A/N: Article from Howard League for Penal Reform website

Part Eleven

"Where a case involves a considerable amount of physical detail and matters of location, I am a firm believer in taking the enquiry to the scene of the alleged crime. I remember in the case of a murdered schoolgirl that it was extremely instructive for all parties to the trial to go to the murder scene in a wood and see the situation for what it was," observed John to George as they shared a passing cup of coffee in John's chambers late on Thursday afternoon. "Which, of course, means that you are freed from what constraints there are in a court of law and you can ask questions to your heart's content." Retorted George with a knowing look on her face.
"I can't deny that the informality of the setting enabled me to get more easily to the heart of the matter." John defended himself stoutly and shamelessly. "It was all for the higher purpose of justice." "I'm sure that you performed splendidly, darling, but you'll never convince me that the opposing counsels ever got so much as a look in"
"Well, perhaps not," conceded John," but I would still recommend it as a highly effective method of investigation. So much verbiage is wasted when all parties try to conjure up a picture of the crime with mere words. Just being there narrows down the facts of the case and eliminates everything from the imaginatively impossible to downright fabrication." "That sounds like something like those Sherlock Holmes stories that I'm sure that you still reread to this very day"
"Well, why not, George?" came John's challenge to George's inevitable disagreement.
"Why not indeed." Came her enigmatic reply.
"You mean you agree with my sentiment"
"I think I do, John. On reflection, your idea is extremely sensible"
John sat back in his chair, his mouth open. Times were changing indeed. At one time, George would not have dreamed of accepting John's advice, either within marriage or outside it. At that moment, George stood up ,kissed John and reached for the coat that she had draped over the settee. She smiled kindly at John and made her exit. As soon as she had shut the door, her smile broadened into a wicked grin. John was not to know that Captain Marino from the other side of the Atlantic had advised her to do just that.

"Karen, I've got an idea about Connie's case but I wanted to ask your advice as it involves you. I want to know how possible it is for Connie to be allowed out under guard to St. Mary's hospital to be questioned at the scene of her supposed crime by a colleague of Kay Scarpetta's. I realize that I am asking a lot"
Karen's mind whizzed at a rapid speed. It immediately struck her as such a brilliant idea that she wondered why it had never been suggested before. The trouble from her point of view was precisely because of this. There were no precedents. She knew all too well that the forest of regulations didn't prescribe for all the million and one situations that could arise in a prison and this was one of them. Just because there was nothing mentioned specifically, didn't mean that it was possible but didn't make it impossible either. So much was hedged about in terms of 'the good order of the running of the prison service' as exemplified by the old standby of every prison officer, Rule 43. She didn't feel certain enough of her ground to make a decision. "It's an excellent idea, George but I don't know if it is possible," she said at last.
"How would you set about finding out the answer"
"Let me think, George. I don't know the answer offhand but I'll check it out and phone you back."

After drawing a complete blank, Karen smoked a cigarette as she puzzled over the problem. She realized that it took a particular mindset to work through the further reaches of the regulations, someone like………Neil's. A broad smile creased Karen's face as she saw the way out though it did occur to her that if he were asked for an opinion, it might not necessarily be what she wanted to hear. She picked up the phone again.
"Leave it with me, George. I have to go to area and find out the answer."

She zoomed over in no time at all to Area to the astonishingly quiet, antiseptic, rarefied heights of authority. Karen recognized the smart-suited woman who walked up to her from the opposite direction, scowled at her and turned smartly right into a room. Especially with her visitor's badge clipped to her jacket, it confirmed to Alison Warner that one of her hated liberal enemies was on the loose. She made her way to Grayling's spacious office and received a warm welcome.

"I'm really glad that you have found time to visit me Karen. I don't see enough of you these days. Naturally, I take it that this is a business call and not just pleasure"
"Well, partly business"
"What can I do for you, Karen?" "I have had a request from George who is handling the defence for a very unusual client. You will know that Connie Beauchamp, a top surgeon at St. Mary's hospital, is held on remand at Larkhall, accused of murdering a patient in her care"
"I know about it"
"George thinks that it will help her case that Captain Marino, an old friend of Kay Scarpetta's conducts an investigation at St. Mary's itself and that Connie should be there at the hospital. It will make it that much easier to get to the bottom of the matter for her to be there at the scene of the alleged crime and answer questions on the spot."

Grayling fell silent and leaned back in his chair, deep in thought. This was indeed a tricky problem.

"This is a hard request you are making, Karen. You know the counter arguments that spring to mind"
"If one person held on remand awaiting trial is given such a privilege, then others will jump on the bandwagon," observed Karen.
"And what is your answer to that"
"Only that it is unusual for such a distinguished consultant to be accused of murder, Neil. More than that, this was supposed to have taken place in a busy hospital in the course of her daily work. This isn't some ordinary shooting or stabbing which wouldn't warrant the same attention placed on the circumstances of the alleged crime. It goes without saying that there would have to be stringent security measures and a cast iron promise that she will make no attempt to abscond. Where I am stuck is that I have hunted high and low and there is nothing in the regulations to say that such an undertaking can go ahead and nothing to say that it can't. That's why I've come to you for your advice"
Grayling had to take his hat off to Karen's smooth talking. It was up to anything he had ever done in his time. More than that, she had done her homework. "You have clearly considered the matter very carefully, Karen, but have you asked Connie if she would want to go round her hospital? It might remind her about what she's missing on the outside"
"I hadn't thought of that," came Karen's hasty answer as she strove for a line of reasoning to get past this very real point made by a man who certainly hadn't forgotten what running a prison was all about. In her eagerness to pursue the idea, she had overlooked this.
"….as you know, George is very persuasive and it is clearly in Connie's interest to make the visit. If by any chance she isn't keen on the idea, well it falls at the first hurdle"
Karen took a closer look at Grayling and noticed the sly grin on his face. "All right, Karen. Assuming that Connie is up for this, let me go through my computer and just check that there is nothing that I have overlooked."

Karen sat quietly in her chair while Grayling clicked on his computer and keenly worked his way through the sheer volume of policy documents. Eventually, he turned round and pronounced his verdict.
"I can't find any guidance of any kind that we don't know of already. The real problem is if anything goes wrong as we both know very well. In the present political climate, that the 'hang them and flog them' gutter press will have a field day, not to mention their allies in high places. This absolutely must go without a hitch and you must have cast iron security"
"I was proposing to accompany Connie myself. If I'm going to ensure security on such a highly sensitive visit, then I had better be the one who accompanies her. For the same reason it would be appropriate for Nikki to come along with me." "If both you and Nikki can be spared, I can live with your idea."

There was an unaccountable pause in the conversation until Karen filled the gap.
"So, how is life treating you these days, Neil"
"You mean the new Home Secretary?" Grayling counter questioned with a meaningful expression on his face. Karen nodded at Grayling to continue.
"Naturally, he regards the Howard League for Penal Reform as being infested by die hard Bolsheviks or soft hearted liberals or both. In his eyes, they are fiercely dedicated to undermining his authority personally and dedicated to leaving the streets of the average Sun reader awash with hardened criminals on the loose. Just take a look at their latest press release and I'll tell you what kind of hell was let loose in high places," Grayling commented acerbically on the memories of the furore.

"Home Office's half-baked plans will create more victims of crime.

Statement by the Howard League for Penal Reform on the changes to the criminal justice system announced today by the Home Secretary: "Once again we see a Home Secretary responding to a crisis and not looking at the long term impacts his proposals will have for the criminal justice and penal systems. Locking more men, women and children up for longer cannot be considered a serious, measured response to protecting and reassuring the public. In the space of six months the Government appears to have completely reversed its position, from a sensible recognition that prison doesn't work to one where it decides to waste more taxpayers money by building more prisons. The best way to ease overcrowding in prison is not to build more prisons, which would themselves rapidly become as overcrowded as those they were built to relieve. The answer is to reduce the number of people being inappropriately sentenced to prison custody. Prison is supposed to be the ultimate sanction for those who pose a risk to the public. For the remainder, community sentences - which do actually cut crime - are the far better option, helping a person to take responsibility for their offence and put something back into the community. Neil Haughton talks about re-balancing the system in favour of victims, but when 67 of those released from prison are reconvicted within two years, his proposals will merely create further victims of crime."

"Sounds a reasonable point of view," commented Karen briefly. "Building your way out of the problem hasn't a ghost of a chance in succeeding. New prisons will fill up twice as fast as they can be built. Besides, where do you get trained prison officers from"
"My point exactly but politicians don't think that way. They want civil servants to jump to it and they only expect the one question and that is, how high. Someone like Alison Warner will sing from the new hymn sheet without a second thought. As for me, I'm different." "How on earth have you managed to avoid being 'outed'? " Karen asked in wonder.
"I have my methods, Karen," came Grayling's response accompanied by a twinkle in his eye though he declined to elaborate.
'I'm lucky," sighed Grayling after a long pause. "I know that I have built up a good rapport with the prisons within my patch and if I tell you and other Governing Governors that improvements you want won't necessarily go to schedule, then you'll accept it with relatively good grace. That's only because you and your colleagues know that I'll fight like hell by fair means or foul to get at least half of what you guys need. Believe you me, I would never take your support for granted if it is the last thing I do."

Karen warmed to the man's declaration of commitment. She felt secure while he was in his job. When her thoughts focussed again on the article, she looked more closely at the date of the sudden change around in policy. It didn't seem to make any sense to her.
"Why the change around in attitude in six months"
"Can you guess when the new Home Secretary was appointed? The timing fits give or take a few weeks. Now you can see why I'm asking you to exercise great care in this request of yours"
A shadow passed across Grayling's face, belying his devil may care attitude. He was perhaps having to fight harder to keep his position than he had been letting on.
"How do you survive in such a place like this"
"As you know, I am naturally extremely devious where I have to be and have my network of spies. I think I'm sticking around here just for awkwardness' sake." "You sound a bit like John, Neil." Karen smiled proudly at him.
"He is one of my contacts, Karen. I dare say that his values have influenced my thinking. He is a mine of valuable information in giving input into the most important question of where home office policy and knowledge of the law intersect. None of my colleagues and superiors has access to that quality of expertise. It puts me five steps ahead of the game."

It was Grayling's roguish expression that Karen carried away with her as she headed on back to the relative simplicities of Larkhall. She wouldn't have his job for all the tea in China.