Part Twenty One
On the Wednesday morning, Karen joined the others in the public gallery.
"It'll make a change to watch Fenner being put through the mill," She remarked to Yvonne.
"Yeah, well, let's just hope he sticks to the truth," Replied Yvonne, remembering her threat to him of the day before. As they watched the elegant figure of Georgia Channing take her place at the defense bench instead of the smarmy-looking Brian Cantwell, Yvonne said, "Who the hell is she?"
"Oh, I forgot to tell you. When I was talking to the judge yesterday, his secretary mentioned that the other barrister had resigned. I suppose she must be his replacement."
"Yeah," Mused Yvonne. "Looks like Ritchie's going up in the world. There's no way that one'll take shit from anyone."
When Fenner stood on the stand and held the bible to intone the oath, Yvonne whispered to Karen,
"Only the devil would keep that one safe." At this, Karen briefly remembered Helen Stewart once having told her that Jim Fenner had the luck of the devil. How right she'd been. Jo moved forward and looked at Fenner with something akin to contempt.
"Principle Officer Fenner. Am I right in stating that whilst your wing governor was away on holiday, it was your responsibility to deal with any applications put forward by inmates?" George Channing raised her hand.
"My Lord," She began in the aristocratic tones which had so long ago lured Deed to her bed, "I fail to see the relevance of this." Oh, she's started, thought Jo with a level of resignation that spoke of previous experience.
"My Lord," Jo responded, "I am simply trying to establish how the defendent Snowball Merriman was able to obtain access to the prison library so soon after her entrance in to Larkhall."
"Please continue, Mrs. Mills," Came Deed's reply, totally ignoring George's interruption. Jo continued.
"Please could you answer the question, Mr. Fenner?"
"No, any decisions usually made by the wing governor were dealt with by the governing governor."
"Are you absolutely sure about that?" Asked Jo, moving to the prosecution bench to retrieve Yvonne's statement. "Because Mrs. Atkins said in her testamony that Snowball Merriman," Here she began to read from her notes, "Got very pally with her personal officer, Jim Fenner. She hadn't been in five minutes when she got made up to a red band and given a job in the library. Does this not suggest at the very least some involvement on your part, and at the most sole authority over this type of decision?"
"Yeah, Well, you don't want to believe Atkins. Would you believe one of Her Majesty's prison officers over a con?" Remembering what she'd learnt about this man the night before, Jo looked him straight in the eye.
"In this, as in many other circumstances, yes I would." Hearing the level of disgust and loathing in Jo's voice, Karen briefly wondered if the Judge had told Jo everything she'd said yesterday. Jo returned to the attack.
"So, I will ask you again, Principle Officer Fenner, did you or did you not give Snowball Merriman her enhanced status and promote her to a red band, and in so doing give her direct and almost sole access to the library, where she later constructed her bomb?"
"Yes," Said Fenner, clearly hating this woman who had showed him up for a fool.
"Now," Jo continued, "Would you tell the jury of the two pieces of information which were given to you by snowball Merriman?"
"When she'd been in Larkhall for about a fortnight, she told me there was going to be a break out."
"And did she suggest who was going to be making this break out?"
"She said it was Yvonne Atkins."
"And you automatically believed a woman who had only been an inmate of Larkhall prison for two weeks?"
"Atkins had made two previous escape attempts."
"That's as maybe," Conceded Jo. "And please would you enlighten us all as to how the defendent further led you to believe that Yvonne Atkins was planning an escape attempt."
"It was when she brought me the card from the bouquet of flowers." George held up her hand.
"What card is this?" Both John and Jo stared at Georgia Channing with utter astonishment.
"Ms Channing," Replied John. "this is part of the evidence, which as defense barrister I would have thought you would have been aware of."
"And you are well aware that I only came to this case yesterday," Replied George with little regard for the usual decorum required in the courtroom.
"Your fault you didn't ask for an adjournment," Put in Jo quietly.
"Quite," Agreed John hearing Jo's little aside.
"Might I continue questioning my witness?" Asked Jo. At the nod from John, she returned to Fenner.
"Please continue, Mr. Fenner."
"Merriman brought me the card from the bouquet Atkins had received from her son."
"And what were the words on this card?"
"If memory serves, at the bottom it said, I love you, Mum, and higher up it said, don't place your bets till the rod's in K's bag." Jo again retrieved the card from the evidence bench.
"Is this the card in question?"
"Yes." Before Jo could return it to the evidence bench, George moved forward and plucked it out of Jo's hand so she could take a look.
"The time for getting to grips with the evidence is during an adjournment, not the trial itself," Said Jo for all to hear.
"I don't need you to tell me how to do my job," Said George, her anger rising.
"Oh, I wouldn't dream of it, George," Said Jo, taking back the card.
"Ladies," Came Deed's slightly admonishing tone, "This is neither the time nor the place." Jo returned to her questioning.
"Mr. Fenner. What did Snowball Merriman say to you when she gave you the card?"
"She said, isn't rod another name for a gun? That means there's a gun hidden in Karen Betts' handbag to help Atkins escape." George got up again. John was really getting tired of this.
"My Lord, is there proof of this?" She asked.
"Surely you can find this out in cross-examination, Ms Channing. Please don't disturb this court again if your objection is so feeble." The hackles could almost be seen rising on George's neck.
"Finally, Mr. Fenner, could you tell the jury what Snowball Merriman's reaction was once she had been apprehended and put in segregation?"
"She asked if this was all we could do to her. Then, she put on that fake American accent and said, Well, if I'm not on death row, I'm on holiday." Jo allowed these words to sink in with the jury and finally said,
"No further questions."
George didn't give John a chance to ask her forward, she moved to stand in front of Fenner with the grace and stealth of a cat.
"Mr. Fenner, or should I say Principle Officer Fenner. Is it your usual routine to become very pally, as I believe Mrs. Atkins put it, with prisoners in your charge?" Fenner was furious.
"No, it isn't." George held up a file and waved it at Fenner.
"I think the jury ought to know that this isn't actually the case. Do the names Rachel Hicks, Michelle Dockley and Maxine Purvis mean anything to you?" Fenner didn't answer. "Would I be right in suggesting that you have had relationships with all three of these prisoners, two of whom are now dead by suicide?"
"Excuse me," Said Fenner in a mock-innocent voice, "But I'm not the one on trial here."
"No, but perhaps you should be," Replied George. "Might I remind you of your involvement with Maxine Purvis, in which she also manipulated you in to believing that Yvonne Atkins was guilty of murdering another inmate, Virginia O'kane. Does the similarity of that incident with this one not strike you as something to at the very least think about?"
"No!" Fenner's face was getting redder and redder. George began switching tack to really throw Fenner off.
"Mr. Fenner, when you searched Karen Betts' handbag, looking for the gun, why did you do this behind a closed office door, instead of getting the security staff involved from the beginning?" Jo had badly not wanted George to ask this, but George being George had done exactly the opposite to what anyone might have wished.
"I didn't want Karen Betts to take the wrap for it." In the public gallery, Yvonne was so incensed by this totally untrue reply that she couldn't help shouting,
"You lying bastard!" Karen put out a hand almost as if to restrain Yvonne, and found her hand being squeezed by Yvonne's, clearly in an attempt to rein in her anger. John couldn't help but smile.
"Mrs. Atkins, this is neither the grand stand at Asscott nor the floor of the stock exchange." Suitably mollified, Yvonne stayed quiet. Karen's and Yvonne's hands remained clasped, neither of them wanting to relinquish the moral support of the other.
"I find myself agreeing with Mrs. Atkins," Continued George. "After you very unwisely informed the defense yesterday of the allegation made towards you by Karen Betts, I have since discovered that this was not the first allegation of this kind to be made against you. It is for the jury to decide, on listening to this witness, a man who claims to be a hardworking prison officer, who has had numerous allegations of sexual assault against colleagues and relationships with inmates, if a single word that comes out of his mouth can be trusted. I would like to further direct the jury to a newspaper cutting, 6B in your bundle My Lord, in which Principle Officer Fenner and a number of his male colleagues were declared by a journalist to be on a porn fest weekend in Amsterdam. Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, is this really the kind of man whose word can be trusted on issues such as friendliness with female inmates? I don't think so. No further questions, My Lord."
"Not that you've actually asked very many, Ms Channing, and I ought to remind you that it is normal practice for a barrister to ask questions, not to give a speech for the opposing witness. Do you wish to re-examine, Mrs. Mills?"
"I have just one question, My Lord. Mr. Fenner, what did snowball Merriman say to you when you questioned her decision not to remain in volentary segregation?"
"She put on that phoney accent again and said, the show must go on, Mr. Fenner."
"No Further questions, My Lord," Said Jo, finally feeling that although George had given Fenner a real run for his money, she had just about held on to him as a credible witness by the skin of her teeth. Deed intoned,
"Court will adjourn until after lunch, resuming at two o'clock."
In the public gallery, Karen and Yvonne untwined their hands, both feeling a little selfconscious at doing such a thing in the first place. The action had, however, not gone unnoticed by Cassie who filed it away as a useful piece of information to examine later. As they filed out of the court, Karen saw Jo and went over to speak to her.
"Well done," She said.
"I don't know that I achieved all that much," Replied Jo.
"You both gave Fenner a run for his money, and that's a plus any day," Said Karen, meaning it. Jo felt a twinge of real sorrow for what Fenner must have put Karen through.
"I think I ended up being hostile to my own witness," She said.
"With Fenner, that's never difficult."
"John told me," Said Jo, not needing to specify what she was talking about.
"I thought as much," Replied Karen.
"If you ever think of putting together a case against him, don't hesitate to call me."
"Thank you. Much as I hate the idea of the defense having any success in this case, whoever has replaced Brian Cantwell really riled him." Jo laughed.
"Oh, that's George's role in life, to play with men. She either dangles them from a fingernail or tramples on those that get in her way."
"You know her then?" Asked Karen in slight amusement.
"She's John's ex-wife, so yes, our paths do cross occasionally."
"I bet that's nice and cosy?" Commented Yvonne, coming up behind them and catching the end of the conversation.
"You could say that," Said Jo with a grimmace. Then turning to Karen she added, "Remember what I said, I'd be only too pleased to help you nail that insult to humanity."
"I'll bare it in mind," Said Karen, wondering if one day she really could get as far as putting Fenner out of action for good.
On the Wednesday morning, Karen joined the others in the public gallery.
"It'll make a change to watch Fenner being put through the mill," She remarked to Yvonne.
"Yeah, well, let's just hope he sticks to the truth," Replied Yvonne, remembering her threat to him of the day before. As they watched the elegant figure of Georgia Channing take her place at the defense bench instead of the smarmy-looking Brian Cantwell, Yvonne said, "Who the hell is she?"
"Oh, I forgot to tell you. When I was talking to the judge yesterday, his secretary mentioned that the other barrister had resigned. I suppose she must be his replacement."
"Yeah," Mused Yvonne. "Looks like Ritchie's going up in the world. There's no way that one'll take shit from anyone."
When Fenner stood on the stand and held the bible to intone the oath, Yvonne whispered to Karen,
"Only the devil would keep that one safe." At this, Karen briefly remembered Helen Stewart once having told her that Jim Fenner had the luck of the devil. How right she'd been. Jo moved forward and looked at Fenner with something akin to contempt.
"Principle Officer Fenner. Am I right in stating that whilst your wing governor was away on holiday, it was your responsibility to deal with any applications put forward by inmates?" George Channing raised her hand.
"My Lord," She began in the aristocratic tones which had so long ago lured Deed to her bed, "I fail to see the relevance of this." Oh, she's started, thought Jo with a level of resignation that spoke of previous experience.
"My Lord," Jo responded, "I am simply trying to establish how the defendent Snowball Merriman was able to obtain access to the prison library so soon after her entrance in to Larkhall."
"Please continue, Mrs. Mills," Came Deed's reply, totally ignoring George's interruption. Jo continued.
"Please could you answer the question, Mr. Fenner?"
"No, any decisions usually made by the wing governor were dealt with by the governing governor."
"Are you absolutely sure about that?" Asked Jo, moving to the prosecution bench to retrieve Yvonne's statement. "Because Mrs. Atkins said in her testamony that Snowball Merriman," Here she began to read from her notes, "Got very pally with her personal officer, Jim Fenner. She hadn't been in five minutes when she got made up to a red band and given a job in the library. Does this not suggest at the very least some involvement on your part, and at the most sole authority over this type of decision?"
"Yeah, Well, you don't want to believe Atkins. Would you believe one of Her Majesty's prison officers over a con?" Remembering what she'd learnt about this man the night before, Jo looked him straight in the eye.
"In this, as in many other circumstances, yes I would." Hearing the level of disgust and loathing in Jo's voice, Karen briefly wondered if the Judge had told Jo everything she'd said yesterday. Jo returned to the attack.
"So, I will ask you again, Principle Officer Fenner, did you or did you not give Snowball Merriman her enhanced status and promote her to a red band, and in so doing give her direct and almost sole access to the library, where she later constructed her bomb?"
"Yes," Said Fenner, clearly hating this woman who had showed him up for a fool.
"Now," Jo continued, "Would you tell the jury of the two pieces of information which were given to you by snowball Merriman?"
"When she'd been in Larkhall for about a fortnight, she told me there was going to be a break out."
"And did she suggest who was going to be making this break out?"
"She said it was Yvonne Atkins."
"And you automatically believed a woman who had only been an inmate of Larkhall prison for two weeks?"
"Atkins had made two previous escape attempts."
"That's as maybe," Conceded Jo. "And please would you enlighten us all as to how the defendent further led you to believe that Yvonne Atkins was planning an escape attempt."
"It was when she brought me the card from the bouquet of flowers." George held up her hand.
"What card is this?" Both John and Jo stared at Georgia Channing with utter astonishment.
"Ms Channing," Replied John. "this is part of the evidence, which as defense barrister I would have thought you would have been aware of."
"And you are well aware that I only came to this case yesterday," Replied George with little regard for the usual decorum required in the courtroom.
"Your fault you didn't ask for an adjournment," Put in Jo quietly.
"Quite," Agreed John hearing Jo's little aside.
"Might I continue questioning my witness?" Asked Jo. At the nod from John, she returned to Fenner.
"Please continue, Mr. Fenner."
"Merriman brought me the card from the bouquet Atkins had received from her son."
"And what were the words on this card?"
"If memory serves, at the bottom it said, I love you, Mum, and higher up it said, don't place your bets till the rod's in K's bag." Jo again retrieved the card from the evidence bench.
"Is this the card in question?"
"Yes." Before Jo could return it to the evidence bench, George moved forward and plucked it out of Jo's hand so she could take a look.
"The time for getting to grips with the evidence is during an adjournment, not the trial itself," Said Jo for all to hear.
"I don't need you to tell me how to do my job," Said George, her anger rising.
"Oh, I wouldn't dream of it, George," Said Jo, taking back the card.
"Ladies," Came Deed's slightly admonishing tone, "This is neither the time nor the place." Jo returned to her questioning.
"Mr. Fenner. What did Snowball Merriman say to you when she gave you the card?"
"She said, isn't rod another name for a gun? That means there's a gun hidden in Karen Betts' handbag to help Atkins escape." George got up again. John was really getting tired of this.
"My Lord, is there proof of this?" She asked.
"Surely you can find this out in cross-examination, Ms Channing. Please don't disturb this court again if your objection is so feeble." The hackles could almost be seen rising on George's neck.
"Finally, Mr. Fenner, could you tell the jury what Snowball Merriman's reaction was once she had been apprehended and put in segregation?"
"She asked if this was all we could do to her. Then, she put on that fake American accent and said, Well, if I'm not on death row, I'm on holiday." Jo allowed these words to sink in with the jury and finally said,
"No further questions."
George didn't give John a chance to ask her forward, she moved to stand in front of Fenner with the grace and stealth of a cat.
"Mr. Fenner, or should I say Principle Officer Fenner. Is it your usual routine to become very pally, as I believe Mrs. Atkins put it, with prisoners in your charge?" Fenner was furious.
"No, it isn't." George held up a file and waved it at Fenner.
"I think the jury ought to know that this isn't actually the case. Do the names Rachel Hicks, Michelle Dockley and Maxine Purvis mean anything to you?" Fenner didn't answer. "Would I be right in suggesting that you have had relationships with all three of these prisoners, two of whom are now dead by suicide?"
"Excuse me," Said Fenner in a mock-innocent voice, "But I'm not the one on trial here."
"No, but perhaps you should be," Replied George. "Might I remind you of your involvement with Maxine Purvis, in which she also manipulated you in to believing that Yvonne Atkins was guilty of murdering another inmate, Virginia O'kane. Does the similarity of that incident with this one not strike you as something to at the very least think about?"
"No!" Fenner's face was getting redder and redder. George began switching tack to really throw Fenner off.
"Mr. Fenner, when you searched Karen Betts' handbag, looking for the gun, why did you do this behind a closed office door, instead of getting the security staff involved from the beginning?" Jo had badly not wanted George to ask this, but George being George had done exactly the opposite to what anyone might have wished.
"I didn't want Karen Betts to take the wrap for it." In the public gallery, Yvonne was so incensed by this totally untrue reply that she couldn't help shouting,
"You lying bastard!" Karen put out a hand almost as if to restrain Yvonne, and found her hand being squeezed by Yvonne's, clearly in an attempt to rein in her anger. John couldn't help but smile.
"Mrs. Atkins, this is neither the grand stand at Asscott nor the floor of the stock exchange." Suitably mollified, Yvonne stayed quiet. Karen's and Yvonne's hands remained clasped, neither of them wanting to relinquish the moral support of the other.
"I find myself agreeing with Mrs. Atkins," Continued George. "After you very unwisely informed the defense yesterday of the allegation made towards you by Karen Betts, I have since discovered that this was not the first allegation of this kind to be made against you. It is for the jury to decide, on listening to this witness, a man who claims to be a hardworking prison officer, who has had numerous allegations of sexual assault against colleagues and relationships with inmates, if a single word that comes out of his mouth can be trusted. I would like to further direct the jury to a newspaper cutting, 6B in your bundle My Lord, in which Principle Officer Fenner and a number of his male colleagues were declared by a journalist to be on a porn fest weekend in Amsterdam. Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, is this really the kind of man whose word can be trusted on issues such as friendliness with female inmates? I don't think so. No further questions, My Lord."
"Not that you've actually asked very many, Ms Channing, and I ought to remind you that it is normal practice for a barrister to ask questions, not to give a speech for the opposing witness. Do you wish to re-examine, Mrs. Mills?"
"I have just one question, My Lord. Mr. Fenner, what did snowball Merriman say to you when you questioned her decision not to remain in volentary segregation?"
"She put on that phoney accent again and said, the show must go on, Mr. Fenner."
"No Further questions, My Lord," Said Jo, finally feeling that although George had given Fenner a real run for his money, she had just about held on to him as a credible witness by the skin of her teeth. Deed intoned,
"Court will adjourn until after lunch, resuming at two o'clock."
In the public gallery, Karen and Yvonne untwined their hands, both feeling a little selfconscious at doing such a thing in the first place. The action had, however, not gone unnoticed by Cassie who filed it away as a useful piece of information to examine later. As they filed out of the court, Karen saw Jo and went over to speak to her.
"Well done," She said.
"I don't know that I achieved all that much," Replied Jo.
"You both gave Fenner a run for his money, and that's a plus any day," Said Karen, meaning it. Jo felt a twinge of real sorrow for what Fenner must have put Karen through.
"I think I ended up being hostile to my own witness," She said.
"With Fenner, that's never difficult."
"John told me," Said Jo, not needing to specify what she was talking about.
"I thought as much," Replied Karen.
"If you ever think of putting together a case against him, don't hesitate to call me."
"Thank you. Much as I hate the idea of the defense having any success in this case, whoever has replaced Brian Cantwell really riled him." Jo laughed.
"Oh, that's George's role in life, to play with men. She either dangles them from a fingernail or tramples on those that get in her way."
"You know her then?" Asked Karen in slight amusement.
"She's John's ex-wife, so yes, our paths do cross occasionally."
"I bet that's nice and cosy?" Commented Yvonne, coming up behind them and catching the end of the conversation.
"You could say that," Said Jo with a grimmace. Then turning to Karen she added, "Remember what I said, I'd be only too pleased to help you nail that insult to humanity."
"I'll bare it in mind," Said Karen, wondering if one day she really could get as far as putting Fenner out of action for good.