Part One Hundred And Eleven
When Karen drove in to the car park of the prison on Monday morning, she found a sea of press waiting for anyone who could offer a comment. Fighting her way through them, she collected her keys from the gate lodge and let herself in to the comparative quiet of the wing. Walking in to the officers' room, she found Di and Sylvia, along with Collin and Selina, speculating on the previous day's events.
"But who can have done it?" Di was saying. "I mean, it's not as if anyone had anything against him, is it." Karen almost laughed out loud at this assertion, but managed to restrain herself.
"I've always said this job's more than it's worth," Put in Sylvia. "At least when the cons are in here, we know what they're up too. But it's when they get let out that the trouble starts."
"What, so you reckon it was an ex-con who did this?" Said Di.
"More than likely," Replied Sylvia. Karen thought it was about time she intervened.
"Let's leave the speculation to the police, shall we? There'll be more than enough time for questions when they arrive, because arrive they will."
"Oh, marvelous," Grumbled Sylvia, "It'll be just like when Renee Williams and Virginia O'kane were killed, and as if we can tell them anything." Telling them all to keep on top of things, because the inmates would probably use this as an opportunity to kick off, Karen walked to her office. What she'd said to Sylvia was right. It would only be a matter of time before the whole world descended on Larkhall and its inhabitants. But on the dot of nine, the ringing of her phone banished all thought of inmates and officers from her mind.
"Karen Betts?" She answered, expecting it to be Grayling, but it was someone quite different.
"Karen, it's Jo."
"Hello," Karen said carefully. "I wondered when I'd be hearing from you." This wasn't strictly true, but it felt like the right thing to say.
"I think we need to talk, don't you," Jo said, sounding very calm and extremely professional, but at the same time slightly removed. Thinking she just might know what was coming, Karen said,
"Yes, though I have no idea what you think I can tell you." God, she was getting good at this acting thing, she thought.
"Well, that's what myself, George and John would like to find out."
"Do I need a lawyer?"
"that depends on whether you think you'll need one," replied Jo.
"then on balance," Said Karen slowly, "No, I don't. Where is this delightful little interview going to take place?"
"John's chambers at the Old Bailey."
"so that if it needs to go official, there's no better place," finished Karen, the bitter edge of hurt creeping through.
"Well, I don't think that was actually the reason behind John's suggestion, but yes, I suppose so."
When Karen drew up in front of the Old Bailey, Jo was waiting for her. Nothing needed to be said by either of them, as they were both preternaturally aware of the seriousness of the situation. Karen simply followed Jo inside and upstairs to John's chambers, where John and George were waiting for them. John was stood behind his enormous mahogany desk, and George was seated in one of the hard, straight-backed chairs in front of the desk. Coope was nowhere to be seen, having been temporarily though politely banished by John, who wanted no audience for the interview that was about to take place. When Karen walked in and saw the closed expression on John's face and the predatory, itching for the attack look on George's, she said,
"Wow, my very own version of the Spanish inquisition."
"Smart comments will get you absolutely nowhere," Replied George icily. Karen looked George full in the face.
"Yes, I suppose I should give due respect to the results of your ever so exemplary behaviour on the three occasions you were found in contempt of court." George bridled at this very accurate plunge of the knife.
"contempt of court and murder, are two very different things," She replied, her sense of betrayal making her anger all the more palpable. Feeling like an umpire at the women's final at Wimbledon, John said,
"Sit down," In the kind of voice that told Karen she did have at least the tentative possibility of an ally. Karen sat in the armchair, and John took the seat behind his desk, a metaphorical barrier that Karen would have clung to had she been in her own office. Jo and George sat opposite her, with John slightly removed, showing Karen that he was merely there as a witness and wanted absolutely no part in what was coming. George was lighting one cigarette from another, and Karen could feel the anger coming off her like heat. Wanting to get this over as soon as possible, Karen opened the conversation with,
"You got me here, because you think I killed Fenner, didn't you." George laughed mirthlessly.
"Now, why would anyone have cause to think that," She said, the sarcasm dripping like molten lava. Karen ignored her and looked at Jo.
"Is that it," She asked, "do you seriously think I'd be so stupid as to kill the man I was hoping one day to see behind bars?"
"Did you?" Asked Jo gently, now thinking that George was definitely on the wrong track with this one. No guilty killer would have attempted to play George at her own game so successfully.
"No, I didn't," Replied Karen.
"One would possibly understand your motive," said George, with slightly less abrasiveness than before. "He did, after all, rape you, make you suffer one of the worst torments a woman can go through."
"answer me this," Said Karen, lighting a cigarette of her own. "Why, if I was planning to do away with Fenner, would I have been working with both of you to construct first a criminal, then a civil case either against Fenner directly or at least involving him. Why, would I make the most ridiculous of all errors, of getting myself known pretty well inside out by two of the most successful barristers in the business, to say nothing of a high court judge. I may have made some fairly catastrophic errors of judgment in my time, but that, I can assure you, isn't one of them."
"the working towards either the criminal or the civil case might have been a pretty brilliant piece of cover up," Replied George, "Because you certainly had me taken in," She added bitterly, "And that's not something I admit lightly."
"Will you get a grip for one second," Said Karen, her anger easily matching George's. "I wanted that case and the criminal one to follow, to be as successful as you did, for obvious reasons, far more than you did. I work in a prison, for god's sake, which means that I know exactly what the consequences would be of committing a serious crime."
"Karen does have a point," Put in John quietly. George turned and glared at him furiously.
"You keep out of this," She said, and Karen was amused to see the ex-wife, not the barrister talking. Jo thought it was high time for some rational behaviour.
"Karen," She began carefully, "We cannot ignore the fact that as far as motive, method and opportunity are concerned, you do actually figure significantly in all three. Whilst you have so far tried to explain away your motive, it cannot yet be discounted. As far as opportunity goes, you have unlimited access to the shift schedules of all your staff. This would have given you at least the exact knowledge of when he would and wouldn't be at work. You would also have had access to his address details and you may even have been aware of whether or not he was living with anyone."
"I'm not the only one in that place who could obtain access to such information," Replied Karen.
"No, but let's move on to the method," continued Jo, keeping her voice calm, clearly in order to make Karen drop her guard and stumble her way in to a confession. "You are, by your own admission, having an affair with Yvonne Atkins."
"Who, let's not forget," Interrupted George, "Did at one time have access via her criminal connections to such things as guns and the knowledge of how to use them." Knowing that George was getting a little too close to the truth, Karen made a fervent effort to stay calm.
"You do realise," She said carefully, "That all your arguments are built on nothing more than supposition and circumstantial evidence?" John was forced to hide a smile, thinking that Karen had been spending far too long with both Jo and George. "And whilst hearsay might be your middle name in some circumstances," Continued Karen, looking George in the eye, "It won't help you here." George was visibly bristling, the hackles rising prior to the kill.
"People have been convicted on much less," Said George, forced to admire Karen for her unwavering resilience and tenacity.
"And many such convictions are later proved to be miscarriages of justice," Said Karen, easily keeping up with George in this verbal tennis match. John felt that it was time for a word from him.
"George," He said slowly, "Exactly what made you so convinced that it was Karen who committed this crime?"
"You agreed to act purely as an impartial observer," Snapped George, "And Ms Betts needs absolutely no help from you. She is quite capable of speaking up for herself."
"Oh, I'll take that as a complement, shall I," Put in Karen dryly. "But John has raised an interesting point, Ms Channing," She said, giving John a brief smile and laying particular emphasis on George's name, playing on the fact that John was still addressing her as a human being, not as a murder suspect. Cursing John for doing this to her, George took a breath to speak, but realised that she didn't actually have even a vaguely credible reason.
"I don't believe it," Said Karen in mock surprise, "I've actually managed to make you speechless." Rising to the bate, George stood up and began pacing.
"As ridiculous as it sounds," She began, "it was simply a feeling, an instinct."
"And you ought to know better than I do," Replied Karen, "That something as intangible as a feeling, wouldn't stand up in court. You're not seriously telling me that when you heard about Fenner, you immediately arrived at my name, and then thought up the arguments to fit it?" Not in the least willing to reveal that this is exactly what she had done, George said,
"You certainly knew something about Fenner's death. I'd stake my house on that." George began gradually moving closer to Karen, as a cat would stalk its prey, ready at any moment with the razor teeth and needle-sharp claws. "When you came to see me last Monday, you were different, distracted, clearly uprooted by something I couldn't quite put my finger on. My secretary wasn't in that day, and I left you to make us some coffee. When I returned, and disturbed your contemplation of the scenery outside my office, you looked like I'd called you back from something far bigger than the case you were there to discuss. I didn't make the connection at the time, but the look on your face was part fear, part guilt. That was it, wasn't it. Less than twenty four hours previously, you'd discovered that someone you knew, possibly even someone you loved, had committed a crime that in this country, procures a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment." George was stood in front of Karen now, nailing her to the spot with those piercing blue eyes. Jo and John simply watched, realising that George, at last, was really on to something. Karen still looked relatively calm, but her barrage had gone.
"You can't prove that," Said Karen, the bite of sarcasm noticeably removed from her tone. George laughed.
"Oh, I could if I wanted to," She replied.
"You got me here to find out if I killed Fenner," Said Karen, "I think you've come to the conclusion that I didn't. Can we leave it at that?" Before George could reply, John said,
"Would you say that under oath?"
"Yes, of course," Said Karen, turning to look over at him. "I might have wanted Fenner to rot for what he did to me and countless others, but I definitely would have preferred him alive to do it." Then, looking back at George, she said more firmly, spacing out her words, "I didn't kill Fenner. Now, please, will you let me go?"
"I think you know all three of us a little better than that," Replied George, not quite ready to relinquish the reins of her inner prosecutor. "If you didn't kill Fenner, then who did?"
"Even if I knew," Said Karen, praying that her act would hold out, "What would it achieve for me to tell you?"
"Because," Said George, "committing murder and shielding someone for committing murder carry the same success rate in career suicide."
"Your career is always your highest concern, isn't it," Karen replied, receiving a stunned expression from Jo and a visible wince from John. Karen realised that this had been going a little too far, but she wasn't about to apologise for putting her foot in something she knew nothing about. Ignoring this extremely sharp dig, George moved even closer to Karen.
"Was it Yvonne?" She asked, not beating around the bush any longer. "did she do this because removing the culprit is the Atkins way of getting rid of a problem?"
"No," Replied Karen quietly, "It wasn't Yvonne. She was behind bars long enough not to want to go back."
"You're not seriously trying to tell me that Yvonne Atkins was quite prepared to see Fenner suffer the legal way?" Said George scornfully. She leaned even closer to Karen. "It must have irked her something rotten to realise that such a loathsome cretin as Fenner had forced himself on her latest acquisition." When George leaned over her, Karen was hit with the feeling of total panic that she'd only previously experienced on that horrific night when Fenner had done just what George was putting in to words. She had an all mighty urge to push George away, to get out of this room, out of this building, to take in deep, shuddering gasps of fresh air. John must have seen something of the brief fear in Karen's face, because he said sternly,
"That is quite enough. We have established that Karen had absolutely nothing to do with James Fenner's murder, so I see no point in continuing this conversation. Jo, will you escort Karen out to her car?" Giving him a brief, shaky smile of gratitude, Karen followed Jo out of the room and down the stairs.
When the door had closed, George turned on John.
"What on Earth did you do that for?" She demanded furiously. "I was just getting somewhere."
"I don't know what you did," Replied John, clearly unimpressed, "But you frightened her."
"Yes, probably because I was getting close to the truth."
"George," Said John, massaging his temples at the approach of an ex-induced headache, "We established the fact that she had nothing to do with Fenner's death. Let's leave it at that for now. I'll try again later in the week. A slightly less confrontational approach might be more successful." George walked over and leaned her hands on his desk, staring him in the face.
"The only reason you went easy on her is because at some point, you'd quite like to finish what I suspect you started when you saw her last week."
"You suggested something similar last night," Replied John conversationally, "Which I might add was not the most tactful thing to say in front of Jo. But that's beside the point. You ought to know me well enough by now, to be sure that I do not compromise my professional duty by allowing my personal involvement with anyone to influence any decision I might make. Let's face it, I've had you and Jo before me often enough, even together on numerous occasions. Have I ever let that deter me from maintaining the correct level of impartiality?"
"That's open for discussion," Replied George. "But you're not denying that you find Karen Betts attractive, that you'd quite like to sleep with her?"
"No, of course not," Said John amiably. "But any hopes I may have in that direction had absolutely nothing to do with why I felt it necessary to back her up. She didn't kill Fenner, she neither wanted it to happen or was aware that it was going to happen. Yes, she may have known it had, fairly soon after it did, but I will get to the bottom of why she didn't report it."
"And if her explanation is satisfactory, you'll continue where you left off?"
"Maybe," Said John, knowing he was winding her up but totally unable to resist.
"As much as I'm furious about her not having reported such a serious crime," Said George, "I wouldn't want her to temporarily fall under your spell."
"You make me sound like Fenner," Said John disgustedly.
"John, Karen Betts does not need your type of conquest that simply means screw them and scarper, and especially not now."
"You want to make your mind up, George," Replied John, looking at her searchingly. "First, you all but rip her to shreds, accusing her of everything from murder to perverting the course of justice, and now, you're doing your utmost to protect her from my so-called ruthless advances. The only reason you're angry with me, is because you were wrong. You're inwardly furious at yourself for thinking Karen guilty and having to acknowledge the fact that she isn't, so you end up taking out your anger at yourself on me, and for the simple, innocent liking I have for her."
"Innocent?" Said George on an angry laugh, "That'll be the day. You haven't got an innocent bone in your body where women are concerned, and you know it."
Jo walked with Karen to her car, and they simply stood looking at each other. Loathing awkward silences, Karen said,
"I'm sorry if you think I betrayed your trust. I really didn't know this was going to happen."
"That's obvious," Said Jo quietly, not blaming Karen for keeping them in the dark. "But you do know who killed him, don't you."
"You know I do," Replied Karen, "But to reveal such information, would without doubt mean signing my own death certificate."
"Is that because it was Yvonne?" Jo persisted gently.
"I might have yet again made the wrong decision with regards to an Atkins, but I wouldn't shield Yvonne for murder, and like I said, Yvonne would never have contemplated doing anything to land her back behind bars."
"When George asked you if it was Yvonne, why did she frighten you?"
"Was it that obvious?" Said Karen regretfully. "Ever since Fenner, I can't stand anyone encroaching on my personal space. I didn't like it much before, but now it scares the hell out of me, and when I'm under extreme stress, the feeling of panic is much easier to provoke."
"Karen," Said Jo, returning to the subject of Fenner's murder, "We do need to know who did kill Fenner. I know without doubt that you didn't, and by your reasoning that it wasn't yvonne, but in order to if necessary defend you, I need to know what I'm dealing with."
"As you are so insistent on getting this out of me, you might try looking in the direction of Yvonne's daughter. But you didn't get this from me. You've got absolutely no idea how shocked I was, and yes, I do feel as stupid as it's possible to feel. I shouldn't have kept quiet about it, but for a while, I think part of me didn't quite believe it was real." Then, unlocking the car door, she said, "If you don't want to see me following the same journey as Fenner, then you won't under any circumstances reveal your source. Yvonne might not have wanted or even suspected that her daughter would do something like this, but if she thought I'd grassed up her daughter, I'd be history."
"Warning received and understood," Said Jo with a brief smile. "But if you ever should require my services, don't hesitate to get in touch with me."
"I don't think it's me you'll be hearing from," Replied Karen. "But thank you, I'll bare it in mind." As she drove away, Jo thought she could see Karen's armour beginning to crack. It clearly hadn't been a lightly made decision for Karen to protect Yvonne's daughter, and whilst Jo could only think that it had been the wrong one, she was forced to admit that Karen had the most valid of all reasons.
When Jo returned to John's chambers, she had the feeling that she'd walked in on an argument clearly not meant for her ears.
"Is she all right?" Asked John. Jo sat down and lit herself a cigarette from George's packet that was lying on the table.
"John," She said carefully, "You remember, before the start of the Merriman/Atkins trial, we were talking about my witnesses, and you speculated as to who had arranged for Charlie Atkins to meet his end after the end of his trial?"
"Vaguely, yes," He replied.
"And do you remember that I said I thought it was more likely to be the daughter rather than the mother?" John took in a deep breath, and a look of dawning realisation crept over his face.
"Was it the daughter who killed Fenner?" He asked quietly.
"Yes," Replied Jo. John immediately stretched out a hand to the phone on his desk, clearly about to put the wheels of justice in motion. But Jo held up a hand. "john, don't. This requires the soft and gentle approach. As Karen put it so succinctly to me in the car park, whilst Yvonne Atkins herself might not have known that her daughter would do something like this, if she discovered that Karen had supplied anyone in authority with the correct name, Karen herself would be history." John winced.
"Good god," Said George in disgust, "If ever there was a woman for getting in over her head, it's her."
"That doesn't help anyone, George," Replied Jo. "don't forget, it wasn't all that long ago that you were in over your head with the secretary of state for trade. Yes, you might have been committing career suicide in the legal way, but you were still heading in that direction." Utterly gob smacked, George didn't say a word. Ignoring the little twinkle in John's eye, Jo said, "That Sergeant who helped me during the Diana Halsey case, Sergeant Bridges, he might be persuaded not to ask too many questions if you steered him in the direction of Lauren Atkins."
"Yes, good idea," replied John, "He directed us to One Way's incriminating e-mails, so I'd say we owe him a favour."
"And you," Said Jo, turning back to George, "Need to learn a thing or two about personal space."
"What on Earth are you talking about?" Asked George, clearly mystified.
"You frightened the life out of Karen, simply by getting too close to her. She didn't say as much, but I think you made her briefly feel as vulnerable as she did with Fenner." George looked aghast.
"Oh," She said, feeling thoroughly guilty. "I didn't think of that."
"So I see," Replied Jo, "Just like you clearly didn't think too hard about whether or not Karen was actually guilty of murder." Turning back to John, she said, "You must impress on Sergeant Bridges, that you cannot under any circumstances reveal your source's name. If her name ended up in the hands of the police, Karen would follow the same path as Fenner. The police would trample all over any promise they might make to keep Karen's name out of it. Let's face it, getting the fourth member of the Atkins family behind bars would be too good an opportunity to miss. Promise me, John, because if you reveal Karen's name so much as once, you'll be signing her death warrant."
"Fine, but this will take a while," Said John, "The bigger I make it, the bigger the police will make it. I will do this quietly and carefully, and in my own time. Is that clear?" neither Jo nor George needed to answer, but George was left with the thought that John might leave informing the police until after he'd had what he wanted from Karen.
When Karen drove in to the car park of the prison on Monday morning, she found a sea of press waiting for anyone who could offer a comment. Fighting her way through them, she collected her keys from the gate lodge and let herself in to the comparative quiet of the wing. Walking in to the officers' room, she found Di and Sylvia, along with Collin and Selina, speculating on the previous day's events.
"But who can have done it?" Di was saying. "I mean, it's not as if anyone had anything against him, is it." Karen almost laughed out loud at this assertion, but managed to restrain herself.
"I've always said this job's more than it's worth," Put in Sylvia. "At least when the cons are in here, we know what they're up too. But it's when they get let out that the trouble starts."
"What, so you reckon it was an ex-con who did this?" Said Di.
"More than likely," Replied Sylvia. Karen thought it was about time she intervened.
"Let's leave the speculation to the police, shall we? There'll be more than enough time for questions when they arrive, because arrive they will."
"Oh, marvelous," Grumbled Sylvia, "It'll be just like when Renee Williams and Virginia O'kane were killed, and as if we can tell them anything." Telling them all to keep on top of things, because the inmates would probably use this as an opportunity to kick off, Karen walked to her office. What she'd said to Sylvia was right. It would only be a matter of time before the whole world descended on Larkhall and its inhabitants. But on the dot of nine, the ringing of her phone banished all thought of inmates and officers from her mind.
"Karen Betts?" She answered, expecting it to be Grayling, but it was someone quite different.
"Karen, it's Jo."
"Hello," Karen said carefully. "I wondered when I'd be hearing from you." This wasn't strictly true, but it felt like the right thing to say.
"I think we need to talk, don't you," Jo said, sounding very calm and extremely professional, but at the same time slightly removed. Thinking she just might know what was coming, Karen said,
"Yes, though I have no idea what you think I can tell you." God, she was getting good at this acting thing, she thought.
"Well, that's what myself, George and John would like to find out."
"Do I need a lawyer?"
"that depends on whether you think you'll need one," replied Jo.
"then on balance," Said Karen slowly, "No, I don't. Where is this delightful little interview going to take place?"
"John's chambers at the Old Bailey."
"so that if it needs to go official, there's no better place," finished Karen, the bitter edge of hurt creeping through.
"Well, I don't think that was actually the reason behind John's suggestion, but yes, I suppose so."
When Karen drew up in front of the Old Bailey, Jo was waiting for her. Nothing needed to be said by either of them, as they were both preternaturally aware of the seriousness of the situation. Karen simply followed Jo inside and upstairs to John's chambers, where John and George were waiting for them. John was stood behind his enormous mahogany desk, and George was seated in one of the hard, straight-backed chairs in front of the desk. Coope was nowhere to be seen, having been temporarily though politely banished by John, who wanted no audience for the interview that was about to take place. When Karen walked in and saw the closed expression on John's face and the predatory, itching for the attack look on George's, she said,
"Wow, my very own version of the Spanish inquisition."
"Smart comments will get you absolutely nowhere," Replied George icily. Karen looked George full in the face.
"Yes, I suppose I should give due respect to the results of your ever so exemplary behaviour on the three occasions you were found in contempt of court." George bridled at this very accurate plunge of the knife.
"contempt of court and murder, are two very different things," She replied, her sense of betrayal making her anger all the more palpable. Feeling like an umpire at the women's final at Wimbledon, John said,
"Sit down," In the kind of voice that told Karen she did have at least the tentative possibility of an ally. Karen sat in the armchair, and John took the seat behind his desk, a metaphorical barrier that Karen would have clung to had she been in her own office. Jo and George sat opposite her, with John slightly removed, showing Karen that he was merely there as a witness and wanted absolutely no part in what was coming. George was lighting one cigarette from another, and Karen could feel the anger coming off her like heat. Wanting to get this over as soon as possible, Karen opened the conversation with,
"You got me here, because you think I killed Fenner, didn't you." George laughed mirthlessly.
"Now, why would anyone have cause to think that," She said, the sarcasm dripping like molten lava. Karen ignored her and looked at Jo.
"Is that it," She asked, "do you seriously think I'd be so stupid as to kill the man I was hoping one day to see behind bars?"
"Did you?" Asked Jo gently, now thinking that George was definitely on the wrong track with this one. No guilty killer would have attempted to play George at her own game so successfully.
"No, I didn't," Replied Karen.
"One would possibly understand your motive," said George, with slightly less abrasiveness than before. "He did, after all, rape you, make you suffer one of the worst torments a woman can go through."
"answer me this," Said Karen, lighting a cigarette of her own. "Why, if I was planning to do away with Fenner, would I have been working with both of you to construct first a criminal, then a civil case either against Fenner directly or at least involving him. Why, would I make the most ridiculous of all errors, of getting myself known pretty well inside out by two of the most successful barristers in the business, to say nothing of a high court judge. I may have made some fairly catastrophic errors of judgment in my time, but that, I can assure you, isn't one of them."
"the working towards either the criminal or the civil case might have been a pretty brilliant piece of cover up," Replied George, "Because you certainly had me taken in," She added bitterly, "And that's not something I admit lightly."
"Will you get a grip for one second," Said Karen, her anger easily matching George's. "I wanted that case and the criminal one to follow, to be as successful as you did, for obvious reasons, far more than you did. I work in a prison, for god's sake, which means that I know exactly what the consequences would be of committing a serious crime."
"Karen does have a point," Put in John quietly. George turned and glared at him furiously.
"You keep out of this," She said, and Karen was amused to see the ex-wife, not the barrister talking. Jo thought it was high time for some rational behaviour.
"Karen," She began carefully, "We cannot ignore the fact that as far as motive, method and opportunity are concerned, you do actually figure significantly in all three. Whilst you have so far tried to explain away your motive, it cannot yet be discounted. As far as opportunity goes, you have unlimited access to the shift schedules of all your staff. This would have given you at least the exact knowledge of when he would and wouldn't be at work. You would also have had access to his address details and you may even have been aware of whether or not he was living with anyone."
"I'm not the only one in that place who could obtain access to such information," Replied Karen.
"No, but let's move on to the method," continued Jo, keeping her voice calm, clearly in order to make Karen drop her guard and stumble her way in to a confession. "You are, by your own admission, having an affair with Yvonne Atkins."
"Who, let's not forget," Interrupted George, "Did at one time have access via her criminal connections to such things as guns and the knowledge of how to use them." Knowing that George was getting a little too close to the truth, Karen made a fervent effort to stay calm.
"You do realise," She said carefully, "That all your arguments are built on nothing more than supposition and circumstantial evidence?" John was forced to hide a smile, thinking that Karen had been spending far too long with both Jo and George. "And whilst hearsay might be your middle name in some circumstances," Continued Karen, looking George in the eye, "It won't help you here." George was visibly bristling, the hackles rising prior to the kill.
"People have been convicted on much less," Said George, forced to admire Karen for her unwavering resilience and tenacity.
"And many such convictions are later proved to be miscarriages of justice," Said Karen, easily keeping up with George in this verbal tennis match. John felt that it was time for a word from him.
"George," He said slowly, "Exactly what made you so convinced that it was Karen who committed this crime?"
"You agreed to act purely as an impartial observer," Snapped George, "And Ms Betts needs absolutely no help from you. She is quite capable of speaking up for herself."
"Oh, I'll take that as a complement, shall I," Put in Karen dryly. "But John has raised an interesting point, Ms Channing," She said, giving John a brief smile and laying particular emphasis on George's name, playing on the fact that John was still addressing her as a human being, not as a murder suspect. Cursing John for doing this to her, George took a breath to speak, but realised that she didn't actually have even a vaguely credible reason.
"I don't believe it," Said Karen in mock surprise, "I've actually managed to make you speechless." Rising to the bate, George stood up and began pacing.
"As ridiculous as it sounds," She began, "it was simply a feeling, an instinct."
"And you ought to know better than I do," Replied Karen, "That something as intangible as a feeling, wouldn't stand up in court. You're not seriously telling me that when you heard about Fenner, you immediately arrived at my name, and then thought up the arguments to fit it?" Not in the least willing to reveal that this is exactly what she had done, George said,
"You certainly knew something about Fenner's death. I'd stake my house on that." George began gradually moving closer to Karen, as a cat would stalk its prey, ready at any moment with the razor teeth and needle-sharp claws. "When you came to see me last Monday, you were different, distracted, clearly uprooted by something I couldn't quite put my finger on. My secretary wasn't in that day, and I left you to make us some coffee. When I returned, and disturbed your contemplation of the scenery outside my office, you looked like I'd called you back from something far bigger than the case you were there to discuss. I didn't make the connection at the time, but the look on your face was part fear, part guilt. That was it, wasn't it. Less than twenty four hours previously, you'd discovered that someone you knew, possibly even someone you loved, had committed a crime that in this country, procures a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment." George was stood in front of Karen now, nailing her to the spot with those piercing blue eyes. Jo and John simply watched, realising that George, at last, was really on to something. Karen still looked relatively calm, but her barrage had gone.
"You can't prove that," Said Karen, the bite of sarcasm noticeably removed from her tone. George laughed.
"Oh, I could if I wanted to," She replied.
"You got me here to find out if I killed Fenner," Said Karen, "I think you've come to the conclusion that I didn't. Can we leave it at that?" Before George could reply, John said,
"Would you say that under oath?"
"Yes, of course," Said Karen, turning to look over at him. "I might have wanted Fenner to rot for what he did to me and countless others, but I definitely would have preferred him alive to do it." Then, looking back at George, she said more firmly, spacing out her words, "I didn't kill Fenner. Now, please, will you let me go?"
"I think you know all three of us a little better than that," Replied George, not quite ready to relinquish the reins of her inner prosecutor. "If you didn't kill Fenner, then who did?"
"Even if I knew," Said Karen, praying that her act would hold out, "What would it achieve for me to tell you?"
"Because," Said George, "committing murder and shielding someone for committing murder carry the same success rate in career suicide."
"Your career is always your highest concern, isn't it," Karen replied, receiving a stunned expression from Jo and a visible wince from John. Karen realised that this had been going a little too far, but she wasn't about to apologise for putting her foot in something she knew nothing about. Ignoring this extremely sharp dig, George moved even closer to Karen.
"Was it Yvonne?" She asked, not beating around the bush any longer. "did she do this because removing the culprit is the Atkins way of getting rid of a problem?"
"No," Replied Karen quietly, "It wasn't Yvonne. She was behind bars long enough not to want to go back."
"You're not seriously trying to tell me that Yvonne Atkins was quite prepared to see Fenner suffer the legal way?" Said George scornfully. She leaned even closer to Karen. "It must have irked her something rotten to realise that such a loathsome cretin as Fenner had forced himself on her latest acquisition." When George leaned over her, Karen was hit with the feeling of total panic that she'd only previously experienced on that horrific night when Fenner had done just what George was putting in to words. She had an all mighty urge to push George away, to get out of this room, out of this building, to take in deep, shuddering gasps of fresh air. John must have seen something of the brief fear in Karen's face, because he said sternly,
"That is quite enough. We have established that Karen had absolutely nothing to do with James Fenner's murder, so I see no point in continuing this conversation. Jo, will you escort Karen out to her car?" Giving him a brief, shaky smile of gratitude, Karen followed Jo out of the room and down the stairs.
When the door had closed, George turned on John.
"What on Earth did you do that for?" She demanded furiously. "I was just getting somewhere."
"I don't know what you did," Replied John, clearly unimpressed, "But you frightened her."
"Yes, probably because I was getting close to the truth."
"George," Said John, massaging his temples at the approach of an ex-induced headache, "We established the fact that she had nothing to do with Fenner's death. Let's leave it at that for now. I'll try again later in the week. A slightly less confrontational approach might be more successful." George walked over and leaned her hands on his desk, staring him in the face.
"The only reason you went easy on her is because at some point, you'd quite like to finish what I suspect you started when you saw her last week."
"You suggested something similar last night," Replied John conversationally, "Which I might add was not the most tactful thing to say in front of Jo. But that's beside the point. You ought to know me well enough by now, to be sure that I do not compromise my professional duty by allowing my personal involvement with anyone to influence any decision I might make. Let's face it, I've had you and Jo before me often enough, even together on numerous occasions. Have I ever let that deter me from maintaining the correct level of impartiality?"
"That's open for discussion," Replied George. "But you're not denying that you find Karen Betts attractive, that you'd quite like to sleep with her?"
"No, of course not," Said John amiably. "But any hopes I may have in that direction had absolutely nothing to do with why I felt it necessary to back her up. She didn't kill Fenner, she neither wanted it to happen or was aware that it was going to happen. Yes, she may have known it had, fairly soon after it did, but I will get to the bottom of why she didn't report it."
"And if her explanation is satisfactory, you'll continue where you left off?"
"Maybe," Said John, knowing he was winding her up but totally unable to resist.
"As much as I'm furious about her not having reported such a serious crime," Said George, "I wouldn't want her to temporarily fall under your spell."
"You make me sound like Fenner," Said John disgustedly.
"John, Karen Betts does not need your type of conquest that simply means screw them and scarper, and especially not now."
"You want to make your mind up, George," Replied John, looking at her searchingly. "First, you all but rip her to shreds, accusing her of everything from murder to perverting the course of justice, and now, you're doing your utmost to protect her from my so-called ruthless advances. The only reason you're angry with me, is because you were wrong. You're inwardly furious at yourself for thinking Karen guilty and having to acknowledge the fact that she isn't, so you end up taking out your anger at yourself on me, and for the simple, innocent liking I have for her."
"Innocent?" Said George on an angry laugh, "That'll be the day. You haven't got an innocent bone in your body where women are concerned, and you know it."
Jo walked with Karen to her car, and they simply stood looking at each other. Loathing awkward silences, Karen said,
"I'm sorry if you think I betrayed your trust. I really didn't know this was going to happen."
"That's obvious," Said Jo quietly, not blaming Karen for keeping them in the dark. "But you do know who killed him, don't you."
"You know I do," Replied Karen, "But to reveal such information, would without doubt mean signing my own death certificate."
"Is that because it was Yvonne?" Jo persisted gently.
"I might have yet again made the wrong decision with regards to an Atkins, but I wouldn't shield Yvonne for murder, and like I said, Yvonne would never have contemplated doing anything to land her back behind bars."
"When George asked you if it was Yvonne, why did she frighten you?"
"Was it that obvious?" Said Karen regretfully. "Ever since Fenner, I can't stand anyone encroaching on my personal space. I didn't like it much before, but now it scares the hell out of me, and when I'm under extreme stress, the feeling of panic is much easier to provoke."
"Karen," Said Jo, returning to the subject of Fenner's murder, "We do need to know who did kill Fenner. I know without doubt that you didn't, and by your reasoning that it wasn't yvonne, but in order to if necessary defend you, I need to know what I'm dealing with."
"As you are so insistent on getting this out of me, you might try looking in the direction of Yvonne's daughter. But you didn't get this from me. You've got absolutely no idea how shocked I was, and yes, I do feel as stupid as it's possible to feel. I shouldn't have kept quiet about it, but for a while, I think part of me didn't quite believe it was real." Then, unlocking the car door, she said, "If you don't want to see me following the same journey as Fenner, then you won't under any circumstances reveal your source. Yvonne might not have wanted or even suspected that her daughter would do something like this, but if she thought I'd grassed up her daughter, I'd be history."
"Warning received and understood," Said Jo with a brief smile. "But if you ever should require my services, don't hesitate to get in touch with me."
"I don't think it's me you'll be hearing from," Replied Karen. "But thank you, I'll bare it in mind." As she drove away, Jo thought she could see Karen's armour beginning to crack. It clearly hadn't been a lightly made decision for Karen to protect Yvonne's daughter, and whilst Jo could only think that it had been the wrong one, she was forced to admit that Karen had the most valid of all reasons.
When Jo returned to John's chambers, she had the feeling that she'd walked in on an argument clearly not meant for her ears.
"Is she all right?" Asked John. Jo sat down and lit herself a cigarette from George's packet that was lying on the table.
"John," She said carefully, "You remember, before the start of the Merriman/Atkins trial, we were talking about my witnesses, and you speculated as to who had arranged for Charlie Atkins to meet his end after the end of his trial?"
"Vaguely, yes," He replied.
"And do you remember that I said I thought it was more likely to be the daughter rather than the mother?" John took in a deep breath, and a look of dawning realisation crept over his face.
"Was it the daughter who killed Fenner?" He asked quietly.
"Yes," Replied Jo. John immediately stretched out a hand to the phone on his desk, clearly about to put the wheels of justice in motion. But Jo held up a hand. "john, don't. This requires the soft and gentle approach. As Karen put it so succinctly to me in the car park, whilst Yvonne Atkins herself might not have known that her daughter would do something like this, if she discovered that Karen had supplied anyone in authority with the correct name, Karen herself would be history." John winced.
"Good god," Said George in disgust, "If ever there was a woman for getting in over her head, it's her."
"That doesn't help anyone, George," Replied Jo. "don't forget, it wasn't all that long ago that you were in over your head with the secretary of state for trade. Yes, you might have been committing career suicide in the legal way, but you were still heading in that direction." Utterly gob smacked, George didn't say a word. Ignoring the little twinkle in John's eye, Jo said, "That Sergeant who helped me during the Diana Halsey case, Sergeant Bridges, he might be persuaded not to ask too many questions if you steered him in the direction of Lauren Atkins."
"Yes, good idea," replied John, "He directed us to One Way's incriminating e-mails, so I'd say we owe him a favour."
"And you," Said Jo, turning back to George, "Need to learn a thing or two about personal space."
"What on Earth are you talking about?" Asked George, clearly mystified.
"You frightened the life out of Karen, simply by getting too close to her. She didn't say as much, but I think you made her briefly feel as vulnerable as she did with Fenner." George looked aghast.
"Oh," She said, feeling thoroughly guilty. "I didn't think of that."
"So I see," Replied Jo, "Just like you clearly didn't think too hard about whether or not Karen was actually guilty of murder." Turning back to John, she said, "You must impress on Sergeant Bridges, that you cannot under any circumstances reveal your source's name. If her name ended up in the hands of the police, Karen would follow the same path as Fenner. The police would trample all over any promise they might make to keep Karen's name out of it. Let's face it, getting the fourth member of the Atkins family behind bars would be too good an opportunity to miss. Promise me, John, because if you reveal Karen's name so much as once, you'll be signing her death warrant."
"Fine, but this will take a while," Said John, "The bigger I make it, the bigger the police will make it. I will do this quietly and carefully, and in my own time. Is that clear?" neither Jo nor George needed to answer, but George was left with the thought that John might leave informing the police until after he'd had what he wanted from Karen.