Part Twenty Nine
On Friday morning, It was Yvonne's turn to feel apprehensive about going to court. She'd barely slept the night before, going over and over what that adrenalin rush between her and Karen really meant. She'd sat up in bed most of the night, smoking and brutally examining her feelings for Karen. Yvonne vaguely thought it had been the hardest night of her life. Possibly the only one to rival it was her first in Larkhall. She'd barely spoken that evening, and on her way to bed, Lauren had put her arms round her and told her she loved her. Yvonne couldn't remember the last time Lauren had done that. She was utterly shell-shocked by what had happened that afternoon. Yvonne Atkins didn't do things like falling for other women, it just didn't happen. The impact of their harmless flirting had been enormous. She'd felt it like a gunshot to the chest. But why had she been flirting with Karen anyway? This was the million dollar question.
Yvonne could acknowledge to herself that Karen was extremely attractive. She could also say that Karen was very good company. But deeper than this, Yvonne was all too aware of a bond, a connection, something that pulled them ever closer together. When she'd gazed right in to Karen's soul, Yvonne had felt complete. She knew that, and as much as she wanted to, she couldn't possibly deny it. Was she so desperate for a shag or a cuddle that finding another woman sexually attractive had become her best bet? But Yvonne realised that it wasn't the whole idea of fancying, loving, or sleeping with another woman that had provoked this reaction from her, it was the fact that it was all so new. Sure, she had been screwed about by two many men, including Charlie, but men was what she knew, what she ultimately understood. They were safe because she knew what to expect from them. She knew how to please them and minimise the possibility of being hurt by them. But the idea of doing all this with a woman frightened her. but what had she really achieved by keeping to the proverbial straight and narrow. She had a daughter whom she was usually proud of, but this seemed to be her only success. Her son had taken her for a complete fool, and was probably about to serve a long prison sentence. She didn't attempt to go in to whose fault that really was, because she was low enough already. Her husband, who she'd loved and been faithful to for thirty years, had cast her aside like a used condom as soon as she'd been sent to Larkhall, and taken up with Renee Williams, before being killed on the steps of the court after nobbling the jury. Then there was herself. Not only had she utterly failed with her marriage and her children, she had managed to get herself four years in prison, and on release, end up a lonely, frustrated, middle-aged woman. Not a startling array of achievements for forty-eight years of living, she thought. So, why not try something new, why not take a risk. She knew this was the logical thing for her to do, to try life with a woman when all her men had treated her so ruthlessly, but everything is easier said than done. Yvonne was frightened by the sheer intensity of the feelings that look between her and Karen had induced. It'd been a mixture of lust, completeness and a need to protect all in one. She'd never before found a woman sexually attractive, but was this simply because she'd never either allowed herself to or even thought of the possibility. Was it going to take something entirely new to fill the gap that Charlie's desertion and subsequent death had created. Yvonne needed someone permanent in her life, she needed someone who would be there to hold her at night and to understand every bit of her personality. This had never entirely happened with Charlie, but at the time, Yvonne had learned to accept what she had. But maybe now was the time to try and seek the type of fulfillment she craved, and if it could only be found in a woman, then this was the path she might have to take.
When Yvonne sat down next to Cassie in the public gallery, Cassie's greeting of the day was,
"God, you look terrible. Are you okay?"
"Don't," Said Yvonne, so tired that she feared she might cry, even though she'd thought she'd cried all her tears the night before. Cassie took her hand, gave it a squeeze and said no more. A brief smile touched Yvonne's lips as Barbara took the stand.
"I swear by all mighty god to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth," Rang out Barbara's cultured tones.
"She ought to impress the jury," muttered Cassie. Jo moved to stand in front of Barbara.
"Mrs. Mills, please would you tell the court of your initial impression of the defendant, Snowball Merriman."
"When she first arrived, we all thought she was an American film star. She gave the impression of someone who'd been around, lived life to the full and taken every hard knock in her stride. Her persona was that of someone who would stop at nothing to get what she wanted, including getting very friendly with her personal officer, Jim Fenner. If you ask me, this always has been and always will be the real Snowball Merriman. The American accent might have been fake, but the rest of that persona wasn't." George raised a hand.
"My Lord, is this witness an expert in human psychology?" Barbara also needed no protection from John.
"No," She said looking George in the eye. "But spending time in a prison does give one some insight in to human nature." Yvonne grinned.
"How did your impression of her change once the truth about her film career came to light?" Asked Jo.
"I fell in to the trap of thinking her brave for standing up for herself and telling anyone who would listen how she'd got in to doing the things she had." Barbara again directed her gaze at George. "We all have the capacity to be taken in and made a fool of."
"When did you begin to have doubts about Snowball Merriman's integrity?" Continued Jo.
"She began to spend a lot of time around Henry, Reverend Mills. I caught her using his phone, clearly talking to a boyfriend, and not her mother as she'd told Henry. I thought she was taking Henry for a fool."
"I have submitted the phone records of the prison for this time, My Lord, which do show that calls were made from Reverend Mills' office to Ritchie Atkins' mobile phone."
"She made the pretence of getting very involved with the preparations for the open day. She borrowed an altar cloth from Henry, which she said would be used for one of the displays." Jo moved to the evidence bench and held up a wide expanse of material.
"Is this the altar cloth in question? This is 5D in your bundle, My Lord."
"Yes, that's the one," Replied Barbara. "I heard that's what she was wearing when she tried to escape."
"Mrs. Mills," Continued Jo. "Where exactly were you at the point of the explosion?"
"I was in the library, with seven other inmates and the prison governor, Neil Grayling. I suffer from claustrophobia, and being confined in such a small space with the flames growing ever closer terrified me. I sustained a head injury during the explosion which made me totally deaf for some time after the fire."
"I have submitted Mrs. Mils' medical report to confirm this, My Lord, 5G in your bundle."
"At what point did your hearing return?" Asked Jo.
"It was about five weeks after the fire. I could hear muffled sounds of people talking, of Snooker balls clashing, and the occasional slam of a door."
"And who was the first person you informed of your being able to hear again?"
"Yvonne Atkins. She had her suspicions that Snowball was again making contact with her son, and she asked me to keep acting as if I couldn't hear, so that I would be able to get close enough to listen to Snowball's phone conversations. In doing this, I learnt that Snowball was planning another escape attempt."
"do you remember exactly what her words were?"
"She said, "Our baby's tucked up nice and safe, all ready for the weekend. Your mum thinks you've dumped me, Ritchie" I'm assuming the baby she was talking about was the gun."
"you actually heard her say the name, Ritchie?" Asked Jo, wanting to make this absolutely clear.
"Yes," Replied Barbara with utter certainty. "She definitely called him Ritchie."
George moved forward with a gleam in her eye.
"Mrs., Mills," She said, glancing at a piece of paper as if to make sure she had Barbara's name right. "Do you see yourself as a credible witness?"
"Yes?" Said Barbara, fairly sure she knew what was coming.
"Well," Said George, with the air of someone with the ignition to the atom bomb at her fingertips. "I'm not sure that the jury will see you as such when they learn just what sort of a person you really are. Isn't it true that you were once guilty of bigamy?"
"If you are asking whether I was found guilty of bigamy in a court of law," Threw back Barbara, "Then the answer is no."
"Whether or not you were found guilty of this crime by a jury is neither here nor there, Mrs. Mills..."
"Actually, Ms Channing," Butted in John, "Surely that fact is the all important question in this situation."
"My Lord," Replied George. "There is no doubt that Barbara Mills, formerly Barbara Hunt, was fictitiously married to Peter Hunt, whilst she was still married to Arthur roper."
"Barbara Mills is not on trial, Ms Channing, and I would thank you to remember it."
"My Lord," Persisted George. "I am simply trying to establish that the witness is neither credible nor trustworthy."
"I know exactly what you're trying to do, Ms Channing, but I can't agree with the way you are doing it."
"Mrs. Mills, how can you prove that my clients were having a phone conversation during the time you were supposed to be still deaf?"
"As I was the only witness to one side of the conversation, I can only tell you what I heard," Conceded Barbara.
"So we only have your word that you were asked to keep an ear on Snowball Merriman's movements."
"I'm sure that if you recall Yvonne Atkins," Barbara hit back, "She will confirm having asked me to do this."
"I'm sure that won't be necessary," Replied George hurriedly, clearly not wanting to tangle with the woman who had all but reduced Brian Cantwell to tears.
"I have no further questions, My Lord."
"Court is adjourned until after lunch," Called out Deed.
In the foyer, Yvonne went to meet Barbara.
"Well done," She said, hugging her. "You did brilliantly."
"Well, she got under my skin," Replied Barbara, clearly talking about George.
"You gonna be up in the gallery with us from now on?" Asked Yvonne, feeling that a new face would do them all good.
"Of course. How's Denny getting on?"
"She's okay, just wound up because of the trial. It brings it all back to her."
"Do you think she'd like a letter from me?" Asked Barbara.
"Of course she would," Replied Yvonne with a smile.
"And how are you?" Barbara asked, looking shrudely at the shadows under Yvonne's eyes.
"I'm okay," Said Yvonne quickly.
"And I've got a clean record," Quipped Barbara. "You look like you could do with a chat."
"Yeah, maybe. There's just things going on that I don't understand right now, that's all."
"Well, you know where I am," Said Barbara, fondly thinking of the many times she'd listened to Nikki declaiming love and all its complex eccentricities, and wondered briefly if this was why Yvonne was looking so drained.
On Friday morning, It was Yvonne's turn to feel apprehensive about going to court. She'd barely slept the night before, going over and over what that adrenalin rush between her and Karen really meant. She'd sat up in bed most of the night, smoking and brutally examining her feelings for Karen. Yvonne vaguely thought it had been the hardest night of her life. Possibly the only one to rival it was her first in Larkhall. She'd barely spoken that evening, and on her way to bed, Lauren had put her arms round her and told her she loved her. Yvonne couldn't remember the last time Lauren had done that. She was utterly shell-shocked by what had happened that afternoon. Yvonne Atkins didn't do things like falling for other women, it just didn't happen. The impact of their harmless flirting had been enormous. She'd felt it like a gunshot to the chest. But why had she been flirting with Karen anyway? This was the million dollar question.
Yvonne could acknowledge to herself that Karen was extremely attractive. She could also say that Karen was very good company. But deeper than this, Yvonne was all too aware of a bond, a connection, something that pulled them ever closer together. When she'd gazed right in to Karen's soul, Yvonne had felt complete. She knew that, and as much as she wanted to, she couldn't possibly deny it. Was she so desperate for a shag or a cuddle that finding another woman sexually attractive had become her best bet? But Yvonne realised that it wasn't the whole idea of fancying, loving, or sleeping with another woman that had provoked this reaction from her, it was the fact that it was all so new. Sure, she had been screwed about by two many men, including Charlie, but men was what she knew, what she ultimately understood. They were safe because she knew what to expect from them. She knew how to please them and minimise the possibility of being hurt by them. But the idea of doing all this with a woman frightened her. but what had she really achieved by keeping to the proverbial straight and narrow. She had a daughter whom she was usually proud of, but this seemed to be her only success. Her son had taken her for a complete fool, and was probably about to serve a long prison sentence. She didn't attempt to go in to whose fault that really was, because she was low enough already. Her husband, who she'd loved and been faithful to for thirty years, had cast her aside like a used condom as soon as she'd been sent to Larkhall, and taken up with Renee Williams, before being killed on the steps of the court after nobbling the jury. Then there was herself. Not only had she utterly failed with her marriage and her children, she had managed to get herself four years in prison, and on release, end up a lonely, frustrated, middle-aged woman. Not a startling array of achievements for forty-eight years of living, she thought. So, why not try something new, why not take a risk. She knew this was the logical thing for her to do, to try life with a woman when all her men had treated her so ruthlessly, but everything is easier said than done. Yvonne was frightened by the sheer intensity of the feelings that look between her and Karen had induced. It'd been a mixture of lust, completeness and a need to protect all in one. She'd never before found a woman sexually attractive, but was this simply because she'd never either allowed herself to or even thought of the possibility. Was it going to take something entirely new to fill the gap that Charlie's desertion and subsequent death had created. Yvonne needed someone permanent in her life, she needed someone who would be there to hold her at night and to understand every bit of her personality. This had never entirely happened with Charlie, but at the time, Yvonne had learned to accept what she had. But maybe now was the time to try and seek the type of fulfillment she craved, and if it could only be found in a woman, then this was the path she might have to take.
When Yvonne sat down next to Cassie in the public gallery, Cassie's greeting of the day was,
"God, you look terrible. Are you okay?"
"Don't," Said Yvonne, so tired that she feared she might cry, even though she'd thought she'd cried all her tears the night before. Cassie took her hand, gave it a squeeze and said no more. A brief smile touched Yvonne's lips as Barbara took the stand.
"I swear by all mighty god to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth," Rang out Barbara's cultured tones.
"She ought to impress the jury," muttered Cassie. Jo moved to stand in front of Barbara.
"Mrs. Mills, please would you tell the court of your initial impression of the defendant, Snowball Merriman."
"When she first arrived, we all thought she was an American film star. She gave the impression of someone who'd been around, lived life to the full and taken every hard knock in her stride. Her persona was that of someone who would stop at nothing to get what she wanted, including getting very friendly with her personal officer, Jim Fenner. If you ask me, this always has been and always will be the real Snowball Merriman. The American accent might have been fake, but the rest of that persona wasn't." George raised a hand.
"My Lord, is this witness an expert in human psychology?" Barbara also needed no protection from John.
"No," She said looking George in the eye. "But spending time in a prison does give one some insight in to human nature." Yvonne grinned.
"How did your impression of her change once the truth about her film career came to light?" Asked Jo.
"I fell in to the trap of thinking her brave for standing up for herself and telling anyone who would listen how she'd got in to doing the things she had." Barbara again directed her gaze at George. "We all have the capacity to be taken in and made a fool of."
"When did you begin to have doubts about Snowball Merriman's integrity?" Continued Jo.
"She began to spend a lot of time around Henry, Reverend Mills. I caught her using his phone, clearly talking to a boyfriend, and not her mother as she'd told Henry. I thought she was taking Henry for a fool."
"I have submitted the phone records of the prison for this time, My Lord, which do show that calls were made from Reverend Mills' office to Ritchie Atkins' mobile phone."
"She made the pretence of getting very involved with the preparations for the open day. She borrowed an altar cloth from Henry, which she said would be used for one of the displays." Jo moved to the evidence bench and held up a wide expanse of material.
"Is this the altar cloth in question? This is 5D in your bundle, My Lord."
"Yes, that's the one," Replied Barbara. "I heard that's what she was wearing when she tried to escape."
"Mrs. Mills," Continued Jo. "Where exactly were you at the point of the explosion?"
"I was in the library, with seven other inmates and the prison governor, Neil Grayling. I suffer from claustrophobia, and being confined in such a small space with the flames growing ever closer terrified me. I sustained a head injury during the explosion which made me totally deaf for some time after the fire."
"I have submitted Mrs. Mils' medical report to confirm this, My Lord, 5G in your bundle."
"At what point did your hearing return?" Asked Jo.
"It was about five weeks after the fire. I could hear muffled sounds of people talking, of Snooker balls clashing, and the occasional slam of a door."
"And who was the first person you informed of your being able to hear again?"
"Yvonne Atkins. She had her suspicions that Snowball was again making contact with her son, and she asked me to keep acting as if I couldn't hear, so that I would be able to get close enough to listen to Snowball's phone conversations. In doing this, I learnt that Snowball was planning another escape attempt."
"do you remember exactly what her words were?"
"She said, "Our baby's tucked up nice and safe, all ready for the weekend. Your mum thinks you've dumped me, Ritchie" I'm assuming the baby she was talking about was the gun."
"you actually heard her say the name, Ritchie?" Asked Jo, wanting to make this absolutely clear.
"Yes," Replied Barbara with utter certainty. "She definitely called him Ritchie."
George moved forward with a gleam in her eye.
"Mrs., Mills," She said, glancing at a piece of paper as if to make sure she had Barbara's name right. "Do you see yourself as a credible witness?"
"Yes?" Said Barbara, fairly sure she knew what was coming.
"Well," Said George, with the air of someone with the ignition to the atom bomb at her fingertips. "I'm not sure that the jury will see you as such when they learn just what sort of a person you really are. Isn't it true that you were once guilty of bigamy?"
"If you are asking whether I was found guilty of bigamy in a court of law," Threw back Barbara, "Then the answer is no."
"Whether or not you were found guilty of this crime by a jury is neither here nor there, Mrs. Mills..."
"Actually, Ms Channing," Butted in John, "Surely that fact is the all important question in this situation."
"My Lord," Replied George. "There is no doubt that Barbara Mills, formerly Barbara Hunt, was fictitiously married to Peter Hunt, whilst she was still married to Arthur roper."
"Barbara Mills is not on trial, Ms Channing, and I would thank you to remember it."
"My Lord," Persisted George. "I am simply trying to establish that the witness is neither credible nor trustworthy."
"I know exactly what you're trying to do, Ms Channing, but I can't agree with the way you are doing it."
"Mrs. Mills, how can you prove that my clients were having a phone conversation during the time you were supposed to be still deaf?"
"As I was the only witness to one side of the conversation, I can only tell you what I heard," Conceded Barbara.
"So we only have your word that you were asked to keep an ear on Snowball Merriman's movements."
"I'm sure that if you recall Yvonne Atkins," Barbara hit back, "She will confirm having asked me to do this."
"I'm sure that won't be necessary," Replied George hurriedly, clearly not wanting to tangle with the woman who had all but reduced Brian Cantwell to tears.
"I have no further questions, My Lord."
"Court is adjourned until after lunch," Called out Deed.
In the foyer, Yvonne went to meet Barbara.
"Well done," She said, hugging her. "You did brilliantly."
"Well, she got under my skin," Replied Barbara, clearly talking about George.
"You gonna be up in the gallery with us from now on?" Asked Yvonne, feeling that a new face would do them all good.
"Of course. How's Denny getting on?"
"She's okay, just wound up because of the trial. It brings it all back to her."
"Do you think she'd like a letter from me?" Asked Barbara.
"Of course she would," Replied Yvonne with a smile.
"And how are you?" Barbara asked, looking shrudely at the shadows under Yvonne's eyes.
"I'm okay," Said Yvonne quickly.
"And I've got a clean record," Quipped Barbara. "You look like you could do with a chat."
"Yeah, maybe. There's just things going on that I don't understand right now, that's all."
"Well, you know where I am," Said Barbara, fondly thinking of the many times she'd listened to Nikki declaiming love and all its complex eccentricities, and wondered briefly if this was why Yvonne was looking so drained.