Nikki was just finishing her morning meeting with the prison officers when Karen sidled in quietly and let her finish.
"I was wondering, Nikki, but have you heard how Connie Beauchamp is getting on since she was released?" Dominic asked in a concerned voice. Karen smiled slightly at the question as it presupposed that Nikki would be an inexhaustible fount of knowledge. She saw out of the corner of her eye how Bodybag couldn't help surreptitiously grimacing in disdain and also how Nikki studiously ignored her. Bodybag was, in fact, rather surprised that since her hand in Connie Beauchamp being beaten up, she hadn't heard a whisper about it. In her experience, the first twenty-four hours were critical as to whether the bomb would actually drop. She foolishly supposed that she was getting to be in the clear.
"I have to be honest but I don't know. I will chase that one up as I know for a fact that the G wing investigation service is working overtime out so we ought to ensure that everyone hears officially. You can guess how concerned they have been about her, the same as we have."
Everyone laughed appreciatively at Nikki's mixture of dry wit, honesty and humanity.
"Excuse me adding a quick word but I was going to ask you, Nikki if you've committed yourself to anything this morning that demands your personal attention."
"Not offhand," Nikki answered smoothly with half a suspicion of what was in store.
"That's good as you're needed at Area on a special project. It isn't going to be a jolly so get prepared to be worked hard. The food's decent though," Karen answered lightly, sensing Bodybag's suspicious eyes fixed on her.
"I'll hold the fort, Nikki. We're all clear on what we've got to do," Gina said with an elaborately casual manner. She had an inkling of what was going on.
Soon, they were freely strolling through the courtyard, dropping their keys in the slot and turned to Karen's green sports car. As soon as they were on the road, Karen gave her the news.
"You do know, Nikki, that we're going to see Neil Grayling at Area Management to put the bomb under Sylvia for good and all. I wasn't kidding about being worked to death as this will mean some very clear thinking."
Nikki sat back and let Karen manoeuvre her car through to the busy traffic to Cleland House and once again, found it very imposing. She'd last been there over a year ago when she'd been interviewed for her job. This time around, she felt as if she had more chance to take in her surroundings. She stared open mouthed at the commissionaire's booth, which alone looked smarter than her office. It was nice enough for her purposes but let in the draughts in wintertime. Nikki collected her wits, followed Karen's lead and signed in after her.
"Miss Betts and Ms Wade. We've been expecting you. You know where to go?" said the well-groomed woman behind the desk with a professional smile of engagement with them. For a second, Nikki did a double take 'she means me?' before her sense of professionalism kicked in. Karen's sideways grin showed that she'd spotted the other woman's momentary confusion.
"Unless Neil's moved office, I know the way there just fine," she answered for both of them. Nikki was dreamily thinking of the open door, the key that turned the lock, the pass to go wherever she might wish, the freedom to walk wherever she wished were experiences that still gratified her sense of her rightful place in the world without her being a power-mad egomaniac. The other woman read her thoughts.
"Do you know, Nikki, there are people here who moan about their boring nine to five existence," Karen said lightly and ironically as the lift slid smoothly and upwards.
"That will be the day Karen," laughed the dark-haired woman at such absurdities.
The two women strolled across the open office, catching sight of Alison Warner who promptly doubled back on her path. Karen led the way to Neil's room, knocked on the door and was greeted by a broad welcoming grin and a hearty handshake. His room was just like any other except for an abstract picture on the wall. It had an enigmatic Picasso quality about it but to the discerning eye, looked suspiciously like a male nude.
"Am I glad to see you both. You're admiring at the picture in the strictly aesthetic sense?"
The two grins in reply were answer enough. Others saw it as an incomprehensible series of jagged blotches, which only confirmed them in their opinions that while Grayling was undoubtedly highly talented, eccentricities, lurked behind his impassive exterior. It seemed to such narrow-minded people that the man was always having a secret joke at their expense.
"My partner bought it for me. He very kindly thought that my office could do with personalizing, something that would remind me of him. It works, I tell you."
After deftly setting both women at ease, sensing the burden laying on them both, he hospitably poured them a cup of tea before cutting to the chase.
"We know you're here on business rather than pleasure and you and I know that you are haunted by what's happening in the ranch while you're away, the umbilical chord sensation so fire away."
"Thereby hangs a story Neil," Karen dryly commented. "We're confident that now is the time to do just that to Sylvia Hollamby. It's time for her to go."
Neil Grayling whistled with astonishment that the two women were going ahead with their plan. He wasn't sure if they would take him up in his off the cuff advice to Karen when she first broached the matter. He wondered if they knew what they were taking on. His expression of doubt prompted Karen to pull out her file.
"We thought we'd rather not talk interminably about Sylvia's misdeeds but show you this file. I followed your advice and asked for Nikki's input from her wide experience from the other side of the wire as well as her most recent experience. As it happened, Nikki bounced her ideas off Helen Stewart's very retentive memory. While I've put my name to this, I want to give credit where it's due. It certainly argues for a thorough internal fact finding investigation into Sylvia's conduct."
Grayling looked at the neatly typed notes and his jaw dropped open. The picture was remarkably lucidly put and he had to admire their thoroughness. He saw straightaway where Nikki's earlier experience of Larkhall entered the picture.
"Jesus, even I've forgotten some of this," he muttered, his eyes disbelieving their evidence. "There's such a lot that's before my time as well. The picture is blindingly clear. She has an instinct in committing some ghastly blunder out of a mixture of bigotry and incompetence, and keeping her head long enough so that the full consequences aren't visited on her."
"And she had Fenner to protect her," Nikki added, a shade of her old bitterness creeping in.
"What I'm interested in is the most recent event, the way that this Connie Beauchamp was assaulted. I want you to explain very carefully how this happened to take place as this is critical."
"Well, you know from experience what Natalie Buxton's like, Neil," Nikki patiently explained. "You cannot overstate her capacity to be vengefully jealous of another woman who's well educated, with a sharp tongue but without the muscle to get her to back off. I sensed trouble brewing up and gave strict instructions for prison officers to keep their eyes peeled for the slightest trace of trouble and to step in immediately. A number of the better prisoners have been really looking out for her, trying to get Connie to cool it, the way Sylvia Hollamby could have done but didn't…."
"Your friends from the old days, Nikki," interjected Grayling with sympathetic understanding of a note of passionate feeling starting to shade Nikki's delivery. "That's fine by me. In fact, it helps the situation rather than hinders."
"Nikki kept me in touch with every development," interjected Karen with great emphasis. "Everything she's done, I approved. She could have had Buxton shipped out only we would have shunted off the problem to a prison where they would have, at best, spent six months being taken in by her plausibility. You and I know that files only tell you so much."
"So how did these excellent arrangements fall apart? Don't get me wrong," added Grayling hastily as he saw both women bridle at the question. "I'm playing devil's advocate here, to check out any weak points the best to defend ourselves. You know very well that Sylvia's going to play the counter blame game."
"It was the wrong people around at the wrong time," Nikki said in patient tones, trying to relate the story in calm objective tones. "Karen and I were in Karen's office. The argument broke loose around the TV area on association, which was crowded. Dominic McAllister and Gina Rossi were around by the pool table, the wrong side of the crowd. Colin Hedges was close but not close enough. Only Sylvia Hollamby was on the spot. For Christ's sake, the Julies and Denny Blood were in the Julie's cell on the 2s and they came shooting out only there were prisoners standing on the staircase getting in the way. Some of the, well, less intelligent prisoners were shouting 'fight' fight, fight,' revving up the situation. Only Bodybag, I mean Sylvia Hollamby was standing there, grinning her face off. She never said a word, never made the slightest effort to try and get some control of the situation and by the time Gina and I got our hands on Buxton, Connie Beauchamp was lying on the floor bleeding….."
As Nikki gradually broke loose from its official constraints and her voice became more impassioned, Grayling's face was a picture. He could visualize the tragedy so very clearly.
"Putting aside your obvious feelings on the matter only in the interest of getting this to stick, do you think this links with Sylvia's earlier assault on Ms Beauchamp. Weigh the evidence very carefully," Grayling commanded.
The guy sounds like John. Karen thought as she cleared her mind and gave judgment.
"Without the slightest doubt, Neil. I can't find any other explanation that fits the facts."
"In which case, I am going to head the investigation for three clear reasons. Firstly, I am best fitted because you have been involved too closely with Sylvia. Secondly, well, it's my unfinished business as well and thirdly, Sylvia's old fashioned POA. We have to consider her going to appeal on this which will bounce this up to area level which is where I come in."
"Is that all?" Karen said in an obviously disappointed voice. Nikki's face said the same. It all sounded fine but nothing immediately was going to happen to the evil cow.
"No it isn't. You have my authorization to suspend Sylvia Hollamby from official duties forthwith. Get her to catch up on her gardening."
Both women promptly cheered up and the sun shone brightly into Grayling's window.
Neither woman remembered the journey back to Larkhall as they were so hyped up with the mission in hand. It was a wonder Karen kept her eyes on the road."We handle it this way," Karen said, fortifying herself with a shot of whisky from her bottle." I'll do the talking and you record everything in this notebook. We go for broke, got it."
Nikki nodded. Karen was her boss and this struck her as the best two-handed arrangement. Besides, Karen wanted Sylvia's scalp for herself.
"Karen Betts wants to see you," Colin told Bodybag as she was in the middle of drinking tea from her favourite 'Charles and Di' mug. "Straight away she says."
"Oh, can't it wait. I've had such a morning of it," she moaned going on to make the obvious dig. "We've been so short staffed."
"It can't," Colin said, talking half away from the mouthpiece while down the other end of the line, Karen gleefully thanked Colin and gestured a 'thumbs up' to Nikki. "For all you know, she might be offering you a promotion."
Bodybag scowled at this cheeky whippersnapper and stalked out of the PO room. Her half drunk mug of tea remained behind her.
"Sylvia Hollamby, I have called you for an interview about a serious matter that's come to my attention. Allegations of gross professional conduct have come to my attention. Nikki is here purely in a capacity of note taker. Before I proceed further, I must remind you of your rights for a POA representative. If you take up this right, I will of course, adjourn to a date and time mutually convenient."
"I am the POA," Bodybag said huffily, operating on automatic ego. "I'm able to represent myself perfectly well."
Behind the other two women's grave faces, they gave a leap of joy within them. Karen was on a roll and her one fear was to break off when she mightn't feel as determined as now to see this through. Nikki scrawled the vital phrases, her energies intent on listening and recording.
"As you know, Connie Beauchamp was seriously assaulted by Natalie Buxton whose offence has been adjudicated on to the maximum amount allowable. Nikki and I have seen enough to suggest that your professionalism was seriously compromised."
"Well, you would think that wouldn't you. You've both always had it in for me. You'll be judge, jury and executioner."
"Which is why the investigator will be from area level, not me and not Nikki," Karen said dryly. She'd seen that coming. Bodybag turned white with shock. She'd seen Area investigators before, ruthless grey faced hatchet men. They'd sacked Stubberfield for something that clearly wasn't his fault.
"He won't have the slightest idea what the inside of a prison is like. This is a complete farce. You might as well ask the Great Train Robbers as anyone," Bodybag protested loudly.
"That's where you are mistaken Sylvia," Karen said with the faint suspicion of a smile on her face while Nikki lowered her head and scribbled away like mad. Karen couldn't resist a dramatic pause as she prepared to deliver the coup de grace. "The investigator is Neil Grayling. Satisfied now? In the meantime, I am suspending you for the duration of the investigation. You can remove your belongings immediately."
The bottom dropped out of Bodybag's world as Karen's steely tone of voice could not be gainsaid. Expressionlessly, Nikki escorted the stiffly walking woman towards the exit, helping to carry the contents of her locker to finally gain her freedom at last. The mug of tea remained undrunk in the PO room.
