By
Jan
Chapter 4
Sarah Wade looked up from her magazine as the
front door slammed and her brother stormed into the room. Without warning he
snatched the magazine from her hands and flung it viciously across the room.
“What
the hell do you mean by interfering in things that don’t concern you?” he
demanded angrily.
Sarah
blinked in surprise at his outburst. “What do you mean?”
“You’ve
been to see her!”
“Who?”
“Don’t
act stupid with me, Sarah!” he retorted. “You’ve been to see Nikki! How the
hell did you find out about her?”
“I
saw her on the news when she was released. I couldn’t believe how alike we were
and wondered if she was family so I did a bit of investigating.” She looked at
him accusingly. “Now I know why you kept the box with mum and dad’s papers in
away from me. I found her birth certificate and some photos!”
“You
had no right prying…”
“She’s
our sister!”
His
face contorted viciously. “She stopped being my sister when she walked out
almost twenty years ago! Now she’s just a murdering dyke!”
“Simon!
That’s a horrible thing to say!” she exclaimed.
He
sat down in an armchair and brushed imaginary specks from his trousers. “I don’t
appreciate her coming into my office and shouting the odds at me. She even had
the bare-faced cheek to ask about mum and dad.”
“What
did she say when you told her about them?”
“I
didn’t tell her.” He heard her gasp of surprise and continued defensively, “Why
the hell should I? It’s got nothing to do with her!”
“They
were her parents too!” She shook her head at him in amazement. “You’re so
bloody selfish, Simon!”
He
glared at her. “I wasn’t selfish when I took you on, was I?”
Sarah
bit her lip to stop it from trembling. “You can’t stop me seeing her!” she said
defiantly. “You and Nikki are all I’ve got left.”
“For
Christ’s sake! You’ve never even met her and, anyway, she doesn’t want anything
to do with you!” he retorted spitefully.
“You
can’t know that,” she replied tearfully.
“I
do because she told me so herself!”
She
jumped up; tears of pain and anger streaming down her face. “Stop telling me
what to do, Simon, or you’ll have lost both of us!”
“Don’t
you dare go near her!” he bellowed but realised he was talking to himself when
he heard the door slam.
Sarah
hurried to the bus stop fearful that Simon would come after her. She’d lost her
mother and father but she’d found a sister and she wasn’t going to give her up
that easily!
She
got off the bus at the terminus and walked the rest of the way to the
nightclub. Hopefully Trisha would be able to give her Nikki’s address.
There
was a brisk rap on the office door and Helen sighed irritably at the intrusion.
She had been trying all morning to write a report on one of the prisoners and
it was particularly difficult to find anything good to say about a woman who
callously mugged old ladies…in one incident, fatally. She forced a smile as
Alex Gilbert entered.
“All
alone?” he asked, even though he could see for himself that she was.
“What
can I do for you?”
“I…er…just
wondered if you were busy.”
She
eyed him up impatiently. He had been hanging around her office for days; ‘just
popped in for a chat’ was his usual excuse but he never actually said anything
of any interest. “Alex, is something bothering you?”
He
gave a wry smile. “I think I acted too hastily when I decided to take the job
in Canada.”
“Are
you having second thoughts?” she asked in surprise.
“I
think I took it for all the wrong reasons. I suppose I was running away but I
realise now I don’t need to.”
She
shifted uneasily at his words. “Alex, you know I love Nikki.”
“I’m
sorry,” he apologised quickly. “That wasn’t what I meant but I think I could be
more use here than over there.”
“Larkhall,
you mean?” she asked in surprise and he nodded. “That’s great! The women need
someone who cares.”
“They
had you, you cared and you’re leaving,” he said pointedly.
“I
don’t have a choice,” she returned defensively. “I want to be with Nikki more
than I want to be in the prison service.”
“Point
taken,” he concurred. “Have you made your mind up yet about what you’re going
to do when you leave?”
“I’m
not sure what I want to do. Nikki’s offered me a job as a glass collector until
I find something,” she added jokingly.
“You
could do worse. At least you would get the chance to spend some time together.”
“Aye,
there is that I suppose.”
He
ran his fingers through his hair and scratched the back of his head. “Do you
fancy going for a drink after work?”
“Okay,”
she agreed readily. Unless she was very much mistaken he had something else he
needed to get off his chest.
“Not
checking with Nikki first?” he teased.
She
scowled. “No, I don’t have to tell her everything.”
“But
you will?”
“Of
course. We don’t have any secrets from each other.” He gave a mocking smile and
she pointed at the door. “Go! Let me get some work done. I have a lifers’
meeting in half an hour.”
Before
he could move there was another knock on the door and Karen poked her head in.
“Sorry, didn’t realise you had someone with you,” she said apologetically then
nodded at the doctor. “Alex.”
Helen
looked from one to the other of her visitors. Funnily enough, just lately both
Karen and Alex had taken to popping in to see her, usually both at the same
time.
“I’ll…er…”
Alex jerked his thumb backwards and started to edge out of the room.
“What’s
going on?” Helen asked Karen when there was just the two of them.
“Going
on?” Karen echoed.
“You
and Alex are like each other’s shadow. Are you interested in him?”
“Interested
in Alex? Of course not!” she retorted then admitted reluctantly, “Well, yes I
am.”
“Have
you told him?”
“Hardly.
He’s a bit young for me.”
“That
doesn’t seem to bother him.”
“What
do you mean?”
“Every
time you come in here he follows you in and vice versa!”
“Sheer
coincidence,” Karen replied innocently.
“Yeah,
I believe you,” Helen said slyly. “Did you know he was thinking about not going
to Canada?”
“Wonder
what brought that on?” Karen mused.
Helen
smirked. “Hm, I wonder.” The doctor and the Wing Governor were so transparent
about their feelings for each other she was surprised the other one hadn’t
guessed. “I’m meeting him for a quick drink after work, why don’t you come
along?”
“I
couldn’t,” Karen replied albeit hesitantly. “Could I?”
“And
if you’re very lucky…” Helen winked…”I might not even turn up!”
Trisha
did a double take as Sarah walked into the nightclub. Apart from her hair being
longer, her resemblance to Nikki was uncanny and it made her realise how much
she bitterly regretted the split with her former lover. She raised her hand in
greeting and Sarah walked over to her. “Hi. What can I do for you?” she asked
pleasantly.
“Could
you give me Nikki’s address?” Sarah asked apprehensively. “Or has she told you
not to give it to me?”
“No,
she hasn’t so I don’t think it should be a problem but I have a better idea…Nikki
is coming to my place for dinner tomorrow night, why don’t you join us?”
Sarah
grimaced. “I don’t think she would be very happy about that.”
“Nonsense!
It was just a shock for her when she saw you but she’ll be alright once she’s
had a chance to think things over.”
“I
really hope so.”
“So
do I set an extra place then?” Trisha teased and smiled triumphantly when Sarah
nodded.
Helen
looked at herself in the mirror then at the reflection of Nikki who was
standing by the bed pulling on her trousers. She was dreading tonight, dreading
meeting Trisha again and having to force herself to be nice to her. She knew
there was nothing between Nikki and Trisha now but Trisha still looked at her
with an air of possession. “Wish we weren’t going tonight,” she muttered as she
took the top off her lipstick. As the end of the fragrant smelling stick
touched her mouth, Nikki spoke behind her.
“Hold
on.” She slid her arms around Helen’s waist from behind. “I just want to give
you a kiss before you put your tart stick on.” As Helen turned her head Nikki
dropped a kiss on her slightly parted lips.
“Hm,”
Helen murmured softly and leaned back against her. “Do we really have to
go out?”
Nikki
took the lipstick from her and ran it over her own lips before replying. “’Fraid
so.”
“I
could make it worth your while,” Helen drawled sexily and brushed up against
her.
“I’m
sure you could,” Nikki smiled. “But you’ll smudge my lipstick!” She held out
the lipstick and Helen snatched it from her.
“Well,
don’t expect me to enjoy myself,” she said sulkily.
Nikki
hugged her tightly and laughed. “Don’t worry, I won’t.”
Helen
braced herself as Nikki knocked on the door of the house she had once shared
with Trisha then took a step closer to Nikki as the door opened to reveal the
smiling woman.
“Nice
to see you again, Helen,” Trisha said unconvincingly then put her arms around
Nikki and gave her a lingering kiss before standing to one side to allow them
to enter.
“You
too,” Helen agreed, equally unconvincingly.
“Go
on in and help yourselves to a drink. I’ll just check on dinner.”
Helen
followed Nikki into the living room. The day Nikki was released from Larkhall
they had come to pick up some of her things but they hadn’t come into this
room. Since then Nikki had gone on her own to pick up the rest of her
belongings. She looked around her trying to imagine Nikki living there.
“I
see you’ve had the decorators in,” Nikki called out.
“Like
it?” Trisha called back from the kitchen.
“It’s
alright.”
“But
not really your taste,” Trisha replied as she came back into the.
“Not
really,” came the honest answer.
They
were all comfortably seated with a drink when there was a knock on the door.
Nikki, who was sitting on the settee with Helen beside her, looked at Trisha
quizzically. “Expecting someone else?”
Trisha
smiled secretively. “Yes. I’ll just go and let her in.”
“She
must have a new girlfriend,” Nikki muttered to Helen when they were alone.
“Good.
Maybe she’ll keep her hands off you,” Helen muttered back.
Nikki
laughed but her face became serious when Trisha entered followed by Sarah.
“What the hell is she doing here?” she demanded angrily. She started to rise
but Helen grabbed her arm to still her.
“Nikki,
please. Can’t we just talk?” Sarah asked nervously.
“I’ve
nothing to say to you.”
“You’re
my sister…”
“No!
We had the same parents that’s all!”
“I
have to tell you about mum and dad,” Sarah said softly. “They died.”
“Died?”
Nikki’s voice was scarcely more than a whisper. She blindly reached out for
Helen’s hand and gripped it tightly.
Sarah
sat down and regarded her sister intently. “It was about five years ago. Mum
had cancer; there wasn’t anything they could do for her. Dad went six months
later. I think he died of a broken heart.”
“Dad
with a broken heart,” Nikki said scornfully.
“He
changed after Mum died. He went to pieces then eventually he just seemed to
give up.”
“Well,
don’t expect me to feel sorry,” Nikki retorted then pressed the back of her
hand against her mouth as she choked back a sob.
“Do
you want to go home, sweetheart?” Helen asked gently. She looked at Trisha
apologetically when Nikki nodded. “I’m sorry about your meal.”
“It
doesn’t matter. If I’d known I wouldn’t have…” She shrugged. She still loved
Nikki and felt remorseful that she might have caused her pain.
Helen
turned to Sarah. “Why don’t you come with us? We have a spare bed.”
The
young woman forced a tearful smile. “I’d like that. If it’s alright with
Nikki.”
Again
Nikki nodded and Helen slipped her arm around her. “Come on, let’s go,” she
said gently.
When
they reached the flat, Helen showed Sarah into the living room then helped
Nikki upstairs to their bedroom.
“Are
you alright?” she asked helplessly as Nikki sat down on the edge of the bed.
“I
can’t believe I’ll never see them again.” Nikki replied dejectedly.
“I
know, sweetheart.”
“How
can you know?” she retorted then added apologetically. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t
be taking this out on you. None of this is your fault.”
“It
doesn’t matter.” Helen caressed her hair then dropped a kiss on the top of her
head. “Do you need anything?”
“To
be on my own.” She smiled up at Helen to soften her words. “Just for a little
while.”
“Okay.
I’ll go and get Sarah settled and come back up in a bit.” She went downstairs
deep in thought and into the living room where she found Sarah holding a framed
photo of the two of them.
“You
look good together,” Sarah remarked as she put down the photo.
“Thanks.
My dad took it a few days after Nikki was released.” Since Nikki’s release
their lives had been filled with so much love and happiness and it showed on
both their faces. She looked guiltily at Sarah, suddenly realising the young
woman had been deprived of her dinner. “Can I get you anything to eat or
drink?”
“I
wouldn’t mind a sandwich, please.”
“Come
through and I’ll see what we’ve got.” She led the way into the kitchen where
she flicked the kettle switch on then opened the fridge door and peered inside.
“Ham or cheese?”
“Cheese,
please. I’m a vegetarian.”
“I
toyed with the idea at one point but I do like a nice steak,” Helen admitted
wryly. Sarah laughed and it was almost like a younger version of Nikki standing
in front of her.
As
she made them both a sandwich they chatted together amicably. Sarah told Helen
about her life since her parents had died and how she hoped to train to be a
teacher but since finding out about Nikki she had been considering a career in
the prison service.
“How
did you find out about Nikki?” Helen asked tentatively.
“I
saw the news report when she was released and knew we must be related in some
way because apart from the surname we look so alike. Simon had a box with all
our parents’ papers in it but he would never let me see what was inside so one
day when I was in the house on my own I went through it. There was her birth
certificate and pictures of her with the family. I decided to try and contact
her but I didn’t say anything to Simon because I thought he would try and stop
me. I was right there, wasn’t I?” she added with a grimace. “I rang the prison
but they wouldn’t give me any information so I went through back issues of
newspapers and read up on her trial.”
“And
how do you feel knowing your sister is a cold-blooded killer?” Nikki spoke
icily from the doorway causing both Helen and Sarah to jump.
“You’re
not…” Helen began but Nikki interrupted sharply.
“No!
Let her answer!”
Sarah
stood and turned to face her sister. Her chin rose defiantly. “Ashamed!”