By
Jan
Chapter 13
Reb
stood behind the cell door, her hands clasped almost in prayer but she knew her
joined hands made an effective club that would poleaxe Hunt when she came
through the door. Hunt was a creature of habit and always had a nap at the same
time every day, just before tea. Her ‘power nap’ she called it. Sure enough, a
few minutes later she heard footsteps coming along the landing. She shrank back
against the wall as the footsteps neared the cell door and raised her arms
ready for the onslaught.
“Hunt!
Miss Stewart wants to see you…again!”
Reb
froze as Sylvia Hollamby’s impatient voice reached her ears then the footsteps
started to retreat. She unclasped her hands and moved to the centre of the
cell. Next time!
To
Barbara’s amusement, Sylvia again went through the rigmarole of making her walk
in front of her as she escorted her to Helen’s office. After a cursory knock
the officer opened the door but instead of dismissing her, Helen asked her to
stay.
“Sit
down, both of you,” Helen said briskly, her lips set in a firm line. She waited
until the two women were seated before continuing. “Barbara, you expressed
concerns about your cellmate.”
“It’s
nothing concrete, Miss Stewart, just…feelings,” Barbara replied hesitantly.
“Nevertheless,
we have so little to go on that I don’t think we should let any stone go
unturned. Mrs Hollamby, when you get back to the wing I want you to let it be
known that Barbara took ill on the way here and she’ll be in the Infirmary for
a couple of days.”
“I
don’t understand, ma’am. She seems perfectly alright to me,” Sylvia responded
vaguely.
“I
know that and you know that and that’s the way it will stay,” Helen said
pointedly.
“With
all due respect, Miss Stewart,” Barbara put in. “I don’t think that’s the way
to go. Rebecca doesn’t know I suspect her so I can keep a better eye on her if
I’m in the cell with her.”
“I
don’t know, Barbara, it could be dangerous.”
“If
anything happens to me while we’re locked up at least you will know who to
blame,” Barbara countered lightly.
“Are
you trying to say that Morgan tried to kill Miss Betts?” Sylvia exclaimed as the
light dawned.
“Let’s
just say it’s a possibility,” Helen replied grimly.
“Then
you’ve got to tell the police.”
“We
can’t, Sylvia. For a start, we haven’t any evidence but I think Barbara’s
right.” She looked at the older woman kindly. “I can’t ask you to do this,
Barbara, but if you’re willing I’ll do everything I can to safeguard you.”
Barbara
went back to her cell in trepidation. She was scared what Rebecca might do if
she was guilty but none of them would feel any peace until the attacker was unmasked.
The young woman was stretched out on her bunk when she entered and she gave
Barbara a suspicious look.
“What
did Miss Stewart want you for?” she asked bluntly.
Barbara
took a deep breath. She had to act as normally as possible because her life could
depend on it. “I asked her to contact a friend of mine about finding a house
for me for when I’m released and she wanted to tell me that she had been in
touch with her.”
Reb
seemed to visibly relax as she smiled and moved into a sitting position. “When
I get out of here I’m going to buy myself a house on a beach somewhere hot.”
“Do
you have any family?”
“Only
my mother.”
“What
about your father?”
Reb
stood up, hands clenching and unclenching. “He’s dead.”
“I’m
sorry, “ Barbara murmured sympathetically.
“Why?
It wasn’t your fault.”
Barbara
smiled stiffly. The young woman just couldn’t seem to accept anyone being nice
to her. “Well, I promised I’d give the Julies an update on my housing
arrangements. See you later.”
“Count
on it,” Reb muttered as she watched her leave.
Helen
pulled into the side of the road and checked the address on the piece of paper
she had torn from her office notepad to make sure she had the right number. It
seemed to be a nice area. The houses were all stone clad with a small
fence-less front garden. She got out of the car and walked up the path and
knocked on the door. When her knock wasn’t answered, she stepped back and
looked up at the windows.
“Are
you looking for Mrs Morgan?” an elderly woman called from the path of the house
next door.
“Yes,
I am.” Helen walked down the path and the woman came to meet her.
“She’s
away for a couple of days. Back the day after tomorrow. I’m looking after the
house for her.”
Helen
frowned. “Okay, thanks. I’ll come back.”
“Can
I say who called?” the woman probed.
“No,
it’s nothing important. I’ll call back another time.” Helen smiled and walked
away without giving the woman chance to pry any further. She climbed into her
car and switched on the engine just as her mobile rang.
“Yes,
Sylvia, what is it?” she asked when she recognised the Senior Officer’s voice.
“It’s
Rebecca Morgan, Miss Stewart. She’s been found badly beaten in her cell.”
“I’m
on my way back.” She switched off her mobile and dragged at her seatbelt with a
muttered ‘shit’ under her breath. It looked as if they had been barking up the
wrong tree!
“Would
you like to tell me what happened, Rebecca?” Helen invited as she stood beside the
young woman’s bed in the Infirmary. She felt a wave of sympathy for the inmate
who had a black eye and a split lip.
“I
walked into my cell, miss, and someone was waiting behind the door for me.”
Reb’s eyes filled with tears as she continued brokenly. “I felt something hit
the back of my head and I went down then she hit me in the face and started
kicking me.” She held up her arms to show off her bruises.
“She?”
the wing governor demanded suspiciously.
“I
assume it was a woman unless, of course, it was one of the male officers,” Reb
parried.
“Of
course,” Helen concurred and cast a glance at Sylvia who was standing at the
other side of the bed. “But you wouldn’t be able to identify your attacker?”
“No,
miss. Although, I suppose it could have been the same person who attacked Miss
Betts.” She tried to smile but the action made her wince and she touched her
lip gingerly.
“I’ll
speak to the women and see if anyone saw anything. If you think of anything
else then let me know.” She gave Reb a smile but it didn’t hold any warmth
“Thank
you, miss.”
“A
word outside, Mrs Hollamby, please,” she said crisply, nodded at Reb then
walked out of the Infirmary with Sylvia following in her wake. In the corridor,
she turned to face the older woman. “Looks like we got it wrong but I want you
to keep an eye on her, Sylvia. I still don’t trust her.”
“You
don’t think she did that to herself, do you?” Sylvia retorted.
“Hardly
but she could still be the one who attacked Karen and the women found out and
handed out their own brand of justice.”
“At
least it gets me off the Wing. My nerves are shot to pieces. I wouldn’t be
surprised if I didn’t have a breakdown,” Sylvia whined.
“Well,
you’ll be in the right place if you do,” Helen returned sarcastically. “I’ll
send someone to relieve you later.” She walked off down the corridor deep in
thought. Just when it looked as if they were getting somewhere this had to
happen but personally, she would still feel infinitely safer on G-Wing if
Morgan was locked up in the Infirmary.
Helen
closed the door behind her, shutting out the outside world, dropped her bag in
the hallway and breathed a sigh of relief. It had been a trying day and she was
glad to be home. “Nikki!” she called out.
“Kitchen,”
Nikki called back.
Helen
went through to the kitchen and found her chopping vegetables. She slid her
arms around Nikki’s waist and they shared a lingering kiss. When they parted
she picked up a piece of carrot and stood munching on it. “Is Sarah in?”
“No,
she phoned to say she was going straight to Lucy’s from college.”
“How
did your first day at the shop go?”
“It
was okay. I doubt I’ll be able to retire yet but I enjoyed it. I thought I
would leave Tommo in charge tomorrow and go to a book sale.” She tapped Helen’s
fingers with the chopping knife as she picked up another piece of carrot. “By
the way, Tommo has a theory about your phantom G-Wing attacker.”
“You’d
better tell me what it is then because our prime suspect was beaten up in her
cell today,” Helen told her gloomily.
“That’s
bad news,” Nikki replied sympathetically and gave her a hug.
“You’re
telling me. Now we don’t know if we’re looking for a serial attacker or an
avenging angel?”
“Avenging
angel?”
“Morgan
could have attacked Karen and the attack on her could have been payback time
from the other women. Karen was very popular. If it is just one attacker
then they must be invisible because none of the women saw anything or at least
nothing they are prepared to own up to.”
“That
was basically Tommo’s theory. Your attacker is someone who blends in, is
inconspicuous, they strike and then blend right back in again.”
“That
certainly describes Morgan; the blending in, inconspicuous bit. I went to see
her mother but she’s away for a couple of days.”
“Why
did you go and see her mother?”
“I
thought it might help if I could get some background information on her. If
only someone on the Wing had seen something,” she said irritably as she picked
up another piece of carrot and popped it into her mouth.
“Will
you stop nicking my carrots or there won’t be any for dinner!” Nikki scolded
her.
“Good
for the eyesight; millions of rabbits can’t be wrong.” Helen wrinkled her nose
at her then slid her arms around her waist and drew her closer. “And since
we’ve got the place to ourselves why don’t we do the other thing that rabbits
like doing.”
“And
what might that be?” Nikki asked slyly.
“Well,
it sure as hell ain’t eating lettuce!” Helen laughed sexily as she took her
hand and led her upstairs.
Sarah
raised her head from Lucy’s knee, slipped her arm around her neck and drew her
down into a lingering kiss.
Today
had been her first day at teachers’ training college and while everything was
new and exciting to her she couldn’t wait for the end of the day when she could
dash home and be with the woman who meant the world to her. She was the first
one in so she had a meal almost ready when Lucy arrived home from work around
an hour later.
The
moan of desire at the back of Lucy’s throat as she returned Sarah’s kiss turned
to a groan of consternation as there was a loud knock on the door.
“Why
don’t you leave it?” Sarah suggested breathlessly as they drew apart.
“Because
whoever it is can see I’m in. The light is on and my car is outside.” She
dropped a swift kiss on Sarah’s lips then reluctantly got up as the caller
knocked again. Her smile of contentment turned to a look of dismay when she
opened the door and found Simon standing on her doorstep. “What do you want?”
she demanded frostily.
“Just
to talk.” He smiled charmingly and shouldered his way into the house then
preceded her into the living room. “Sarah,” he said in surprise when he saw his
sister sitting on the settee. “What are you doing here?”
“Sarah
and I had dinner together,” Lucy put in quickly.
“Very
cosy. Make yourself scarce, squirt!” he ordered pompously as he settled himself
in an armchair. “I want to talk to my wife.”
Sarah’s
hands clenched into fists and her teeth set angrily but before she could
retaliate Lucy sat down beside her and touched her arm gently.
“It’s
okay, Sarah,” she murmured and gave her a loving smile then looked at her
estranged husband challengingly. “You can say what you have to say in front of
Sarah.”
“I’d
rather talk to you alone. Go and make me a coffee, Sarah!”
“You
can’t order…” began Sarah.
“Sarah,
please,” Lucy interjected swiftly. “Would you make us all some coffee?” She
waited until the young woman had left the room before continuing. “Say what
you’ve got to say, Simon, and then get out!”
“Don’t
be like that, sweetie,” he said smoothly. “You know how I feel about you. I
want us to get back together.”
“I
told you the other night, I’m not interested.”
He
leaned forward in his chair. “But we were good together.”
“Were,
Simon. Were.”
He
went and sat beside her and grabbed hold of her hands but she dragged them
away. “And we could be again,” he continued, undeterred.
“No!”
Sarah exclaimed from the doorway.
“Keep
out of this, squirt! It’s got nothing to do with you.”
“It
has everything to do with me…”
“Sarah,”
Lucy hissed warningly.
“Tell
him, Lucy. Tell him why you can’t go back to him,” Sarah ordered coming all the
way into the room.
“What’s
she talking about, Lucy?”
“Tell
him, Lucy,” Sarah repeated.
“Please,
Sarah,” Lucy begged. “Let me do it my way.”
“What’s
going on? What are you doing here,
Sarah?” He stood up and looked from one to the other suspiciously. Suddenly
everything seemed to fall into place. “Are you trying to tell me that you two
are…?” He laughed, loudly and maliciously. “How can one man be so bloody
unlucky? Both my sisters and my wife!”
Lucy
looked at him guiltily. “I’m sorry if I’ve hurt you, Simon.”
“Don’t
flatter yourself, ” he retorted, his face a mask of disgust. “I must have been
bloody stupid to want you back when you’ve been carrying on with my own
sister.”
“We
haven’t been carrying on,” Lucy contradicted defensively. “Nothing happened
when you and I were together.”
“Save
it for the divorce court!”
“Don’t
drag Sarah into it, please.” She hated having to ask him for anything but she
didn’t want her lover’s name dragged through the mud.
“I’ll
keep her name out of it but only because I don’t want to be made a mockery of
by you two bitches!” he snarled and stormed out, slamming the front door so
viciously that the house seemed to shake.
Sarah
crossed swiftly to Lucy and put her arms around her. “Don’t let him spoil it
for us,” she said softly.
Lucy
kissed her gently. “He can’t spoil it for us because I won’t let him.” She took
Sarah’s hand and smiled seductively. “Now, what were we doing before we were so
rudely interrupted?”