Chapter 7
Helen went up to her room and made her call to
Lofthouse, leaving out all reference to her meetings with Nikki and admitting
only that she had one or two leads. She finished her call and laid her mobile
on the bedside table. As she started to remove her sweater she heard someone
cough behind her and spun round to find Nikki leaning against the bathroom
door, arms folded.
“Sorry,” she grinned apologetically. “Thought I’d
better warn you I was here.”
“How long have you been there?” Helen demanded
accusingly. “And how the hell did you get in?”
“Why do you think I told Monica to give you this
room?” Nikki asked as she moved further into the room.
“Was it your bedroom…yours and Trisha’s?” she asked
quietly.
She shook her head. “I’m not that insensitive. It’s
just a guest room but there’s a very sturdy drainpipe outside the bathroom
window or at least it always used to be. I’ll have to give Dominic a rollicking
for letting the maintenance around this place slip. Have you met him by the
way?”
Helen looked at her in open-mouthed amazement. “You
mean to tell me, you shinned up a bloody drainpipe?”
Nikki shrugged. “I’ve done it before. Admittedly when
I was slightly younger and fitter,” she smirked. “Just after I bought this
place, Trish lost her key…” she stopped and gave a bitter laugh. “There I go,
living in the past again.”
Helen looked at her sympathetically. “Nikki, you can’t
let what’s happened overshadow all the good times.”
“But it has done, Helen!” she exclaimed. “Trish and I
had nine years together but when I try to remember all the things we had
together – birthdays, parties, holidays – all I can think about is how she
betrayed me.” She sat down on the edge of the bed, suddenly looking worn out.
“Helen, what am I going to do?” she said despairingly.
Helen’s heart went out to her, as she sat beside her
and caught hold of her hand. “Why don’t you give yourself up?” she asked
softly. “Go to the police and tell them what you know.”
“And then spend the next ten years rotting in
Larkhall!” she retorted, dragging her hand away. “I don’t bloody think so!” She
stifled a yawn.
“Tired?” Helen asked compassionately.
“Too many nights sleeping with one eye open,” she
joked.
“Stay here tonight, Nikki, and have a good night’s
sleep,” Helen suggested. “Things might look different in the morning.”
“Seems like a good idea,” Nikki agreed. “I could
certainly do with a shower and a change of clothes.” She stood up and crossed
to the door, where she turned the key in the lock. “Just in case Monica decides
to bring you breakfast in bed,” she explained.
“Do you want me to go and get you something to eat
whilst you shower?” she offered.
“Too tired to eat, thanks.” She smiled weakly then went into the bathroom.
Helen waited until she heard the shower running then
undressed quickly and slipped on her nightdress.
When Nikki came back into the bedroom several minutes
later wearing a towelling bathrobe, Helen’s eyes were shut and the duvet was
pulled up to her chin. She smiled tenderly down at her. They had only known
each other a couple of days but she knew already, she wanted this woman to be
part of her life. She pulled back the duvet and prepared to climb into bed but
Helen sat up in alarm.
“What are you doing?” she demanded.
“Getting into bed.”
“But I didn’t mean for you to sleep in bed with me!”
Helen exclaimed.
“Don’t be such a selfish cow!” Nikki retorted. “If you
think I’m spending the night in a chair when there’s half of a king-size bed
going spare, you’re very much mistaken! You don’t have to worry, Helen, I’m not
going to ravish you in the night,” she told her sarcastically. “Anyway, I’m too
tired.” Before Helen could say anything else, she slipped into bed and snuggled
down with a contented sigh.
They lay in total silence until Helen finally spoke.
“Nikki.” She turned her head to find Nikki watching her. They lay looking at
each other until Helen tore her eyes away, unable to meet the other woman’s
forthright gaze. “Why were you being transferred from Larkhall?”
“Because I was found in a compromising position with
the Wing Governor,” Nikki told her after a while.
“You were having an affair with a prison official?”
she asked incredulously. “Isn’t that against the regulations?”
“Why do you think they were shipping me out?” she
teased. “But, no, we weren’t having an affair. When we were caught, I was only
comforting her.”
“So, the Wing Governor was a woman?” she said softly.
“Very much so.” Came the amused reply. “Blonde and
beautiful.”
Helen’s heart sank. “But in the cabin, you said it was
a long time since you’d held a…a beautiful woman in your arms,” she accused.
“I meant a beautiful woman I fancied. I was attracted
to Karen – she was the Wing Governor – and I briefly thought it might develop
into something more but she was married…”
“Married!”
“Why don’t you hear me out before you jump down my
throat like a jealous girlfriend?” She gave an amused chuckle. “I forgot,
that’s what you’re supposed to be. Don’t take your role so seriously, Helen.”
“Oh, fu…Why don’t you just go to bloody sleep?” Helen
exclaimed, exasperated.
“Because I want to tell you about Karen. We kissed
each other…once, then she got upset.”
“Because you’d kissed her?” Helen demanded.
“No, of course not!” Nikki exclaimed. “There you go
again. Isn’t there any way to keep your mouth shut?” She smiled roguishly.
“Then again, I can think of a very good way of shutting you up.” She started to
lean towards Helen until she realised her intentions.
“Come any closer and you’ll be sorry,” she promised.
Nikki drew back with a grin. “Pity. As I was saying,
Karen was married.” She gave Helen a fierce look, daring her to interrupt. “But
she was having problems with her husband. I think he was a serial womaniser.”
“Something you’d know about,” Helen remarked,
sarcastically.
Nikki’s arm snaked out and she grabbed hold of Helen’s
shoulder. Her fingers dug into the soft flesh forcing Helen to look at her.
“For your information,” she hissed angrily. “I was never unfaithful to Trisha
and you and Karen are the only two women I’ve kissed since her death.”
“I’m sorry,” Helen said softly.
Nikki loosened her grip and stroked Helen’s shoulder
gently. “Yeah, me too.” Her hand stilled and she abruptly rolled over and lay
with her back towards Helen. “‘Night, Helen.”
“’Night.” For a long while, Helen lay looking at the
back of Nikki’s head. She had never felt like this about a woman…or
anyone…before. She had gone out with her ex-boyfriend, Sean, for two years and
was all set to marry him, until he’d decided a career on Fleet Street held more
attraction than she did. She sighed deeply then turned her back towards Nikki
and switched off the bedside lamp.
Nikki slept fitfully. Being in Larkhall had hardened
her to the luxuries of life and now the damn bed was too soft! On top of which,
she was conscious of Helen’s presence. After nine years of being faithful to
Trish, how could she fall so totally for someone in such a short time? If
anyone asked her, she couldn’t explain the way she felt about Helen. It was as
if she had come home, not literally, but emotionally. Helen was the person she had
been waiting for all her life. What was it Barbara Hunt used to go on about?
Soulmates, that was it.
She climbed out of bed and went across to the window,
where she drew open one of the curtains. It was a beautiful night and the full
moon was illuminating the grounds. It had stopped snowing and was starting to
thaw. She heard the bed creak as Helen stirred in her sleep and turned round to
look at her.
“Nikki?”
“I’m here,” she said softly.
Helen switched on the lamp then raised herself onto
her elbow. “What’s wrong?” she asked sleepily.
“Nothing, go back to sleep,” Nikki told her.
“Can we talk?”
“About what?”
“You said you thought you knew who killed Trisha,”
Helen said tentatively. “Will you tell me who it was?”
She shrugged. “What’s the point?”
“If I knew who it was, maybe I could keep an eye on
them,” she suggested.
Nikki came and sat on the bed, leaning her back
against the bedhead. “Monica had a son, Spencer. He had Down’s Syndrome. About
three months after I went into prison, he had a fatal heart attack.”
“And you think he killed Trisha?” Helen asked
incredulously.
Nikki looked at her for several moments before
replying. “Not Spencer, Monica! Spencer was like my kid brother. He thought the
world of me and would have done anything for me. The day Trisha died, he heard
us arguing and had a go at her for hurting me. She laid into him, called him
names and said some terrible…horrible things to him.” She looked at Helen, her
eyes filled with tears. “I tried to get her to stop but she wouldn’t then
Monica came in and slapped her. She said she would kill her if she ever hurt
Spencer again.”
“So, Monica is the one you’ve been protecting all this
time?”
“I had to, Helen. I couldn’t let her go to jail. You
don’t know what it’s like in there.”
“Oh, Nikki. You little fool,” Helen said gently.
“I guess I’m just a hopeless case,” she murmured
tearfully.
“Never that.” Helen moved up the bed towards her.
“Come here,” she commanded softly. She put her arms around Nikki and drew her
head against her breasts. “When we first met, you said something about leaving
the country, were you serious?” she asked as she gently caressed Nikki’s hair.
“Not really. All I want is my old life back.”
Helen’s hand stilled. “You mean Trisha?”
“No, of course not!” she retorted. Helen smiled as she
continued caressing Nikki’s hair. Nikki pulled away from her, an avid look on
her face. “Helen, I could get a passport. We could go away together.”
“No, Nikki, this isn’t an option!” she exclaimed. “Do
you want to be on the run for the rest of your life for a crime you didn’t
commit? You’re innocent and going back is the only way you’ll prove it.”
“My life for Monica’s. Not much of an option is it,
Helen?” she asked despairingly.
“But what if she didn’t do it? What if by trying to
protect her, you’re protecting the real killer?” she reasoned. “What if Dominic
did it? Who had she been having an affair with, Nikki? What if he did it?”
“I can’t cope with this!” Nikki cried as she ran her
hands through her hair. “I’ve got to get away. Come with me, Helen. Tonight!”
“I can’t, Nikki! I can’t!”
Nikki gave a short, bitter laugh. “I thought you were
beginning to care about me but obviously not enough, or you would come with
me.”
“If I didn’t feel the way I feel, I wouldn’t be
helping you,” Helen told her sincerely. “But you’ve turned my life upside down.
I don’t know what to expect anymore, except that it won’t be normal.”
“Sorry, Helen. As you’ve just said, I don’t do normal.” Nikki looked at her
scathingly.” So, if you want a husband, a job and 2point4 kids, you’d better
piss off back to where you’ve come from!” She started to climb from the bed but
Helen grabbed hold of her arm.
“Don’t you dare try and make me feel abnormal for
wanting kids!” she exploded angrily.
“Helen, I’m not trying to make you feel abnormal. I’d
like kids someday, too.” She looked down at the hand still resting on her arm.
Helen’s grip imperceptibly tightened and Nikki groaned softly as she reached
out and slipped her hand behind Helen’s head. She felt a momentary resistance
then she was drowning in the sensation of soft lips moving under hers.
Helen lay back, drawing Nikki with her. She ran her
fingers through Nikki’s hair as they kissed, softly at first then with rising
passion. Nikki tore her lips away and started to kiss Helen’s throat, moving
downwards and suckling the erect nipples through her nightdress.
Helen grabbed a handful of Nikki’s hair and gently
tugged until her smiling face came level with her own. She kissed her, her
teeth pulling at Nikki’s bottom lip then she ran her hands down the slender
body, loosening the bathrobe and pushing it from her shoulders. She buried her
face in the full breasts, licking the nipples, revelling in the way she was
making Nikki moan with pleasure. “Oh, Jesus Christ! Nikki…!” she gasped.
“I haven’t done anything yet,” she laughed as she drew
back. “But I think I’m falling in love with you, Helen Stewart,” she said
softly.
“Nikki, you don’t understand,” Helen said anxiously.
“Look.” she nodded towards the window. Nikki turned her head. The blue flashing
lights of a police car were clearly reflected.
“Shit!” she muttered. She climbed from the bed and
went to the window. “The place is swarming with cops.” She turned and looked at
Helen, a stricken look on her face. “I’ve got to get out of here!”
Helen was at her side in an instant. “No, Nikki! You
can’t make a run for it. They might be armed!”
She grabbed hold of Helen’s shoulders. “But they’ll
take me back and what about you? They may arrest you for harbouring an escaped
criminal.”
“I’ll take my chances but I’d rather see you in prison
than hunted down like an animal!” she replied vehemently. “I think I love you
too.”
Nikki smiled and gave a relieved sigh. “For you, I’ll
go back but let me do all the talking. I’ll get you out of this mess, one way
or the other.”
Helen nodded. “Go and get dressed but first…” She slid
her arms around Nikki’s waist and reached up and kissed her urgently. She felt
her tremble as she caressed her naked back.
“How can I leave you when I love you so much?” Nikki
asked softly, as they drew apart.
“It won’t be for long, Nikki. I’m going to get you out
of there,” she promised. “I’ll find out the truth. If Monica did it, I’ll try
and get her to go to the police.” They heard hammering on the front door. “Go
on, go and get ready,” Helen said gently. After Nikki had gone into the
bathroom, she dragged on her jeans and sweater then unlocked the bedroom door.
Outside, Monica was standing at the top of the stairs,
a frightened look on her face. “Everything is going to be OK, Monica,” Helen
told her calmly. “Go and let them in.” She followed the older woman downstairs
and stood by as she unlocked the front door.
“I’m DS Fox and this is DI Carter,” a female voice
announced. “We have reason to believe there is an escaped prisoner in the
house.”
“You’d better come in,” Monica said nervously.
The two officers entered. DS Fox was a thin, po-faced
woman of indeterminate age and her companion, a rotund man in his early
fifties. Accompanying them were half a dozen uniformed officers, who were
dispatched to various parts of the house by a click and a point of Fox’s
fingers.
“Do you have a warrant to search the house?” Helen
demanded.
Fox turned and looked at her as if only just realising
she was there. “And you are, miss?”
“Miss Stewart is a family friend,” Monica replied
before Helen had time to open her mouth. “What makes you think Nikki…Miss Wade
is here?”
“We had an anonymous tip-off,” Fox informed her.
“Well, I can assure you, you’re making a big mistake,”
Monica said confidently. “Neither of us have seen Miss Wade. Isn’t that right,
Helen?”
“Right,” Helen murmured. Where the hell was Nikki? She
said she was coming right down. She watched as one by one the uniformed
officers returned all shaking their heads.
“We’re sorry to have disturbed you, ladies,” Carter
spoke for the first time. “We’ll get out of your hair and let you get back to
bed. Obviously, if you see Miss Wade, you’ll let us know.”
“Obviously.” Helen looked at him smugly then glared
defiantly at DS Fox.
“I wonder who told the police Nikki was here?” Monica
mused, as she closed and securely locked the door.
“I wonder? I’m going back up, Monica,” she said
hurriedly before the older woman started asking awkward questions. “‘Night.”
She went upstairs and locked the bedroom door behind her. Instead of giving
herself up, Nikki must have gone back out the way she had come in. She crossed
to the window and looked out into the night. The net was closing in on Nikki
and it was only a matter of time before she was caught but the next time she
might not be so lucky.
In a deserted barn a few miles down the road, Nikki
lay down under a blanket of musty straw. She had promised Helen she would turn
herself in but she had to know the truth about what happened to Trish. Helen
was right, she didn’t know for sure Monica had killed her but she sure as hell
was going to find out! She had more reason than ever now to clear her name. A
picture of Helen’s beautiful face sprang into her mind and she smiled
contentedly as sleep claimed her.