By
Jan
Chapter 9
“Nikki, I’m going to get my hair cut
like yours,” Sarah announced as she walked into the kitchen just as Nikki and
Helen were finishing breakfast.
“You are not!” Nikki exclaimed. “You’ve
got beautiful hair!”
“God, you sounded just like Mum then!”
The young girl’s voice broke as she thought about her mother.
“I know.” Nikki smiled sadly. “She said
exactly the same thing to me when I wanted my hair cutting short but I went and
had it done anyway.”
Sarah
dragged the mane of hair, which was almost down to her waist, over her shoulder
and regarded it wryly. “But it takes so long to mess around with.”
“Alright,”
Nikki relented. “But don’t have too much cut off and regret it.”
“Just
think if all those boys itching to run their fingers through it,” Helen added
jokingly, only to receive a gentle kick under the table from Nikki. She looked
at her partner quizzically and Nikki raised her eyebrows at her.
Sarah
seemed unaware of the interchange as she continued, “Give me the number of your
hairdresser, Nikki.”
“I
haven’t had one for the last three years. One of the women in Larkhall used to
give me a trim.”
Sarah
turned to Helen. “How about yours, Helen, since I’m not prepared to get myself
locked up for a free hair cut?”
“Look
in my address book by the phone. It’s under ‘H’. Will you make me an
appointment for Saturday morning while you’re at it?” she called as Sarah
dashed off then turned to Nikki. “Are you sure she’s gay? She didn’t flinch
when I made the comment about boys running their fingers through her hair…even
though you did kick me!”
“Sorry
about that,” Nikki replied with a disarming grin. “I’m almost sure she is but I
don’t know how to broach the subject with her.”
“Why
don’t we invite Lucy for a meal then you can get your little old gaydar
working,” Helen said teasingly.
“You
can mock, Ms Stewart.” Nikki wagged her finger at her. “But it’s a good idea.
It might even give them a nudge in the right direction. I’ve got her number so
I’ll give her a ring later when Sarah is out of the way. Saturday night okay
with you?”
“Fine.”
She picked up her coffee mug and drained it. “I’d better go or I’ll be late for
work.”
Nikki
stood up with her and drew her into a tight embrace. “Be careful, Helen.
Whoever had it in for Karen…well, you never know…they might have something
against wing governors…even temporary ones.”
Helen
slid her arms around Nikki’s neck. “I will. We’ve been having a quiet time of
it since Fenner went so it’s sod’s law it couldn’t last forever.” They drew
together in a lingering kiss.
“I
love you.” Helen murmured huskily as they parted. She looked at Nikki and saw
the desire in her eyes; the half smile on her lips and with a soft moan reached
up and kissed her hungrily.
“The
hairdresser wasn’t open,” Sarah was saying as she came back into the room then
stopped when she saw the two of them standing together. “Oh, sorry,”
The
couple parted reluctantly and Helen ran her hand down Nikki’s arm and
intertwined their fingers. “It’s okay, I’d better be going anyway.” She
squeezed Nikki’s hand before releasing her. “See you later.”
Nikki
smiled at the hint of promise in Helen’s voice. “Yes, see you.”
“Bye,
Sarah.” Helen touched the young girl’s arm in a friendly gesture as she passed
her.
“Bye,
Helen. I’ll try the hairdresser again later.”
“Okay,
thanks. Anytime Saturday morning but not too early.” She gave Nikki a last
lingering look then hurried out of the room.
“Sorry
for interrupting,” Sarah apologised to Nikki when they were alone.
“It
doesn’t matter. Wrong time to get amorous when Helen has to dash off to work,”
Nikki replied with a smile.
“How
did you and Helen get together?”
“With
difficulty!” Nikki retorted. “I couldn’t stand her at first and I’ve lost count
of the number of times we locked horns then eventually I began to see that she really
did care…not about me but about all the women. I started to respect her and
then…” her voice softened…”I started to love her.” She put her arm around
Sarah’s shoulders and they walked through to the living room and sat down on
the settee.
“And
Helen,” Sarah continued. “Did she love you?”
“Gawd,
no!” Nikki hooted. “Our hate was a mutual thing.”
“So
how did you get together?” Sarah
demanded avidly.
“It’s
a long story and I’ll tell you all about it one day,” Nikki replied patiently.
“Let’s just say, if you’re meant to be with someone, one way or another it will
happen.”
“Fate
you mean?”
“That’s
one way of looking at it but Barbara used to say Helen was my soul mate and we
were meant to be together.”
“Barbara?”
“We
shared a cell in Larkhall. She’ll be out soon. We’ll have a party for her then
you can meet her.”
“Does
everyone have a soul mate?”
Nikki
laughed. “I don’t know, that’s something you’ll have to ask Barbara.”
“Do
you think I have one?”
Nikki
looked tenderly at the young girl. “I’m sure you do and they’ll be lucky to
have you, whoever they are.”
“Lucy…”
Sarah began and then stopped.
“What
about her?” Nikki probed gently.
“Nothing.”
Sarah forced a smile. “I’m going to phone the hairdresser’s again, they should
be open now.”
Nikki
stared after her sister as she left the room. It was a pity Helen wasn’t here
now; her gaydar had just gone into overdrive!
A
cold shudder ran through Helen as she walked onto G-Wing for the first time
since Karen’s attack. The inmates and staff had been told of her change in
status so she should be supremely confident in the knowledge that she was in
charge and the only person in the place with more authority than she had was
the Number One. Now, whoever had attacked Karen had taken away that
confidence…her confidence.
As
she progressed down the wing she could sense a subdued atmosphere about the
place but Karen was a popular governor so that probably accounted for it.
She
smiled as Barbara Hunt walked towards her, safe in the knowledge that the older
woman wouldn’t have done the dirty deed.
“Hello,
Miss Stewart,” Barbara greeted her warmly. “It must be like old times for you,
walking onto G-Wing as the wing governor.”
“It
is, but with a couple of important exclusions,” Helen replied then lowered her
voice so only Barbara could hear her. “No Nikki and, thankfully, no Jim
Fenner.” They both laughed then Helen’s face became serious. “Could I have a
quick word with you?”
As
they walked further down the wing out of the earshot of the other inmates, Reb
Morgan emerged from her cell and watched them through narrowed eyes.
“Reb!”
Her
eyes sought out the woman who had hailed her…standing at the pool table with
two others…and regarded her questioningly.
“How
about you and me taking on these two?”
“Okay,
she agreed. “Be there in a minute.” She went back into her cell and closed the
door, trying to curb the anger and hatred for Helen Stewart that was welling up
inside her. She looked round the cell wildly then picked up the thick Bible
lying on the table, the same book she had used to smuggle in the blade she had
stuck in Karen Betts, and hurled it at the wall. ‘An eye for an eye,’ she
quoted softly.
“Hey,
Reb, are you ready to do battle?” a woman spoke impatiently behind her.
Reb
smiled as she turned round but her eyes remained like ice chips. “I’m ready.”
Helen
made her way back down G-Wing, her eyes darting everywhere, watching for signs
of trouble.
“Miss
Stewart.”
A
woman spoke to her as she passed the pool table. She faced her, trying to bring
her name to mind. She wasn’t one of the lifers so she hadn’t had any direct
contact with her before but she felt sure it was ‘Rebecca something’.
“Yes…Rebecca?”
“Reb,
miss.”
The
woman gave her an attractive smile and she felt a gnawing familiarity at the
back of her mind as she returned the smile. “What can I do for you, Reb?”
“I
just wondered how Miss Betts was, miss. All the women are worried about her.”
All
bar one, Helen thought to herself, but which one? “There’s no need to worry,”
she said aloud. “Miss Betts is going to be fine.”
“That’s
good news. Thank you, miss.”
Helen
nodded and walked away and Rebecca was forgotten as she went over her conversation
with Barbara in her head. She felt sure the older woman hadn’t been lying to
her when she said she hadn’t heard any rumours about Karen’s attacker. Whoever
it was must have been wearing a cloak of invisibility because no one had seen
anything, or at least anything they would admit to. She hurriedly left the wing
and went back to Karen’s office, at least there she felt safe!
Nikki
waited until Sarah had left for the hairdressers before dialling Lucy’s mobile
number. “Hi, Lucy, it’s Nikki,” she said after she had listened to the voice
mail message. “Helen and I were wondering if you’d like to come for a meal on
Saturday night? Give me a call back. Bye.” She replaced the receiver then
picked it up again and dialled the Larkhall number. “Hello, gorgeous,” she said
lovingly when Helen answered the phone. “How’s the sexiest wing governor
Larkhall has ever had?”
“That’s
only because Sylvia Hollamby has never been wing governor,” Helen replied
jokingly.
“How
is the old bag?”
“Still
the same old bag we know and love.”
They
laughed then suddenly Helen went quiet. “Helen,” Nikki said softly.
“What?”
“What’s
wrong?”
“Oh,
Nikki, I know I’m being irrational but when I went onto G-Wing today I
felt…scared…well, not scared exactly but nervous.”
“Darling,
it’s only to be expected,” Nikki replied, trying to reassure her. “Mixed in
with the usual bunch of nutters there’s a nutter who might have a fetish for
wing governors.”
“That’s
it, make me feel better,” Helen retorted.
Nikki
laughed apologetically. “Sorry, I’m not trying to add to your fears.”
“It’s
okay, you haven’t. I’m glad you called, sweetheart. You’ve brought me back down
to earth if nothing else. Did you get in touch with Lucy?”
“I
left her a message. I was wondering about inviting Claire and Tommo too.”
“Good
idea,” Helen agreed then added jokingly. “As long as you’re doing the cooking.”
“Fine
by me, as long as you do the washing up,” Nikki returned.
“Sometimes
I wonder why I love you,” Helen mused.
“Because
I’m great in bed?”
“Hm…that
could have something to do with it.”
“I’d
better let you go,” Nikki said reluctantly. “See you later, darling.”
Long
after Nikki had gone, Helen sat clutching the receiver as if her life depended
on it, still wanting to feel Nikki’s comfort and support. Eventually, with a
sigh, she replaced the receiver. This wasn’t going to get to her, she vowed
determinedly. Being too afraid to leave the safety of Karen’s office wasn’t an
option. The attacker was someone on G-Wing and she was going to find her!