Helen complained.
“Sure
am, honey,” Nikki agreed with a laugh then added as the doorbell rang. “There’s
Tommo with my lift.” She bent and gave Helen a lingering kiss. “See you
tonight.”
“See
you, sweetheart. Good luck.” With Nikki out of the way she snuggled back down but
her feet were cold without the duvet over her. She looked over to where Nikki
had dropped it, just inside the bedroom door, then cursed her partner under her
breath and reluctantly got up.
Barbara
sat back in her chair and read what she had written in her journal. Since Helen
Stewart had asked her to be her eyes and ears she had moved about the wing
eavesdropping on conversations, taking note of anyone who was acting remotely
suspiciously and even spying on the prison officers, all to no avail, however,
because she hadn’t found out anything at all.
She
looked up and smiled as her new cellmate, Rebecca Morgan, entered. The young
woman kept her own council but she was pleasant enough.
“Writing
your memoirs?” Reb indicated the journal.
“Sort
of, it’s a record of my experiences in here. One day I hope to turn it into a
book.”
Reb
gave her a funny look then forced a smile. “What sort of things do you put in
it?”
“Anything,
snippets of conversation, observations.”
“You’ll
have to let me read it sometime.”
“I’ll
send you a signed copy of my book,” Barbara promised with a smile.
“Is
there anything about me in it?” Reb asked, glancing over her shoulder.
Barbara
flicked over the page and read, ”‘my new cellmate, RM, moved in today.’”
“Why
did you put ’RM’?”
“It
pays not to put full names so I just put initials.”
“Is
that all you’ve put about me?”
“More
or less. I’ve also said that you’re pleasant and respectable.”
“Well,
I’d appreciate it if you didn’t put anything else in it about me,” Reb stated
with a smile but there wasn’t any warmth in her eyes.
“Of
course,” Barbara agreed, feeling suddenly uneasy under the young woman’s gaze.
Reb
turned away abruptly, opened her locker and took out a paperback Western. “See
you later,” she muttered as she left the cell.
When
she was alone, Barbara closed her journal slowly and let out a long breath. Why
did that sound like a threat?
At
the bookshop, Nikki was leaning on the counter writing in marker pen on a large
piece of white card. She straightened and surveyed her handiwork…an ‘under new
management’ sign for the shop window…and felt maybe she was being a bit
presumptuous. “Do you think I’m doing the right thing?” she asked Tommo
dubiously.
Tommo
looked up from the antique furniture book she was reading. “What? Running a
bookshop?”
“No,
idiot, putting this sign in the window!”
“For
all intents and purposes the shop is
under new management.”
“It
seems a bit premature that’s all. The sale isn’t even completed yet.”
“It’s
what the old guy wanted so get it put in the window then go and put the kettle
on!” Tommo ordered jokingly.
Nikki
laughed and did as she was told. In the storeroom she put the kettle on then
had a nose round and found a box of chocolate biscuits that Mr Babbage must
have left. She put some onto a plate and carried it through to the shop.
“Choccy biscuits courtesy of Mr Babbage,” she announced as she waved the plate
under Tommo’s nose.
“That
was nice of him,” Tommo replied absently.
“Something
on your mind?” Nikki asked as she bit into a chocolate covered wafer.
“I
was thinking about when we were in Larkhall. We knew that Fenner and Dockley were
the bad guys. It was common knowledge that Dockley was a psycho but whoever
stabbed Miss Betts is a different kind of nutter.” She picked up a biscuit, bit
into it and chewed it thoughtfully before continuing. “She’s dangerous because
she doesn’t stand out in a crowd. To all intents and purposes she’s totally
normal then she moves in, does what she has to do and then blends back into the
background. They won’t find her unless she strikes again and maybe not even
then; she’s too cool and calculating to give herself away.”
Nikki
shuddered, suddenly fearful for Helen’s safety. “Give it a rest, Tommo, you’re
giving me the willies.”
“Sorry,
mate.”
“Quite
the little amateur psychiatrist, aren’t you?” Nikki teased.
“I
wanted to be a criminal psychologist…you know, shades of Cracker…and I read
every book I could lay my hands on about the subject but when my dad took ill
someone had to bring in a wage packet.”
“So
you gave up your dream?”
“Well,
it was a crazy idea anyway. I would probably have been a total failure at it.”
She picked up another biscuit from the plate. “I’ll go and make a drink. Tea or
coffee?”
“Coffee,
please.” Nikki watched her go with an affectionate smile. She had never met
anyone as totally selfless as Tommo was and wished she could do something to
help her.
Sylvia
Hollamby stood at the gate to G-Wing and surveyed the inmates through narrowed
eyes. They were all scum as far as she was concerned but she couldn’t believe
someone like the two Julies or Hunt could be capable of a cold-blooded attack
on Miss Betts. If Jim Fenner was still here he would know what to do. He
wouldn’t be pussyfooting round them. She moved further onto the wing,
cautiously keeping her back to the wall. No one was going to take her unawares!
“Hunt!” she called. “Miss Stewart can see you now.” She waited until Barbara
joined her then scurried from the wing. “Walk in front of me so I can keep an
eye on you,” she ordered as they made their way to Helen’s office.
“Mrs
Hollamby, surely you don’t think I had anything to do with the attack on Miss
Betts?” Barbara demanded incredulously.
“I’m
not taking any chances,” Sylvia retorted tartly. She knocked on Helen’s door
and flung it open. “In you go.”
“Hello,
Barbara,” Helen greeted her pleasantly. “Take a seat. What can I do for you?”
Barbara
sat down in front of the desk and looked at the wing governor expectantly.
“I’ve been thinking about when I’m released; I’ll need somewhere to live and I
wondered if Nikki would look for a little house for me.”
“I’m
sure she would. If you give me the details…price range, location, that sort of
thing…I’ll pass them onto her.”
The
older woman smiled with relief. “That’s a weight off my mind.” She got up to
leave. “Is there any news on Miss Betts?”
“She’s
doing fine and she should be back at work soon. I know it’s only been a couple
of days but have you found out anything?”
“I’m
sorry, nothing at all.”
“Can’t
be helped,” Helen replied, unable to hide her disappointment. “At least you
tried. How’s it going with your new cellmate?”
“Alright,
I think.”
Helen
looked at her curiously. “Problems?”
“She’s
pleasant enough but I keep a journal and when she found out I’d written
something about her in it she seemed…menacing.” She laughed, feeling a little
foolish. “I’m probably just being paranoid. It’s getting to us all, even Mrs
Hollamby was nervous around me.”
“I
know how you feel,” Helen replied sympathetically. “Don’t go anywhere on your
own, Barbara. Try and stick with a crowd. Just a few more weeks and you’ll be
out of here.”
“Thank
you, Miss Stewart.”
After
Barbara had gone, Helen took Rebecca Morgan’s file from her cabinet. It was the
young woman’s first time in prison. She had received a three-year sentence for
beating up her ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend. Her mother was named as
next of kin. She closed the file thoughtfully. She looked such a quiet little
thing too.
Back
on the wing, Barbara went and sat with the Julies, at least she felt safe with
those two. “I’ve just been to see Miss Stewart,” she told them chattily. “I’ll
need somewhere to live when I get out of here so I asked her to get…erm…a
friend to try and find me somewhere.”
“Nikki
you mean?” Julie Johnston said with a sly wink.
“Well,
I…” Barbara flustered.
“Come
off it, Babs,” Julie Saunders interjected. “We didn’t come down on no…”
“…up
train,” Julie J finished the sentence for her.
“Plain
as the nose…”
“…on
yer face. Anyone could tell…”
“…those
two were smitten with each other.”
“Just
keep it quiet,” Barbara ordered.
“Dark
like…”
“…black
pudding.”
“We’ll
be getting out ourselves in a few weeks,” Julie J said excitedly.
“Last
time in here for us an all,” Julie S added vehemently.
“I
hope you mean that,” Barbara replied, feeling dizzy as the conversation bounced
between the two women.
“We
do,” they promised, this time in unison.
Reb
watched as the three women chatted. She had heard Hunt say she had been to see
Miss Stewart but couldn’t catch the rest of the conversation. Her eyes bored
into Hunt’s back. Seems like she was another one who would have to be dealt
with. “If you sow the wind, you must reap the whirlwind,” she murmured as she
turned and walked slowly up the steps to her cell.