Part Seven
On the morning of Monday the 18th of august, Karen was running round the house like a headless chicken. Keys, make up, purse, cigarettes, none of them was in its proper place this morning. The first blouse she put on, she spilt coffee over, and the second was missing a button. Finally settling on a two piece in light blue, she gathered up what remained of her resolve and left the house. Driving through the center of London on a Monday morning was never fun, but the traffic seemed to be extraordinarily slow today. Everyone seemed to be heading in the direction of the old Bailey, but that must have been her imagination. Then, switching on the radio she discovered just why it was proving so difficult to get to the court this morning. The newsreader on Capital Radio was saying,
"and this week sees the beginning of the trial of the infamous Snowball Merriman and her accomplice Ritchie atkins, son of the late Charlie Atkins, leader of the east London mob for many years. Snowball Merriman is accused of causing the explosion that took place at Larkhall prison in south London in June last year." Karen turned off in disgust.
When she eventually reached the car park of the Old Bailey, she pulled in to a space reserved for witnesses. Within a couple of minutes, Yvonne's red Farari cruised up beside her. As Karen got out of her car, she remembered something she'd meant to say to Yvonne before they went inside the court. Whilst Yvonne was touching up her lipstick, Karen opened the passenger door and slid in next to her.
"Looking forward to the circus?" Said Yvonne dryly, looking at herself in the driving mirror.
"About as much as you are," Replied Karen. "I need to ask you something before we go inside. Are you carrying anything, anything you shouldn't be?" Yvonne gave her a cursory glance and then returned to her face.
"No," She said noncommittally.
"Because they have a trend in courts these days to run a scanner over you looking for anything metal." The words were perfectly innocuous when taken at face value, but they had a marked effect on Yvonne. Her exclamation of "Shit!" appeared to be the word of the day. Dropping the lipstick in her handbag, she leaned down to remove something that was clearly strapped to her ankle, under the leg of her trousers.
"I did wonder," Said Karen dryly. When Karen saw the tiny pistol that so snugly fitted in to the palm of Yvonne's hand, she just stared. Yvonne, sliding out the car stereo felt behind it for the one really safe place her car possessed. Having hidden the gun, she replaced the radio. Karen watched with the kind of fascination onlookers have for horrific road accidents.
"Are you completely bloody stupid?" She asked quietly. Yvonne looked at her.
"No," She said matter-of-factly, "I'd just like to make it through this trial alive, that's all." Karen seemed to relocate the voice that always signified her as a wing governor.
"If they'd found that on you, you'd have been back in Larkhall quicker than the Julies on a bad day. Is that what you want?" Yvonne wasn't in the mood for this first thing on a Monday morning.
"No," She said carefully, trying to keep her anger at Karen's naivety under control. "But do you have any idea just how many contacts those two still have?" It went unsaid that she was referring to Ritchie and Snowball.
"They've both been in segregation for months," Karen persisted. This was too much for Yvonne.
"When will you take off that suit long enough to realise that being down the block means piss all when it comes to getting hold of people on the outside. There's any number of people who would finish me off for Ritchie, most of them used to be business acquaintances of me and Charlie. Karen, even though I've given up all the stuff Charlie was involved in, there are still people out there who have a loaded interest in getting rid of me, and all Ritchie would provide is the excuse."
"I had no idea," Karen said quietly. Yvonne began to calm down.
"That's because I've tried to keep that part of my life under wraps from you. Not because you used to lock me up for a living, but because with you I usually manage to forget all the things I used to be." Karen simply stared at her, slightly stunned by what Yvonne had just said. "So," Yvonne continued, now back to her normal self, "Now that we've both come down off our high horses, shall we go in, because I think we're being spied on by the king of all bastards." Turning to follow the direction of Yvonne's gesturing hand, Karen saw Jim Fenner, standing next to the open door of his Audi, staring at her and Yvonne with such an incredulous look on his face that it made Karen laugh.
"He looks like he's just been offered a quickie from Body bag," Said Yvonne with a grin. Karen didn't know whether to laugh or feel ill at the mental image that brought to mind. As they got out of the car, Karen asked,
"Did you hear the radio on the way here?" Yvonne's expression was rueful.
"Yeah. So much for an impartial jury." As Fenner walked towards them, he said,
"Getting our stories straight already, are we?"
"We've got nothing to hide, Fenner," was Yvonne's terse reply.
"We'll see, Atkins, we'll see," He said, the look of blissful glee on his face almost unnerving to both of them.
"You're going to be the one explaining how he was taken in by a porn movie actress," Continued Yvonne. "Promise you a personal performance if you kept quiet, did she?"
"Shut it, Atkins," Was his only response. "Just because you're on the right side of the bars doesn't mean you always will be." The threat was clear.
"Am I going to be refereeing between you two all day?" Asked Karen.
"Not if you know where your loyalties lie," Said Fenner silkily.
"Good job for Karen they're not with you," Remarked Yvonne. As Fenner took a breath for his next retort, Karen let them have it.
"cut it out, right now, the both of you," She said. "this is neither the time nor the place, and I am not spending hours on end listening to the pair of you sniping at each other. None of us want to be here, but unfortunately we're stuck with each other for the foreseeable." Walking off towards the court building, she left Yvonne and Fenner watching her, slightly feeling like a pair of schoolchildren having been put in their place. "Could wield a whip, that one." Remarked Fenner.
"I wouldn't know," replied Yvonne.
Once inside the Old Bailey, the three of them were shown to one of the many witness rooms. It was a while before the trial was due to start, and Lauren had elected to be picked up by Cassie and roisin on their way there. They were soon joined by Jo Mills. She'd obviously spoken to all her witnesses before this, but this was the first time she'd seen any of them interact with each other.
"Yvonne, you're on first," She said. "That'll probably be this afternoon. They'll have the opening speeches this morning and then break for lunch. I don't expect to call either you Karen or you Jim until tomorrow, but these things aren't set in stone."
"What about the others?" Asked Fenner.
"The other five witnesses haven't been called till later in the week." Jo pulled a piece of paper from one of her numerous notebooks.
"Neil Grayling, Alison McKenzy, Barbara Hunt, Henry Mills and Ajit Kahn." At the last name Yvonne said,
"You what?" Jo looked slightly surprised.
"do you have a problem with this witness?" Yvonne brought her expression back under control.
"No, of course not," She said, clearly trying to convince herself more than anybody else.
"When I spoke to him," Jo went on, "He said that he answer the Chaplin's phone to Ritchie Atkins asking for Snowball Merriman. But then you know this because this is part of your evidence as well."
"Sure," Said Yvonne. "I just didn't expect them to contact him, that's all."
"It was him who contacted the police after the explosion, and we need his evidence to make yours believable." Karen was staring at Yvonne, wondering just what Yvonne was afraid of. Soon after this, Jo left them and Karen volunteered to get some coffee. As soon as she'd left the room, Fenner started in on Yvonne.
"Getting very pally with our Miss Betts aren't you, Atkins?"
"Someone's got to keep an eye on you," Replied Yvonne.
"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked.
"Well," Said Yvonne getting out her cigarettes. "Locked up in a place like that with you all day? Isn't safe for any woman if you ask me."
"Now you listen to me, Atkins," Said Fenner, clearly riled. "Just you stay away from her. She doesn't need your bad influence."
"I think Karen is perfectly capable of deciding who is and isn't a bad influence on her, not that I think anyone could be if they tried." Fenner was about to continue his side of the argument when Karen appeared carrying three cups of machine coffee. At the silence that greeted her, she figured they'd been talking about her. When they'd all lit up cigarettes, they sat in a slightly uneasy silence.
"I can't possibly keep this up for long," Thought Karen, whilst Yvonne was itching to begin another verbal tussle with Fenner, but kerbing her tongue for Karen's sake. In utter frustration Yvonne left, returning five minutes later with a selection of newspapers.
"I got this especially for you," She said, handing Fenner a copy of The Sun, and dumping the others on the table between her and Karen. "It seems the canteen in here sells it to get all the ancient male barristers fired up for their appearance on stage." Digging out a copy of The Times from the pile, she found the crossword and settled in for something slightly more brain taxing than continuously taking the piss out of Fenner. Even that could get boring after a while. Filling in the answer for three across, she briefly wondered whether the judge in this trial read The Times or The Sun before a case.
On the morning of Monday the 18th of august, Karen was running round the house like a headless chicken. Keys, make up, purse, cigarettes, none of them was in its proper place this morning. The first blouse she put on, she spilt coffee over, and the second was missing a button. Finally settling on a two piece in light blue, she gathered up what remained of her resolve and left the house. Driving through the center of London on a Monday morning was never fun, but the traffic seemed to be extraordinarily slow today. Everyone seemed to be heading in the direction of the old Bailey, but that must have been her imagination. Then, switching on the radio she discovered just why it was proving so difficult to get to the court this morning. The newsreader on Capital Radio was saying,
"and this week sees the beginning of the trial of the infamous Snowball Merriman and her accomplice Ritchie atkins, son of the late Charlie Atkins, leader of the east London mob for many years. Snowball Merriman is accused of causing the explosion that took place at Larkhall prison in south London in June last year." Karen turned off in disgust.
When she eventually reached the car park of the Old Bailey, she pulled in to a space reserved for witnesses. Within a couple of minutes, Yvonne's red Farari cruised up beside her. As Karen got out of her car, she remembered something she'd meant to say to Yvonne before they went inside the court. Whilst Yvonne was touching up her lipstick, Karen opened the passenger door and slid in next to her.
"Looking forward to the circus?" Said Yvonne dryly, looking at herself in the driving mirror.
"About as much as you are," Replied Karen. "I need to ask you something before we go inside. Are you carrying anything, anything you shouldn't be?" Yvonne gave her a cursory glance and then returned to her face.
"No," She said noncommittally.
"Because they have a trend in courts these days to run a scanner over you looking for anything metal." The words were perfectly innocuous when taken at face value, but they had a marked effect on Yvonne. Her exclamation of "Shit!" appeared to be the word of the day. Dropping the lipstick in her handbag, she leaned down to remove something that was clearly strapped to her ankle, under the leg of her trousers.
"I did wonder," Said Karen dryly. When Karen saw the tiny pistol that so snugly fitted in to the palm of Yvonne's hand, she just stared. Yvonne, sliding out the car stereo felt behind it for the one really safe place her car possessed. Having hidden the gun, she replaced the radio. Karen watched with the kind of fascination onlookers have for horrific road accidents.
"Are you completely bloody stupid?" She asked quietly. Yvonne looked at her.
"No," She said matter-of-factly, "I'd just like to make it through this trial alive, that's all." Karen seemed to relocate the voice that always signified her as a wing governor.
"If they'd found that on you, you'd have been back in Larkhall quicker than the Julies on a bad day. Is that what you want?" Yvonne wasn't in the mood for this first thing on a Monday morning.
"No," She said carefully, trying to keep her anger at Karen's naivety under control. "But do you have any idea just how many contacts those two still have?" It went unsaid that she was referring to Ritchie and Snowball.
"They've both been in segregation for months," Karen persisted. This was too much for Yvonne.
"When will you take off that suit long enough to realise that being down the block means piss all when it comes to getting hold of people on the outside. There's any number of people who would finish me off for Ritchie, most of them used to be business acquaintances of me and Charlie. Karen, even though I've given up all the stuff Charlie was involved in, there are still people out there who have a loaded interest in getting rid of me, and all Ritchie would provide is the excuse."
"I had no idea," Karen said quietly. Yvonne began to calm down.
"That's because I've tried to keep that part of my life under wraps from you. Not because you used to lock me up for a living, but because with you I usually manage to forget all the things I used to be." Karen simply stared at her, slightly stunned by what Yvonne had just said. "So," Yvonne continued, now back to her normal self, "Now that we've both come down off our high horses, shall we go in, because I think we're being spied on by the king of all bastards." Turning to follow the direction of Yvonne's gesturing hand, Karen saw Jim Fenner, standing next to the open door of his Audi, staring at her and Yvonne with such an incredulous look on his face that it made Karen laugh.
"He looks like he's just been offered a quickie from Body bag," Said Yvonne with a grin. Karen didn't know whether to laugh or feel ill at the mental image that brought to mind. As they got out of the car, Karen asked,
"Did you hear the radio on the way here?" Yvonne's expression was rueful.
"Yeah. So much for an impartial jury." As Fenner walked towards them, he said,
"Getting our stories straight already, are we?"
"We've got nothing to hide, Fenner," was Yvonne's terse reply.
"We'll see, Atkins, we'll see," He said, the look of blissful glee on his face almost unnerving to both of them.
"You're going to be the one explaining how he was taken in by a porn movie actress," Continued Yvonne. "Promise you a personal performance if you kept quiet, did she?"
"Shut it, Atkins," Was his only response. "Just because you're on the right side of the bars doesn't mean you always will be." The threat was clear.
"Am I going to be refereeing between you two all day?" Asked Karen.
"Not if you know where your loyalties lie," Said Fenner silkily.
"Good job for Karen they're not with you," Remarked Yvonne. As Fenner took a breath for his next retort, Karen let them have it.
"cut it out, right now, the both of you," She said. "this is neither the time nor the place, and I am not spending hours on end listening to the pair of you sniping at each other. None of us want to be here, but unfortunately we're stuck with each other for the foreseeable." Walking off towards the court building, she left Yvonne and Fenner watching her, slightly feeling like a pair of schoolchildren having been put in their place. "Could wield a whip, that one." Remarked Fenner.
"I wouldn't know," replied Yvonne.
Once inside the Old Bailey, the three of them were shown to one of the many witness rooms. It was a while before the trial was due to start, and Lauren had elected to be picked up by Cassie and roisin on their way there. They were soon joined by Jo Mills. She'd obviously spoken to all her witnesses before this, but this was the first time she'd seen any of them interact with each other.
"Yvonne, you're on first," She said. "That'll probably be this afternoon. They'll have the opening speeches this morning and then break for lunch. I don't expect to call either you Karen or you Jim until tomorrow, but these things aren't set in stone."
"What about the others?" Asked Fenner.
"The other five witnesses haven't been called till later in the week." Jo pulled a piece of paper from one of her numerous notebooks.
"Neil Grayling, Alison McKenzy, Barbara Hunt, Henry Mills and Ajit Kahn." At the last name Yvonne said,
"You what?" Jo looked slightly surprised.
"do you have a problem with this witness?" Yvonne brought her expression back under control.
"No, of course not," She said, clearly trying to convince herself more than anybody else.
"When I spoke to him," Jo went on, "He said that he answer the Chaplin's phone to Ritchie Atkins asking for Snowball Merriman. But then you know this because this is part of your evidence as well."
"Sure," Said Yvonne. "I just didn't expect them to contact him, that's all."
"It was him who contacted the police after the explosion, and we need his evidence to make yours believable." Karen was staring at Yvonne, wondering just what Yvonne was afraid of. Soon after this, Jo left them and Karen volunteered to get some coffee. As soon as she'd left the room, Fenner started in on Yvonne.
"Getting very pally with our Miss Betts aren't you, Atkins?"
"Someone's got to keep an eye on you," Replied Yvonne.
"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked.
"Well," Said Yvonne getting out her cigarettes. "Locked up in a place like that with you all day? Isn't safe for any woman if you ask me."
"Now you listen to me, Atkins," Said Fenner, clearly riled. "Just you stay away from her. She doesn't need your bad influence."
"I think Karen is perfectly capable of deciding who is and isn't a bad influence on her, not that I think anyone could be if they tried." Fenner was about to continue his side of the argument when Karen appeared carrying three cups of machine coffee. At the silence that greeted her, she figured they'd been talking about her. When they'd all lit up cigarettes, they sat in a slightly uneasy silence.
"I can't possibly keep this up for long," Thought Karen, whilst Yvonne was itching to begin another verbal tussle with Fenner, but kerbing her tongue for Karen's sake. In utter frustration Yvonne left, returning five minutes later with a selection of newspapers.
"I got this especially for you," She said, handing Fenner a copy of The Sun, and dumping the others on the table between her and Karen. "It seems the canteen in here sells it to get all the ancient male barristers fired up for their appearance on stage." Digging out a copy of The Times from the pile, she found the crossword and settled in for something slightly more brain taxing than continuously taking the piss out of Fenner. Even that could get boring after a while. Filling in the answer for three across, she briefly wondered whether the judge in this trial read The Times or The Sun before a case.