Chapter 2
A lone tear ran down Nikki’s cheek. If Trish had
lived, today would have been her thirtieth birthday. Then again, if Trish had lived,
she wouldn’t be serving a life sentence for killing her! Her hands were covered
in potting compost so she brushed the tear away with the sleeve of her blouse.
Even after the way Trish had betrayed her, she couldn’t totally hate her. She
knew she had to shoulder some of the blame. If she had spent more time with her
instead of locking herself away concentrating on her writing then maybe Trish
wouldn’t have strayed.
There was a brisk knock on the potting shed door then
it opened and Karen Betts stepped inside. Nikki looked at her in surprise.
“Miss Betts! We don’t often see you in the garden.”
“I haven’t seen you for a couple of days. I just
wondered how you were. Officer Barker said you seemed a bit down at breakfast
and that you didn’t eat anything at all.” Karen looked at her with concern.
“Don’t worry, Miss Betts. I’m not on hunger strike,”
Nikki retorted sarcastically. She studied Karen long and hard before
continuing. “Trish would have been thirty today.”
“I’m sorry,” Karen replied sympathetically.
“Yeah, me too,” Nikki said simply.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Karen asked quietly.
Nikki shook her head. “I’ve talked about it until I’m
blue in the face but nobody wants to listen to the truth. They believe what
they want to believe. I was a rich, successful dyke and she was a defenceless,
pregnant woman. Kinda sways public opinion, don’t you think?” she demanded
bitterly.
“But you said you were innocent.”
“I am but all the evidence pointed to my guilt.
Scratches on my cheek, my skin under Trish’s fingernails and I didn’t have an
alibi but I had the best motive in the world…my girlfriend had had an affair
and was having some fucking man’s kid! Who would you believe, Karen?” Nikki’s
voice had risen angrily but as she spoke the name she looked aghast. “I’m
sorry, it just slipped out,” she muttered, anxiously awaiting Karen’s reaction.
“Don’t worry, Nikki.” Karen touched her arm gently.
“I’m not going to put you on the block for calling me by my first name. We all
need friends in this world and I hope that’s how you’re starting to see me. If
you ever need to talk, you know where I am,” she told Nikki kindly. “Now, I’d
better get back before the troops come looking for me.”
As she went out of the potting shed door, Jim Fenner
loomed in front of her. She regarded him through narrowed eyes. “Did you want
me for something, Jim?”
“You want to be careful about spending so much time
alone with Wade, Karen. People might start to talk,” he said slyly.
“You mean, you might have a word in the Number One’s
ear,” Karen retorted, as she started to walk back to the main building.
Fenner watched her go. He would have to keep a careful
eye on those two. Dykes like Wade jumped on anything with a pulse, so it was
only a matter of time!
Back in her office, Karen sank thoughtfully into her
chair. Fenner was a scheming bastard who would stop at nothing to get her job
including blackening her name. Unfortunately, this time he was right. She was spending too much time alone with an
inmate. Most of her women friends on the outside liked nothing better than to
bitch and gossip but Nikki Wade was different and she had been actively seeking her out. She knew she would have to be
careful in future, but why the hell should Fenner dictate to her? The telephone
rang and she sighed deeply.
“Karen Betts,” she said briskly into the mouthpiece.
“It’s me, Karen.”
She pulled a face when she heard her husband’s voice.
He didn’t usually ring her at work unless there was a problem. “What’s wrong,
Phil?”
“Just to let you know, I’ve got to go away for a few
day and I’ll have gone before you get back tonight.” She heard the edge in his
voice and knew he was lying. He had lied to her so often about so many women,
she couldn’t believe anything he said anymore. He obviously wasn’t going alone,
probably that new secretary of his.
“OK, then, Phil. I’ll see you when you get back.” She
dropped the receiver back onto its rest without another word. It had got to the
point where she couldn’t be bothered to fight for him. They hadn’t made love
for months and each time he went away, she was tempted to have all the locks in
the house changed. If only she didn’t love him so much!
At the end of Nikki’s next lesson, Karen waited until
all the women had left before moving up to the front of the room. “I’m
beginning to enjoy these classes, Nikki. I might start sitting in for the whole
hour,” she teased.
“I enjoy them as well,” Nikki admitted. “I had
misgivings at first but the women are really interested which makes my job
easier. You can’t teach someone if they don’t want to learn.”
“I bought some of your books, by the way.” Nikki
grimaced at Karen’s words. “There’s no need to look like that. I’m impressed.
You’re very talented.”
“Thanks,” she muttered, feeling slightly embarrassed
at the Wing Governor’s praise.
“You never cease to amaze me, Nikki. You’re nothing
like the big butch con you try to be, are you?” Karen asked much to Nikki’s
astonishment. “In fact, I would go so far as to say, you’re shy.”
“Well, I won’t tell, if you won’t,” Nikki grinned.
Karen smiled at her affectionately and touched her
hand gently. “Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me.”
Afterwards, neither of them could say who had made the
first move but suddenly they were in each other’s arms. “This is crazy,” Nikki
said softly against Karen’s mouth.
“Total madness,” Karen agreed, as she gently brushed
Nikki’s lips with her own. She almost swooned when she felt soft fingers
caressing the nape of her neck and she groaned softly and pressed her mouth
hard against Nikki’s. Her hands cupped the back of Nikki’s dark head, holding
her close.
They heard voices in the corridor and sprang apart
guiltily. Nikki looked at her with shocked eyes. “Karen, I’m sorry,” she said
harshly. “I shouldn’t have done that.”
“Nikki, it’s alright,” Karen reassured her. “If anyone
is to blame, it’s me. I knew something was happening between us but I shouldn’t
have let it get this far.” She laughed shakily. “I quite enjoyed it though and
I think we were both in need of some TLC, don’t you?”
Nikki took a deep breath, relieved at the Wing
Governor’s reaction. A moment of madness could have meant a week on the block
for her. “Do you fancy walking me home?” she said mischievously.
Karen looked at her, a smile playing around the
corners of her mouth. “There are times, Nikki, when I wish I wasn’t in love
with my husband then who knows…?” She raised her eyebrows suggestively.
“Maybe it’s a good thing you are in love with your
husband then, Karen.” She saw Karen’s eyes fill with tears. “What’s wrong?” she
asked sympathetically.
“Why couldn’t I fall for someone like you? You’re
gentle and sensitive but I have to love a womanising bastard!” A tear slid down
her cheek, as Nikki looked at her helplessly.
“Hey, come on,” she said softly. “It looks as if
you’re in need of TLC more than I am.” She put her arms around the weeping
woman and held her close, stroking her hair soothingly.
“Well, isn’t this cosy?” Fenner exclaimed triumphantly
from the doorway. “You’ve really done it now, Wade! You just couldn’t keep your
filthy hands to yourself, could you?”
Karen whirled round, springing to Nikki’s defence.
“Jim, she hasn’t done anything! She was just comforting me.”
“We’ll let the Number One decide that, shall we?” He
turned on his heel and as Karen watched him go she knew Simon Stubberfield’s
office would be his first port of call.
“Karen, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get you into
trouble,” Nikki said apologetically.
The Wing Governor touched her arm reassuringly. “Don’t
worry, Nikki. It wasn’t your fault. I wasn’t exactly fighting you off, was I?
Come on, I’ll walk you home then I’ll see if I can sort this shitty mess out!”
she said grimly.
“I need your personal reassurance that nothing
happened between you and Wade!” Stubberfield fixed his beady eyes on Karen.
“Simon, I’ve told you, Jim misconstrued the situation.
I was upset and Nikki put her arms around me to comfort me,” she told him,
trying to keep her voice calm.
“Why was it necessary for Wade to comfort you?” he
asked impatiently.
“I’m having some problems in my marriage…”
“I hardly think a murdering lesbian qualifies as a
marriage counsellor, do you?” he demanded patronisingly. “Well, do you?”
“No, but…”
“No ‘buts’, Karen. I think you’ve got some decision
making to do and quickly. Prove to me there’s nothing going on between you and
Nikki Wade…ship her out!” He paused momentarily to let his words sink in.
“Otherwise, I should start thinking seriously about a career change!”
“Simon, I can’t ship Nikki out,” she remonstrated.
“She hasn’t done anything wrong.”
“That’s by the way now, Karen. Make the decision but
make sure you make the right one...for you!”
Karen sat at her desk gnawing on her thumbnail. There
was no way round it. She would have to transfer Nikki because Stubberfield was
adamant one of them was going to leave Larkhall.
She picked up the telephone. “Would you bring Nikki
Wade to my office, please?” She paced around the office until there was a knock
on the door and Nikki was ushered into the room. “Sit down, Nikki,” she said
wearily.
“Do I take it this isn’t a social call?”
Karen nodded. “Stubberfield has ordered me to transfer
you. It’s either that or I have to resign.”
“But I haven’t done anything wrong, Karen!” Nikki
protested. “You can’t do this to me! I have friends here.”
“Nikki, we broke the rules when we kissed. We’ve just
got to be thankful Fenner didn’t see that or who knows what Stubberfield’s
demands might be.”
“So, that’s it then?” she said resignedly. “When do I
go?”
“Tomorrow,” Karen replied softly.
“Tomorrow! You don’t waste any time, do you?” Nikki
demanded tearfully.
“I’m really sorry,” Karen said sadly. “I’ll miss you.”
“But not enough.” Nikki dropped her head into her
hands.
“Nikki, don’t, please.” Karen stood up quickly and
came around the desk, her heart going out to the woman in front of her.
Nikki jumped to her feet, raising her hands to ward
Karen off. “Don’t touch me, Karen! I wouldn’t want you to break any rules. I’d
better go and pack my things.” She walked towards the door then turned and
looked at the Wing Governor. “Don’t make the same mistakes I did. I put my
writing career before the person I loved and look what happened to me. Your job
may satisfy you, buy you the little luxuries in life but it won’t keep you warm
in bed at night. ‘Bye, Karen.”
Nikki looked around the prison van, affectionately
known as the cattle truck. She didn’t know where she was going. She wasn’t
interested enough to ask. It would still be a prison whichever part of the
country it was in. She had bid a tearful farewell to the friends she had made
on G-Wing and even Denny had hugged her as she had left. Fenner and Dockley
seemed to be the only two who welcomed her departure. And Karen…she had held
Nikki’s hand just a little longer than necessary. Nikki smiled. They could have
been friends on the outside…nothing more. She wasn’t heartbroken at leaving
Karen but it hurt her to lose a friend.
She heard a noise that sounded like a gunshot then the
van started careering from side to side. “Jesus Christ! Are you bleeding
drunk?” she yelled angrily as she was thrown around the back of the van.
There was a screech of tyres and she felt herself
being flung towards the front of the van. Her head hit metal and she blacked
out!