Part Twenty Three
Karen had to admit to being slightly nervous of being in court on the Thursday morning, because she knew that Lauren would be on the stand, and that lots of unwelcome things could come out. This would almost certainly involve the discussion of Karen's relationship with Yvonne, which would no doubt be the topic of conversation in the PO's room before the end of the day. Karen was not looking forward to the time when Jo would question Lauren as to her exact course of action on the day of Fenner's death. When she arrived in the public gallery, Helen and Nikki were there waiting for her, the others not having arrived yet. "So," Said Helen in greeting. "How did it go?" "Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies," Karen said with a wink. "Good then," Nikki interpreted. "You could say so," Karen replied, though determined not to give them any details. Roisin arrive soon after followed by Barbara. But when Karen caught a waft of a very familiar perfume, a perfume she'd had very close to her last night, she turned her head to see George walking towards them. "Hello," George said, sitting down between Karen and Nikki. "How are you this morning?" Karen asked quietly. George didn't immediately know what to say to this. She felt cheap for trying to sleep with John after saying no to Karen, and she felt ridiculous for not having been able to go through with it with John after all. "I'm sorry about last night," She said equally quietly, briefly touching Karen's hand. "You've got absolutely nothing to be sorry for," Karen said gently but firmly. Karen looked closely at the faint shadows under George's eyes, seeing that she hadn't slept particularly well last night. "Don't lose sleep over it," She added. Nikki had made an effort to engage Roisin in conversation, but this hadn't stopped her from overhearing this little exchange between Karen and George. Soon after this, Crystal arrived, sitting down on the other side of Karen. "I thought I was going to be late," She said. "Daniel isn't sleeping very well and we all overslept this morning." "How old is he now?" Karen asked with a smile, remembering when Ross had given her far too many sleepless nights. "Nearly seven months," Said Crystal Proudly. "Josh weren't too happy about me leaving him to cope with Zandra and little Daniel, but it'll do him good." Karen laughed, and then remembered that George and Crystal hadn't met. "George," She said. "This is Crystal Gordon, and Crystal, this is George Channing. Crystal's partner used to be one of my prison officers." "And I used to be one of her inmates," Crystal added. "Oh, I see," Said George. "Hey Crystal, just try and remember to be quiet today," Said Nikki, grinning over at her. "We forgot to tell Crystal about the Judge's warning about audience participation," Nikki added for George's benefit. "Yeah, well, the jury needed to know what a lying bitch Miss Barker was," Crystal said with no shame whatsoever. "Do you mind," Karen said mildly. "I've got to work with her after this." "I thought the Judge was going to put me in a cell," Said Crystal, almost proud of her outburst. "Anything to keep him on his toes," George said, liking this new addition to the ranks more and more. "How long can you stay?" Karen asked. "Only till lunchtime," Said Crystal regretfully. "Josh is working this afternoon. He wanted to catch up on some sleep this morning but he's got no chance. With Zandra being nearly three, and Daniel nearly seven months, he's got his hands full. He reckons I'm better at looking after them than he is, but he loves it really." Karen smiled broadly. But George's thoughts had strayed to Charlie, and the many, many times she'd had it thrust upon her just how much better at parenting John was than her. Briefly looking at George, Nikki caught a split second of a frown marring George's very pretty face, but she couldn't for the life of her figure out why.
When Lauren had repeated the oath from the card, Jo moved to switch on the overhead projector. "If I might have your leave, My Lord," She said, showing the bench some courtesy for the first time that week. "I would like to illustrate my client's defence as I believe this will make it easier for the jury to understand." "By all means, Mrs. Mills, though before you begin, is there a satisfactory explanation as to why you have a chessboard complete with about half the pieces on the bench in front of you?" "Purely for personal reference, My Lord." At these words, George leaned forward so that she could see what John was talking about. Sure enough, Jo did have a chessboard on the defence's end of the bench, but containing the weirdest game of chess George had ever seen. The sheet of acetate that Jo put under the light source was divided up in to a grid, with the squares arranged ten columns across and six rows deep. As Jo began to question Lauren, she gradually filled in the grid as follows:
JusticeAtkins Family Values Karen BettsCharlie's GunCharlie Atkins James FennerYvonne's love for her childrenYvonne Atkins CorruptionRitchie AtkinsSnowball MerrimanLetter to Yvonne Lauren Atkins' MindLauren AtkinsLetter to Lauren Cassie TylerDaniella Blood
First of all, Jo wrote Justice in the top left-hand corner and Atkins Family Values in the top right-hand corner. "Miss Atkins," She began. "Please could you explain to the court, your father's family values, and in particular, his view of justice?" "Charlie Atkins thought that because he could use a gun, he could do anything. To him, justice meant achieving what he wanted, what he thought should happen. If this meant killing off a rival, he did it. If it meant nobbling the jury, then he did that too. He saw the law as something to be bent and manipulated, as something to be used when it suited him and something to be avoided when it prevented him from achieving a goal. Gun laws and a man's right to life didn't mean anything to Charlie Atkins." "Miss Atkins," John intervened. "Why do you refer to your father as Charlie Atkins?" "Because he made me in to what I am," Lauren said succinctly. "And I can't ever forgive him for that. "My Lord, if I might continue," Jo said, thinking that if he'd already started on his own questioning of her witness, today was going to be a very long day. "Please could you describe the type of influence Charlie Atkins had over his wife and his family?" "If Charlie Atkins wanted something done, you did it. Before Ritchie left, dad was proud of his family. Mum had given him two children, one of each. But he made every decision, every choice when it came to where we went to school, where we went on holiday, and what he taught us of his way of life. We always did what he told us to do, even mum. You didn't ever disobey Charlie Atkins. Ritchie tried that once, but never again." Lauren stopped, as if realising she'd said too much too soon. "Did your father ever threaten his wife or his children?" "Charlie Atkins lived by threats. Ritchie left because dad threatened to nail him to the warehouse floor. That's the kind of guy he was. He once told me that if I ever betrayed the Atkins name like Ritchie had, it'd be the last thing I'd do." "What form would these threats take?" "Mostly they were just verbal, to me and Ritchie anyway. He was all mouth, Charlie Atkins, all talk and no action. He told us that if we ever told anyone at school about the things he did, he would be sent to prison and we'd lose everything we had. Let's face it, you don't mess with someone who has a pretty large arsenal at their disposal, do you." At this point, Jo wrote the words, Charlie Atkins, and Charlie Atkins' Gun, in to their allotted spaces on the grid. "Miss Atkins," John said, again breaking in on Jo's concentration. "Did your father ever threaten your mother?" "Yes, sir," Lauren said, briefly looking over at him. "He threatened her more than he did anyone else." "I will get to this, My Lord," Jo added, wondering if she would be wanting to wring John's neck before they were through. "Miss Atkins," She continued. "How old were you when your father started teaching you to shoot?" "I was twelve," Lauren replied. At the murmur of voices from the public gallery, Lauren realised that she might just have landed her mother with a few difficult questions to answer when her turn came. "Was this something your mother agreed to?" "Of course not," Said Lauren derisively. "But disagreeing with Charlie Atkins wasn't something anyone did more than once. Ask yourselves," She said, briefly looking over at the jury and immediately commanding their attention. "Would any of you be happy about your children being taught to shoot at the age of twelve?" "Miss Atkins, I must ask you not to address the jury in this manner," John said though with only a hint of warning. "I'm sorry, sir," Lauren replied, knowing that she would take over what Jo was there to do if she wasn't careful. "What happened when your mother disagreed to your father's intention to teach you and your brother to shoot?" "This happened the first time, when dad wanted to teach Ritchie to shoot," Lauren said, knowing her mum would kill her for telling this to a court. "Ritchie was twelve and I was eight. I remember mum and dad arguing. It wasn't something they often did in front of us, because both of them wanted to keep their rows away from me and Ritchie." George briefly found herself thinking of the many times she and John had waited until Charlie was asleep before beginning their arguments. "Mum said that she didn't want Ritchie going bad just like his father. She said that Ritchie was just a child, and that he was far too young to be thinking about following in anyone's footsteps and especially not that kind. Dad said that it was never too early to teach his children how to look after themselves. I remember," She said, her voice slightly faltering. "He said, "They've got to learn what it means to be an Atkins, Yvie." That's what he used to call her, Yvie, and he wanted both of his children to fulfill their role in the Atkins family." "What did he do to your mother when she challenged him?" John asked quietly. "My Lord, is this really relevant?" Neumann Mason-Alan asked after standing up. "Sit down and shut up," John said curtly. "I wouldn't have asked if I didn't think it was relevant." "My mum wouldn't like me to tell that to a court, sir," Lauren said, remembering what Denny had said, and seeing that this man was doing his damnedest to get at the truth. "Well, your mother isn't here to stop you," John said persuasively. "And I wish to know." "I don't know exactly what happened," Lauren replied. "Dad told us to take the dog for a walk, which we did." Tears rose to her eyes as she could remember every little detail of that day, even though it was seventeen years ago. "When we came back," She continued. "Dad was on his own in the lounge, reading the paper and smoking." The tears were now raining down her cheeks. "When I went upstairs to find her, there was blood on the banister. Mum, was in their bedroom, looking at herself in the mirror. Her face was covered in bruises, and her nose had been bleeding. She moved really stiffly, like as if a couple of her ribs were cracked. When she saw me, she said that she didn't want me to see her like that." There was silence as Lauren attempted to dry her tears, and Karen found herself reflecting on the odd occasions when Yvonne had stumbled in to the territory of talking about her marriage to Charlie, and of how she'd always changed the subject as soon as possible. Now she knew why. When Lauren had wiped her eyes with some tissues Jo had handed to her, John said, "Did this ever happen again?" "Just once, that I know of," Lauren replied. "The night Ritchie left. Mum had to support Charlie because she knew what might happen to her and her children if she didn't. Charlie would have beaten mum up if she'd stood up to him about Ritchie, yet that's what he did to her anyway. His son, his pride and joy had betrayed him. What you need to understand about Charlie Atkins is that nothing was ever his fault. So, because what Ritchie did couldn't possibly have anything to do with the way dad had brought us up, it had to be mum's fault." "How did your mother usually act towards you and your brother?" Jo asked, walking over to write Yvonne Atkins in to the grid. "When dad was there, he kind of took over, took all the limelight. But when he wasn't, she was just like a normal mum. She loved me and Ritchie, and even after everything I've put her through, I know she still loves me. She risked Charlie Atkins' fists because she loved her children and didn't want us growing up like our father, and she believed Ritchie's story when he came back and visited her in Larkhall because she still loved him. Ritchie had been the cause of another beating from Charlie, but that didn't stop her from loving her son." Still being stood by the projector, Jo wrote the words, Yvonne's Love for Her Children, as a connection between Yvonne and what would come next. "How did your father treat you after your brother left?" "He made me his protégé. He taught me everything he knew, everything he'd previously taught Ritchie. He treated me like the son he didn't have. He took me in to the family business, made me in to what he'd always wanted Ritchie to be." "How did he treat your mother after Ritchie left?" John asked. "For quite a long time, she couldn't do anything right in his eyes. He blamed her for Ritchie's betrayal." Jo filled in Ritchie's and Lauren's names on the grid, showing how both Charlie's threats and Yvonne's love had ended up with Ritchie and Lauren being in their current situations. "How did your father react to your mother's imprisonment?" Jo asked. "He seemed shocked, angry, even more determined to get past the law. He went to visit her as often as I did." "Might I remind you that you are under oath, Miss Atkins," John intoned, having seen a slight shift in her facial expression, a sure sign that a witness was bending the truth. "Please could you explain to the court what you were made responsible for once your father was put on remand?" Jo asked, ignoring John. "I had to look after the family business, sort out all the business deals dad had screwed up. Charlie Atkins was a dinosaur when it came to dealing with anyone, from drug smugglers to the law. Mum always hated most of what Charlie did for a living, usually refusing to have anything to do with it. But when they were both inside, I had to carry on, keep it going till either one of them got out." "What did you feel when your mother told you that she would be giving evidence at your father's trial?" "I was angry with her. Dad had given her nothing but grief for too much of her life, and I thought it was time for her to make a clean break. She told me that more went on in a marriage than I knew, and that I couldn't change the fact that he was her husband and my father. I tried telling her about everything he'd been up too while she was inside, but all she could say was, "He says he's sorry." Charlie used to say he was sorry after he'd beaten her up, but somehow she thought this time would be different. Charlie made mum emotionally reliant on him, made it so that even after everything he'd put her through, she still loved him and still needed him in her life." There was a short silence as the court and everyone in it took in all that Lauren had said. John was surprised to find himself deeply pitying Yvonne Atkins. He wasn't used to feeling anything but contempt for someone who'd lived a life of crime but this time he was. He felt pity for her, and deep loathing and disgust for the man who had beaten his wife for not wanting her children to grow up to be criminals. "What did you feel when your father was killed?" "Relieved," Lauren said succinctly. "No more could he hurt my mum, no more could he treat her like something he'd scraped off the bottom of his shoe. Mum deserved to have the rest of her life free from fear, free from pain. But all I've done is to give her more of the same." Lauren sounded so defeated that John thought it was time to adjourn. Looking up at the old clock whose hands were edging towards twelve thirty, he said, "I think this might be a convenient moment." As the court rose collectively to its feet, they all knew that this was only the interval in a complex and horrific play, which would continue that afternoon with possibly far more frightening revelations to come.
They were all fairly silent as they left the public gallery, none of them knowing what to say. When Yvonne and Cassie joined them in the foyer, Yvonne got the distinct feeling that they all knew something, something about her that she wouldn't have wanted them to know. "How did it go?" Yvonne asked Karen. "Fine so far," Karen said, keeping her voice as normal as possible. "Apart from Lauren trying to address the jury, she was fine." Yvonne smiled. But before she could reply, John appeared walking alongside Jo. "I thought I'd come and be formally introduced to my principle hecklers," He said in greeting. This seemed to break the ice. "We've all been fairly quiet so far," Replied Karen. "Especially George," She added with a wink. "There's time for good intentions to break down, I'm sure," He said with a wry smile. "Though I have to admit to being impressed at your level of self-control, Ms Channing." "Well, My Lord," She said dryly. "Your will to me is law and all that." Recognising this as a slightly altered line from Haydn's Creation, Barbara laughed. "I'm glad to hear it, Ms Channing," Said John, not in the least fooled by George's innocent expression. "This is Crystal Gordon," Karen began. "To whom we forgot to impart your warning." "I'm sorry, Sir," Crystal said, not looking entirely apologetic. "And Roisin Connor, Barbara Mills, Helen Wade and Nikki Wade." At this last name John's eyes widened. "Yeah, I'm that Nikki Wade," Nikki said, correctly interpreting his expression. "Then I must congratulate you on your recent appeal. I'd have given my right arm to have been on the bench," John said, holding out his hand, which Nikki shook. "And Cassie Tyler," Continued Karen. "I remember you from last time," John said, giving Cassie a broad smile. "That's me," Said Cassie with a hint of satisfaction. "Always the one with the biggest mouth." "And you know Yvonne Atkins," Karen said, wondering how John would act towards her after what they'd just heard in court. "Yes, of course," John said quietly, looking anew at this woman whom he'd only previously thought of as someone Karen had briefly had a relationship with, someone he could well remember who had been prepared to support Karen as far as possible with the case against Fenner. Apart from the last day of Ritchie's trial when he'd seen a split second hint of pain in her eyes, he'd always thought of Yvonne Atkins as strong, possibly one of the strongest women he'd ever come in to contact with. But half of this was her way of not letting anyone find out what Charlie Atkins had put her through year after year. When John looked straight in to Yvonne's eyes, he knew he'd totally failed to keep some of his reaction to Lauren's story out of his expression. Yvonne looked right back at him, though she was well aware that he was looking at her differently from how he had in the past. Just what had Lauren said in court this morning.
When they reconvened at two o'clock, Jo continued right from where she'd left off. "What was your initial feeling when your brother returned to this country and made contact with your mother?" "I didn't trust him. He'd betrayed us, and I thought he'd just come back to have a share in dad's money. But mum fell for it. He sent her some flowers, told her he loved her and she believed him. Atkins men have always had a way of making people believe every word they say." "How did you feel when you heard that your brother had been shot?" "I was confused," Replied Lauren. "Part of me thought he deserved it after trying to fit mum up for Snowball's bomb, and the rest of me was furious that he'd been shot and not Snowball Merriman or Karen Betts. At the time, I thought it was Karen Betts' fault that Ritchie had been shot, because Snowball had used her to get out of Larkhall. I hated Karen for falling in to Ritchie's trap, for being so easily seduced by the same Atkins charm that Charlie always used on mum. Part of me despised Ritchie for having saved her life." In the gallery, George took in a breath to respond to this, but Karen put a calming hand over one of George's. "It's nothing I haven't heard before," She said very quietly so that only George could hear. With Crystal having left at lunchtime, George was now seated on the end, with Karen next to her, followed by Nikki, Helen, Roisin and Barbara. "As you were in the public gallery throughout the whole of your brother's and Snowball Merriman's trial, did you feel angry during this time, or did you feel some sympathy for what your brother was going through?" "Ritchie made his bed, so he had to lie in it. He was a bit like dad in that he could talk his way out of anything." "You can say that again," Murmured Karen. "But Ritchie was weak. He'd let himself be taken in by one of Snowball's sob stories. She had him wound round her little finger, and yet that's exactly what he did to Karen. Everything would have gone all right for Ritchie if he hadn't ended up feeling more for her than he'd meant too. Funny how easy it is for people to fall under her spell." "Thank you very much," Karen said dryly. "Please confine yourself to facts, Miss Atkins," John intoned. "I couldn't decide whether Ritchie deserved to be where he was," Lauren said, trying to regain her former calm composure. "Or whether I should feel sorry for him. Mum was standing for the prosecution against her own son, probably one of the hardest things she's ever had to do, and I suppose all the support I had it in me to give went to her." "During the course of your brother's trial, did you learn anything you hadn't previously known?" "Yeah, probably too much. When Karen Betts was on the stand, it came out that she'd been raped by Fenner." George felt Karen inwardly flinch at the word raped. "I asked mum about it and she said it was true." John could see that there was a lot more that Lauren was holding back, but he didn't press her on it. "When did you first become aware of the relationship between your mother and Karen Betts, and how did this make you feel?" "Doesn't mince her words, does she," Said Karen dryly. "Ever since mum had got out of prison, she and Karen had become really good friends. But I think the first time I realised they were sleeping together was on the weekend in the middle of Ritchie's trial." Jo moved forward and wrote Karen Betts in to the grid. "Mum didn't tell me as such, it was just obvious." "Exactly how did you become aware of this?" John asked. "So much for friendly loyalty," Said Karen quietly, shooting a glare in John's direction. "I'd been out on the Saturday night," Lauren continued. "Both mum and Karen had been at home when I left, and when I got back on the Sunday morning, Karen was gone. I went in to my mum's bedroom to borrow some hairspray and the bed was unmade on both sides. I can't really explain it, I just knew." Remembering their game of spin the bottle that had preceded this, Karen couldn't help blushing. "We've all made tits of ourselves," Said Nikki reassuringly. "And we'll all do it again, so don't worry about it." "And even I've been guilty of not tidying up afterwards," Said George, receiving a smile in return from Karen. "How did you feel about this turn of events?" Jo persisted. "It was quite a shock," Lauren replied. "I used to think Atkins women just didn't do that. But like Ritchie said in his letter to me, mum never was a real Atkins, she only married one. I know I shouldn't have said it, but I remember asking her if a lack of decent dick had turned her in to an instant dyke." There was a collective wince from the front row of the gallery. "Charming," George said a little too loudly. "I didn't want Karen to get her claws in to mum like she had with Ritchie. I thought she was nothing but trouble." When Karen took an enraged breath to respond, George put out a hand to stop her. "What was your initial reaction to your brother's conviction and custodial sentence?" Jo asked, desperately wanting Lauren to get off the topic of Karen and away from resentful recrimination, as she added Snowball Merriman in to the grid. "I didn't really know what to think. I knew he deserved it. Let's face it, what he did helped Snowball Merriman kill someone, someone who he didn't even know. But I think I was just numb." "Now, please would you describe to the court the evening on which your brother killed himself, and what both yours and your mother's reactions were to receiving this news?" Lauren took a deep breath and the court went silent. "We were at home, sitting in the garden. Me, mum, Karen, Cassie and Roisin. Karen got a call on her mobile. It was Grayling, to tell her that Snowball had killed herself and that Ritchie had too. I might have hated everything about Karen that night, but I don't envy her having to tell us that Ritchie had killed himself. I was so angry. I couldn't understand how Ritchie could have done that to his own mother. Mum was stunned. She was holding a glass of wine when Karen told us, and she squeezed it so hard it shattered and cut her. Mum didn't say a word. I opened a bottle of vodka and started drinking. Karen had to go to Larkhall because of Snowball, but when she came back, I took out all my anger on her." Lauren began to look a little guilty. "I told Karen it was her fault that Ritchie had killed himself." When George again looked like she might be about to argue, Karen said, "Don't. It's really not worth it." "I think Karen was just a convenient target for my anger. I told her that if she'd been shot instead of Ritchie, Ritchie wouldn't have killed himself and mum wouldn't be going through the worst night of her life. To give Karen her due, she didn't try to argue with me, she just let me get it out of my system. I think that's because she knew I was plastered and knew that there was no point trying to reason with me." As Lauren took a moment to recover herself, Roisin stood up and began squeezing past them along the row. "I'm sorry," She said as she moved passed Karen. "I've got to pick the kids up from school." Jo took this opportunity to write, Lauren Atkins' Mind and Cassie Tyler, on the grid. Jo then moved to the evidence bench and picked up a document enclosed in a protective transparent cover. "Now would you tell the court about the letter you received from your brother? 3F in your bundle, My Lord." Before Lauren could reply, John held up a hand. "Were you planning to ask your client to read the letter, Mrs. Mills?" "I wasn't planning to, My Lord, but I'm sure Miss Atkins will do so if you wish." "I'm much obliged, Mrs. Mills." "I got this letter the day after Ritchie killed himself," Lauren said. "Mum went to the prison to formally identify him and was given all his belongings which included two letters, one for me and one for mum." Jo wrote the existence of these two documents in to the grid. "This is the letter I got from Ritchie," Lauren added, taking the enclosed sheet of paper from Jo. "Dear Lauren,
You're probably more furious with me than Mum is right now. But you know me, I don't do a hard life. I never have, and now I never will. You probably think all this is my own fault, and yeah, I suppose most of it is. But that's another thing isn't it, us, the Atkins family, we don't do blame. Only, it ain't quite worked out like that. I can't ask Mum for what I need you to do, because she won't do it. She never was a real Atkins, only in name. But you and me, Lauren, we've got Charlie Atkins' blood in us all the way. Lauren, I need you to get rid of Fenner for me. Don't throw this away until you've read what I have to say. You were there through the whole of the trial like Mum was, so you heard that stupid wanker of a barrister we had first, trying to pull Karen Betts' evidence to shreds because of what I think he was told by Fenner. Lauren, Fenner did rape Karen, I know he did. You don't sleep with as many women as I have, without knowing when something just isn't right. Lauren, a bit of me loved her. I know that's not how it was supposed to be, but I did, probably still do. She didn't deserve what I did to her. But I can't put any of that right now. This is why I'm asking you to get Fenner out of the picture for good. I can't put right the things I've done, but if you'll do this one thing for me, I can take away one of the worst things that's ever happened to her. You know that Fenner deserves a dose of the Atkins justice as well as I do. Please do this for me, Lauren, please. Don't tell Mum I've asked you. She's stayed on the straight and narrow since she got out, and we both know she won't be in favour of doing what's right. But you're still my sister, and you weren't Charlie Atkins' protégé for nothing. The best shooter in the East End is my little sister.
I'm proud of you Sis,
Ritchie." There was a long, awful pause after Lauren finished reading the letter. George had grinned broadly when Lauren had read out Ritchie's description of Brian Cantwell, but she was now forced to accept that what Karen had said on Monday just might be true. Ritchie had in his own twisted way wanted to atone for his sins, or at least some of them. George hadn't spent too much time with Ritchie Atkins when she'd been defending him, but the conversations she'd had with him had told her in no uncertain terms that part of him really had loved Karen. "Please could you explain to the court why you chose to act on your brother's wishes?" Jo asked quietly. "Just that, because they were his last wishes. No matter what Ritchie might have said and done over the years, he was still my brother, still part of my family. Perhaps the only good thing Charlie Atkins taught me was to value my family. He taught me that family means everything. Ritchie's letter put a lot of things in perspective for me. He knew he'd done wrong, and he wanted to put some of it right. I'm not sure why, but a bit of him really did love Karen. He got in way too deep, and he wanted to put things right with her. Maybe part of me felt guilty for not having supported Ritchie during his trial, maybe part of me felt guilty for the way I'd accused Karen of being the cause of Ritchie killing himself. I think why I killed Fenner was a combination of the two, but mostly because it was what Ritchie had asked me to do. My brother's dying wish was for me to get rid of one of the most loathsome individuals I've ever met. I wasn't going to deny my brother his last wish." "Did the reasoning behind your stalking of James Fenner have any effect on how you did this?" "Possibly. For those few weeks between when Ritchie died and when I killed Fenner, Ritchie's last wish was the only thing I could think about. It occupied every bit of my time. It was the first thing I thought about when I woke up in the morning, and the last thing I thought about before I went to sleep. I was so focussed that even Charlie would have been proud of me." "Whilst you were carrying out the initial stages of your brother's last wish, do you think you were following in your father's footsteps?" To everyone's horror, Lauren smiled, a wide, hard, soul deep smile. "Yeah, I think I was," She said, and her tone of voice and facial expression left everybody in no doubt that she couldn't possibly be entirely sane. "My dad taught me to shoot, he taught me to never miss, and he taught me to kill people. He taught me how to follow someone and never be seen. He taught me how to cherish my weapons more than I did a lover. He taught me how to cover my tracks. The eleventh commandment, thou shalt not be found out, that was dad's motto. When I stalked Fenner, I kept thinking, this is what dad would do, or this is what dad would tell me to do. I was Charlie Atkins' protégé and it was my duty to live up to that." Lauren had adopted a slightly different tone of voice when talking about Charlie, and her switch between despising Charlie and loving her dad showed everyone present just how ingrained Charlie Atkins' values were in her mind. Whilst Lauren had been speaking, Jo added, James Fenner and corruption in to the grid. "Is this why you chose to use your father's gun?" "Yes. Charlie taught me to shoot with that gun, and it seemed fitting to commit my first and last murder with his weapon." "Precisely how much do you remember of the day James Fenner died?" "Only bits and pieces. I don't remember how I got to his house, or how we got to Epping Forest, but I remember telling him that there were six bullets in my gun and that if necessary, I would use all of them on him with pleasure." Karen briefly found herself remembering the day on which Snowball had taken her hostage, saying something very similar to get her co-operation. "He was so sure of himself," Lauren continued. "He told me that he wasn't going anywhere because he had the football to watch on telly." "Did he recognise you?" "Yeah, straight away. He looked terrified when he heard the central locking on the car doors, as if he'd never put the fear of God in to anyone by the slamming of a cell door." Helen was reminded of the night Nikki had escaped and she had used the same trick on her. "He was very good, did exactly what he was told, made it quite easy for me really. He was so angry when he realised I'd been stalking him for weeks. He doesn't like someone else having the upper hand. But then maybe that's why he liked forcing himself on defenseless women." Turning her gaze momentarily away from Lauren, George could see Karen gripping the rail in front of her with both hands. Reaching forward, George gently but persistently detached Karen's fingers from the metal bar and held on to the right hand whilst Nikki took the left. Karen couldn't take her eyes off Lauren. She was almost transfixed by the gradually emerging story. "I told him to walk ahead of me which he did. Fenner wasn't going to argue with an Atkins and a loaded gun. We walked to the spot I'd previously decided on. I stood and watched while he dug his own grave. He kept asking me questions, bloody stupid questions that weren't going to get him anywhere. He wanted to know why I was doing this to him. I asked him if he could remember the night he raped Karen. I asked him if he could remember the way he'd lied to her, probably lied to everyone he'd ever known. I taunted him. I gave him a big long list of the reasons why he was going to die. I think I was saying everything Ritchie would have said to him if he'd been able to do it himself. I reminded Fenner of how he'd threatened Karen during Ritchie's trial, threatened to blacken her name if she didn't cover up for the cock up he'd made with Snowball. I told him that if it weren't for him, Ritchie might still be alive now. I don't think Fenner had ever been that frightened, except perhaps on the night Dockley stabbed him." Having a gentle hold on Karen's hand with her right, Nikki found her left being taken by Helen, both women remembering the times they'd been fooled by Fenner, and how in their different ways they'd fought to save Fenner on the night of Sylvia's party. Lauren's voice began to falter, as if she couldn't quite bear to relive and describe the things she'd been capable of on that fateful day. "I told him to stand in the grave he'd dug for himself. I shot him where I did, because I wanted him to be as helpless as Ritchie had been before he died. I wanted Fenner to know what it was like to not be able to move unless someone else helped him, only he didn't have anyone to help him. I let some of the earth land on his face and he screamed. I kept pouring the earth over his face. He tried to move but he couldn't." "What was the last thing he said to you?" "The last thing I heard him cry out, was Karen's name." Karen recoiled as if she'd been slapped. Her face had gone completely white, her hands grasping at George's and Nikki's to keep herself from making any sound. "What were your feelings on completing your task?" "I felt high, as if I'd had one hell of a hit of coke. I remember, as I walked through the trees back to my car, I threw the spade in the air a few times and caught it. I kept thinking that dad would be so proud of me, totally forgetting that he wasn't around any more to be proud of me. I don't really remember how I got home or what I did when I got there." "What do you most regret about your actions involving James Fenner?" "I regret the pain and worry I've put my mum through. She had enough of that with my dad, and she didn't deserve the same from me. Mum said to me once that the name Atkins didn't automatically mean bad any more. I just wish that she was right. I remember once telling my mum that if she was a real Atkins, she'd be proud of me, but that was my dad talking not me." After an almost endless pause, Jo said in to the silence, "No further questions, My Lord." After taking a moment to marshal his thoughts, John said, "Before the court adjourns, Mrs. Mills, would you be so good as to hand me your chessboard for a moment?" Wondering why on earth he should want to see it, Jo picked it up, walked up to the Judge's bench and put it down in front of him. Taking a moment to study it, John was at first bemused by her arrangement, until he aligned it with the grid on the overhead projector. He then realised that Jo had used the black king to represent Charlie Atkins, the black queen Yvonne, the white queen Karen, the white king Fenner, and that Lauren herself was represented by a knight. Everything else Jo had added to the grid was there in one shape or another, and John was forced to admit that it was an ingenious way of having a reference point that wasn't immediately obvious to the opposition. Handing it back to her, he said, "Court will reconvene at ten in the morning."
Karen had to admit to being slightly nervous of being in court on the Thursday morning, because she knew that Lauren would be on the stand, and that lots of unwelcome things could come out. This would almost certainly involve the discussion of Karen's relationship with Yvonne, which would no doubt be the topic of conversation in the PO's room before the end of the day. Karen was not looking forward to the time when Jo would question Lauren as to her exact course of action on the day of Fenner's death. When she arrived in the public gallery, Helen and Nikki were there waiting for her, the others not having arrived yet. "So," Said Helen in greeting. "How did it go?" "Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies," Karen said with a wink. "Good then," Nikki interpreted. "You could say so," Karen replied, though determined not to give them any details. Roisin arrive soon after followed by Barbara. But when Karen caught a waft of a very familiar perfume, a perfume she'd had very close to her last night, she turned her head to see George walking towards them. "Hello," George said, sitting down between Karen and Nikki. "How are you this morning?" Karen asked quietly. George didn't immediately know what to say to this. She felt cheap for trying to sleep with John after saying no to Karen, and she felt ridiculous for not having been able to go through with it with John after all. "I'm sorry about last night," She said equally quietly, briefly touching Karen's hand. "You've got absolutely nothing to be sorry for," Karen said gently but firmly. Karen looked closely at the faint shadows under George's eyes, seeing that she hadn't slept particularly well last night. "Don't lose sleep over it," She added. Nikki had made an effort to engage Roisin in conversation, but this hadn't stopped her from overhearing this little exchange between Karen and George. Soon after this, Crystal arrived, sitting down on the other side of Karen. "I thought I was going to be late," She said. "Daniel isn't sleeping very well and we all overslept this morning." "How old is he now?" Karen asked with a smile, remembering when Ross had given her far too many sleepless nights. "Nearly seven months," Said Crystal Proudly. "Josh weren't too happy about me leaving him to cope with Zandra and little Daniel, but it'll do him good." Karen laughed, and then remembered that George and Crystal hadn't met. "George," She said. "This is Crystal Gordon, and Crystal, this is George Channing. Crystal's partner used to be one of my prison officers." "And I used to be one of her inmates," Crystal added. "Oh, I see," Said George. "Hey Crystal, just try and remember to be quiet today," Said Nikki, grinning over at her. "We forgot to tell Crystal about the Judge's warning about audience participation," Nikki added for George's benefit. "Yeah, well, the jury needed to know what a lying bitch Miss Barker was," Crystal said with no shame whatsoever. "Do you mind," Karen said mildly. "I've got to work with her after this." "I thought the Judge was going to put me in a cell," Said Crystal, almost proud of her outburst. "Anything to keep him on his toes," George said, liking this new addition to the ranks more and more. "How long can you stay?" Karen asked. "Only till lunchtime," Said Crystal regretfully. "Josh is working this afternoon. He wanted to catch up on some sleep this morning but he's got no chance. With Zandra being nearly three, and Daniel nearly seven months, he's got his hands full. He reckons I'm better at looking after them than he is, but he loves it really." Karen smiled broadly. But George's thoughts had strayed to Charlie, and the many, many times she'd had it thrust upon her just how much better at parenting John was than her. Briefly looking at George, Nikki caught a split second of a frown marring George's very pretty face, but she couldn't for the life of her figure out why.
When Lauren had repeated the oath from the card, Jo moved to switch on the overhead projector. "If I might have your leave, My Lord," She said, showing the bench some courtesy for the first time that week. "I would like to illustrate my client's defence as I believe this will make it easier for the jury to understand." "By all means, Mrs. Mills, though before you begin, is there a satisfactory explanation as to why you have a chessboard complete with about half the pieces on the bench in front of you?" "Purely for personal reference, My Lord." At these words, George leaned forward so that she could see what John was talking about. Sure enough, Jo did have a chessboard on the defence's end of the bench, but containing the weirdest game of chess George had ever seen. The sheet of acetate that Jo put under the light source was divided up in to a grid, with the squares arranged ten columns across and six rows deep. As Jo began to question Lauren, she gradually filled in the grid as follows:
JusticeAtkins Family Values Karen BettsCharlie's GunCharlie Atkins James FennerYvonne's love for her childrenYvonne Atkins CorruptionRitchie AtkinsSnowball MerrimanLetter to Yvonne Lauren Atkins' MindLauren AtkinsLetter to Lauren Cassie TylerDaniella Blood
First of all, Jo wrote Justice in the top left-hand corner and Atkins Family Values in the top right-hand corner. "Miss Atkins," She began. "Please could you explain to the court, your father's family values, and in particular, his view of justice?" "Charlie Atkins thought that because he could use a gun, he could do anything. To him, justice meant achieving what he wanted, what he thought should happen. If this meant killing off a rival, he did it. If it meant nobbling the jury, then he did that too. He saw the law as something to be bent and manipulated, as something to be used when it suited him and something to be avoided when it prevented him from achieving a goal. Gun laws and a man's right to life didn't mean anything to Charlie Atkins." "Miss Atkins," John intervened. "Why do you refer to your father as Charlie Atkins?" "Because he made me in to what I am," Lauren said succinctly. "And I can't ever forgive him for that. "My Lord, if I might continue," Jo said, thinking that if he'd already started on his own questioning of her witness, today was going to be a very long day. "Please could you describe the type of influence Charlie Atkins had over his wife and his family?" "If Charlie Atkins wanted something done, you did it. Before Ritchie left, dad was proud of his family. Mum had given him two children, one of each. But he made every decision, every choice when it came to where we went to school, where we went on holiday, and what he taught us of his way of life. We always did what he told us to do, even mum. You didn't ever disobey Charlie Atkins. Ritchie tried that once, but never again." Lauren stopped, as if realising she'd said too much too soon. "Did your father ever threaten his wife or his children?" "Charlie Atkins lived by threats. Ritchie left because dad threatened to nail him to the warehouse floor. That's the kind of guy he was. He once told me that if I ever betrayed the Atkins name like Ritchie had, it'd be the last thing I'd do." "What form would these threats take?" "Mostly they were just verbal, to me and Ritchie anyway. He was all mouth, Charlie Atkins, all talk and no action. He told us that if we ever told anyone at school about the things he did, he would be sent to prison and we'd lose everything we had. Let's face it, you don't mess with someone who has a pretty large arsenal at their disposal, do you." At this point, Jo wrote the words, Charlie Atkins, and Charlie Atkins' Gun, in to their allotted spaces on the grid. "Miss Atkins," John said, again breaking in on Jo's concentration. "Did your father ever threaten your mother?" "Yes, sir," Lauren said, briefly looking over at him. "He threatened her more than he did anyone else." "I will get to this, My Lord," Jo added, wondering if she would be wanting to wring John's neck before they were through. "Miss Atkins," She continued. "How old were you when your father started teaching you to shoot?" "I was twelve," Lauren replied. At the murmur of voices from the public gallery, Lauren realised that she might just have landed her mother with a few difficult questions to answer when her turn came. "Was this something your mother agreed to?" "Of course not," Said Lauren derisively. "But disagreeing with Charlie Atkins wasn't something anyone did more than once. Ask yourselves," She said, briefly looking over at the jury and immediately commanding their attention. "Would any of you be happy about your children being taught to shoot at the age of twelve?" "Miss Atkins, I must ask you not to address the jury in this manner," John said though with only a hint of warning. "I'm sorry, sir," Lauren replied, knowing that she would take over what Jo was there to do if she wasn't careful. "What happened when your mother disagreed to your father's intention to teach you and your brother to shoot?" "This happened the first time, when dad wanted to teach Ritchie to shoot," Lauren said, knowing her mum would kill her for telling this to a court. "Ritchie was twelve and I was eight. I remember mum and dad arguing. It wasn't something they often did in front of us, because both of them wanted to keep their rows away from me and Ritchie." George briefly found herself thinking of the many times she and John had waited until Charlie was asleep before beginning their arguments. "Mum said that she didn't want Ritchie going bad just like his father. She said that Ritchie was just a child, and that he was far too young to be thinking about following in anyone's footsteps and especially not that kind. Dad said that it was never too early to teach his children how to look after themselves. I remember," She said, her voice slightly faltering. "He said, "They've got to learn what it means to be an Atkins, Yvie." That's what he used to call her, Yvie, and he wanted both of his children to fulfill their role in the Atkins family." "What did he do to your mother when she challenged him?" John asked quietly. "My Lord, is this really relevant?" Neumann Mason-Alan asked after standing up. "Sit down and shut up," John said curtly. "I wouldn't have asked if I didn't think it was relevant." "My mum wouldn't like me to tell that to a court, sir," Lauren said, remembering what Denny had said, and seeing that this man was doing his damnedest to get at the truth. "Well, your mother isn't here to stop you," John said persuasively. "And I wish to know." "I don't know exactly what happened," Lauren replied. "Dad told us to take the dog for a walk, which we did." Tears rose to her eyes as she could remember every little detail of that day, even though it was seventeen years ago. "When we came back," She continued. "Dad was on his own in the lounge, reading the paper and smoking." The tears were now raining down her cheeks. "When I went upstairs to find her, there was blood on the banister. Mum, was in their bedroom, looking at herself in the mirror. Her face was covered in bruises, and her nose had been bleeding. She moved really stiffly, like as if a couple of her ribs were cracked. When she saw me, she said that she didn't want me to see her like that." There was silence as Lauren attempted to dry her tears, and Karen found herself reflecting on the odd occasions when Yvonne had stumbled in to the territory of talking about her marriage to Charlie, and of how she'd always changed the subject as soon as possible. Now she knew why. When Lauren had wiped her eyes with some tissues Jo had handed to her, John said, "Did this ever happen again?" "Just once, that I know of," Lauren replied. "The night Ritchie left. Mum had to support Charlie because she knew what might happen to her and her children if she didn't. Charlie would have beaten mum up if she'd stood up to him about Ritchie, yet that's what he did to her anyway. His son, his pride and joy had betrayed him. What you need to understand about Charlie Atkins is that nothing was ever his fault. So, because what Ritchie did couldn't possibly have anything to do with the way dad had brought us up, it had to be mum's fault." "How did your mother usually act towards you and your brother?" Jo asked, walking over to write Yvonne Atkins in to the grid. "When dad was there, he kind of took over, took all the limelight. But when he wasn't, she was just like a normal mum. She loved me and Ritchie, and even after everything I've put her through, I know she still loves me. She risked Charlie Atkins' fists because she loved her children and didn't want us growing up like our father, and she believed Ritchie's story when he came back and visited her in Larkhall because she still loved him. Ritchie had been the cause of another beating from Charlie, but that didn't stop her from loving her son." Still being stood by the projector, Jo wrote the words, Yvonne's Love for Her Children, as a connection between Yvonne and what would come next. "How did your father treat you after your brother left?" "He made me his protégé. He taught me everything he knew, everything he'd previously taught Ritchie. He treated me like the son he didn't have. He took me in to the family business, made me in to what he'd always wanted Ritchie to be." "How did he treat your mother after Ritchie left?" John asked. "For quite a long time, she couldn't do anything right in his eyes. He blamed her for Ritchie's betrayal." Jo filled in Ritchie's and Lauren's names on the grid, showing how both Charlie's threats and Yvonne's love had ended up with Ritchie and Lauren being in their current situations. "How did your father react to your mother's imprisonment?" Jo asked. "He seemed shocked, angry, even more determined to get past the law. He went to visit her as often as I did." "Might I remind you that you are under oath, Miss Atkins," John intoned, having seen a slight shift in her facial expression, a sure sign that a witness was bending the truth. "Please could you explain to the court what you were made responsible for once your father was put on remand?" Jo asked, ignoring John. "I had to look after the family business, sort out all the business deals dad had screwed up. Charlie Atkins was a dinosaur when it came to dealing with anyone, from drug smugglers to the law. Mum always hated most of what Charlie did for a living, usually refusing to have anything to do with it. But when they were both inside, I had to carry on, keep it going till either one of them got out." "What did you feel when your mother told you that she would be giving evidence at your father's trial?" "I was angry with her. Dad had given her nothing but grief for too much of her life, and I thought it was time for her to make a clean break. She told me that more went on in a marriage than I knew, and that I couldn't change the fact that he was her husband and my father. I tried telling her about everything he'd been up too while she was inside, but all she could say was, "He says he's sorry." Charlie used to say he was sorry after he'd beaten her up, but somehow she thought this time would be different. Charlie made mum emotionally reliant on him, made it so that even after everything he'd put her through, she still loved him and still needed him in her life." There was a short silence as the court and everyone in it took in all that Lauren had said. John was surprised to find himself deeply pitying Yvonne Atkins. He wasn't used to feeling anything but contempt for someone who'd lived a life of crime but this time he was. He felt pity for her, and deep loathing and disgust for the man who had beaten his wife for not wanting her children to grow up to be criminals. "What did you feel when your father was killed?" "Relieved," Lauren said succinctly. "No more could he hurt my mum, no more could he treat her like something he'd scraped off the bottom of his shoe. Mum deserved to have the rest of her life free from fear, free from pain. But all I've done is to give her more of the same." Lauren sounded so defeated that John thought it was time to adjourn. Looking up at the old clock whose hands were edging towards twelve thirty, he said, "I think this might be a convenient moment." As the court rose collectively to its feet, they all knew that this was only the interval in a complex and horrific play, which would continue that afternoon with possibly far more frightening revelations to come.
They were all fairly silent as they left the public gallery, none of them knowing what to say. When Yvonne and Cassie joined them in the foyer, Yvonne got the distinct feeling that they all knew something, something about her that she wouldn't have wanted them to know. "How did it go?" Yvonne asked Karen. "Fine so far," Karen said, keeping her voice as normal as possible. "Apart from Lauren trying to address the jury, she was fine." Yvonne smiled. But before she could reply, John appeared walking alongside Jo. "I thought I'd come and be formally introduced to my principle hecklers," He said in greeting. This seemed to break the ice. "We've all been fairly quiet so far," Replied Karen. "Especially George," She added with a wink. "There's time for good intentions to break down, I'm sure," He said with a wry smile. "Though I have to admit to being impressed at your level of self-control, Ms Channing." "Well, My Lord," She said dryly. "Your will to me is law and all that." Recognising this as a slightly altered line from Haydn's Creation, Barbara laughed. "I'm glad to hear it, Ms Channing," Said John, not in the least fooled by George's innocent expression. "This is Crystal Gordon," Karen began. "To whom we forgot to impart your warning." "I'm sorry, Sir," Crystal said, not looking entirely apologetic. "And Roisin Connor, Barbara Mills, Helen Wade and Nikki Wade." At this last name John's eyes widened. "Yeah, I'm that Nikki Wade," Nikki said, correctly interpreting his expression. "Then I must congratulate you on your recent appeal. I'd have given my right arm to have been on the bench," John said, holding out his hand, which Nikki shook. "And Cassie Tyler," Continued Karen. "I remember you from last time," John said, giving Cassie a broad smile. "That's me," Said Cassie with a hint of satisfaction. "Always the one with the biggest mouth." "And you know Yvonne Atkins," Karen said, wondering how John would act towards her after what they'd just heard in court. "Yes, of course," John said quietly, looking anew at this woman whom he'd only previously thought of as someone Karen had briefly had a relationship with, someone he could well remember who had been prepared to support Karen as far as possible with the case against Fenner. Apart from the last day of Ritchie's trial when he'd seen a split second hint of pain in her eyes, he'd always thought of Yvonne Atkins as strong, possibly one of the strongest women he'd ever come in to contact with. But half of this was her way of not letting anyone find out what Charlie Atkins had put her through year after year. When John looked straight in to Yvonne's eyes, he knew he'd totally failed to keep some of his reaction to Lauren's story out of his expression. Yvonne looked right back at him, though she was well aware that he was looking at her differently from how he had in the past. Just what had Lauren said in court this morning.
When they reconvened at two o'clock, Jo continued right from where she'd left off. "What was your initial feeling when your brother returned to this country and made contact with your mother?" "I didn't trust him. He'd betrayed us, and I thought he'd just come back to have a share in dad's money. But mum fell for it. He sent her some flowers, told her he loved her and she believed him. Atkins men have always had a way of making people believe every word they say." "How did you feel when you heard that your brother had been shot?" "I was confused," Replied Lauren. "Part of me thought he deserved it after trying to fit mum up for Snowball's bomb, and the rest of me was furious that he'd been shot and not Snowball Merriman or Karen Betts. At the time, I thought it was Karen Betts' fault that Ritchie had been shot, because Snowball had used her to get out of Larkhall. I hated Karen for falling in to Ritchie's trap, for being so easily seduced by the same Atkins charm that Charlie always used on mum. Part of me despised Ritchie for having saved her life." In the gallery, George took in a breath to respond to this, but Karen put a calming hand over one of George's. "It's nothing I haven't heard before," She said very quietly so that only George could hear. With Crystal having left at lunchtime, George was now seated on the end, with Karen next to her, followed by Nikki, Helen, Roisin and Barbara. "As you were in the public gallery throughout the whole of your brother's and Snowball Merriman's trial, did you feel angry during this time, or did you feel some sympathy for what your brother was going through?" "Ritchie made his bed, so he had to lie in it. He was a bit like dad in that he could talk his way out of anything." "You can say that again," Murmured Karen. "But Ritchie was weak. He'd let himself be taken in by one of Snowball's sob stories. She had him wound round her little finger, and yet that's exactly what he did to Karen. Everything would have gone all right for Ritchie if he hadn't ended up feeling more for her than he'd meant too. Funny how easy it is for people to fall under her spell." "Thank you very much," Karen said dryly. "Please confine yourself to facts, Miss Atkins," John intoned. "I couldn't decide whether Ritchie deserved to be where he was," Lauren said, trying to regain her former calm composure. "Or whether I should feel sorry for him. Mum was standing for the prosecution against her own son, probably one of the hardest things she's ever had to do, and I suppose all the support I had it in me to give went to her." "During the course of your brother's trial, did you learn anything you hadn't previously known?" "Yeah, probably too much. When Karen Betts was on the stand, it came out that she'd been raped by Fenner." George felt Karen inwardly flinch at the word raped. "I asked mum about it and she said it was true." John could see that there was a lot more that Lauren was holding back, but he didn't press her on it. "When did you first become aware of the relationship between your mother and Karen Betts, and how did this make you feel?" "Doesn't mince her words, does she," Said Karen dryly. "Ever since mum had got out of prison, she and Karen had become really good friends. But I think the first time I realised they were sleeping together was on the weekend in the middle of Ritchie's trial." Jo moved forward and wrote Karen Betts in to the grid. "Mum didn't tell me as such, it was just obvious." "Exactly how did you become aware of this?" John asked. "So much for friendly loyalty," Said Karen quietly, shooting a glare in John's direction. "I'd been out on the Saturday night," Lauren continued. "Both mum and Karen had been at home when I left, and when I got back on the Sunday morning, Karen was gone. I went in to my mum's bedroom to borrow some hairspray and the bed was unmade on both sides. I can't really explain it, I just knew." Remembering their game of spin the bottle that had preceded this, Karen couldn't help blushing. "We've all made tits of ourselves," Said Nikki reassuringly. "And we'll all do it again, so don't worry about it." "And even I've been guilty of not tidying up afterwards," Said George, receiving a smile in return from Karen. "How did you feel about this turn of events?" Jo persisted. "It was quite a shock," Lauren replied. "I used to think Atkins women just didn't do that. But like Ritchie said in his letter to me, mum never was a real Atkins, she only married one. I know I shouldn't have said it, but I remember asking her if a lack of decent dick had turned her in to an instant dyke." There was a collective wince from the front row of the gallery. "Charming," George said a little too loudly. "I didn't want Karen to get her claws in to mum like she had with Ritchie. I thought she was nothing but trouble." When Karen took an enraged breath to respond, George put out a hand to stop her. "What was your initial reaction to your brother's conviction and custodial sentence?" Jo asked, desperately wanting Lauren to get off the topic of Karen and away from resentful recrimination, as she added Snowball Merriman in to the grid. "I didn't really know what to think. I knew he deserved it. Let's face it, what he did helped Snowball Merriman kill someone, someone who he didn't even know. But I think I was just numb." "Now, please would you describe to the court the evening on which your brother killed himself, and what both yours and your mother's reactions were to receiving this news?" Lauren took a deep breath and the court went silent. "We were at home, sitting in the garden. Me, mum, Karen, Cassie and Roisin. Karen got a call on her mobile. It was Grayling, to tell her that Snowball had killed herself and that Ritchie had too. I might have hated everything about Karen that night, but I don't envy her having to tell us that Ritchie had killed himself. I was so angry. I couldn't understand how Ritchie could have done that to his own mother. Mum was stunned. She was holding a glass of wine when Karen told us, and she squeezed it so hard it shattered and cut her. Mum didn't say a word. I opened a bottle of vodka and started drinking. Karen had to go to Larkhall because of Snowball, but when she came back, I took out all my anger on her." Lauren began to look a little guilty. "I told Karen it was her fault that Ritchie had killed himself." When George again looked like she might be about to argue, Karen said, "Don't. It's really not worth it." "I think Karen was just a convenient target for my anger. I told her that if she'd been shot instead of Ritchie, Ritchie wouldn't have killed himself and mum wouldn't be going through the worst night of her life. To give Karen her due, she didn't try to argue with me, she just let me get it out of my system. I think that's because she knew I was plastered and knew that there was no point trying to reason with me." As Lauren took a moment to recover herself, Roisin stood up and began squeezing past them along the row. "I'm sorry," She said as she moved passed Karen. "I've got to pick the kids up from school." Jo took this opportunity to write, Lauren Atkins' Mind and Cassie Tyler, on the grid. Jo then moved to the evidence bench and picked up a document enclosed in a protective transparent cover. "Now would you tell the court about the letter you received from your brother? 3F in your bundle, My Lord." Before Lauren could reply, John held up a hand. "Were you planning to ask your client to read the letter, Mrs. Mills?" "I wasn't planning to, My Lord, but I'm sure Miss Atkins will do so if you wish." "I'm much obliged, Mrs. Mills." "I got this letter the day after Ritchie killed himself," Lauren said. "Mum went to the prison to formally identify him and was given all his belongings which included two letters, one for me and one for mum." Jo wrote the existence of these two documents in to the grid. "This is the letter I got from Ritchie," Lauren added, taking the enclosed sheet of paper from Jo. "Dear Lauren,
You're probably more furious with me than Mum is right now. But you know me, I don't do a hard life. I never have, and now I never will. You probably think all this is my own fault, and yeah, I suppose most of it is. But that's another thing isn't it, us, the Atkins family, we don't do blame. Only, it ain't quite worked out like that. I can't ask Mum for what I need you to do, because she won't do it. She never was a real Atkins, only in name. But you and me, Lauren, we've got Charlie Atkins' blood in us all the way. Lauren, I need you to get rid of Fenner for me. Don't throw this away until you've read what I have to say. You were there through the whole of the trial like Mum was, so you heard that stupid wanker of a barrister we had first, trying to pull Karen Betts' evidence to shreds because of what I think he was told by Fenner. Lauren, Fenner did rape Karen, I know he did. You don't sleep with as many women as I have, without knowing when something just isn't right. Lauren, a bit of me loved her. I know that's not how it was supposed to be, but I did, probably still do. She didn't deserve what I did to her. But I can't put any of that right now. This is why I'm asking you to get Fenner out of the picture for good. I can't put right the things I've done, but if you'll do this one thing for me, I can take away one of the worst things that's ever happened to her. You know that Fenner deserves a dose of the Atkins justice as well as I do. Please do this for me, Lauren, please. Don't tell Mum I've asked you. She's stayed on the straight and narrow since she got out, and we both know she won't be in favour of doing what's right. But you're still my sister, and you weren't Charlie Atkins' protégé for nothing. The best shooter in the East End is my little sister.
I'm proud of you Sis,
Ritchie." There was a long, awful pause after Lauren finished reading the letter. George had grinned broadly when Lauren had read out Ritchie's description of Brian Cantwell, but she was now forced to accept that what Karen had said on Monday just might be true. Ritchie had in his own twisted way wanted to atone for his sins, or at least some of them. George hadn't spent too much time with Ritchie Atkins when she'd been defending him, but the conversations she'd had with him had told her in no uncertain terms that part of him really had loved Karen. "Please could you explain to the court why you chose to act on your brother's wishes?" Jo asked quietly. "Just that, because they were his last wishes. No matter what Ritchie might have said and done over the years, he was still my brother, still part of my family. Perhaps the only good thing Charlie Atkins taught me was to value my family. He taught me that family means everything. Ritchie's letter put a lot of things in perspective for me. He knew he'd done wrong, and he wanted to put some of it right. I'm not sure why, but a bit of him really did love Karen. He got in way too deep, and he wanted to put things right with her. Maybe part of me felt guilty for not having supported Ritchie during his trial, maybe part of me felt guilty for the way I'd accused Karen of being the cause of Ritchie killing himself. I think why I killed Fenner was a combination of the two, but mostly because it was what Ritchie had asked me to do. My brother's dying wish was for me to get rid of one of the most loathsome individuals I've ever met. I wasn't going to deny my brother his last wish." "Did the reasoning behind your stalking of James Fenner have any effect on how you did this?" "Possibly. For those few weeks between when Ritchie died and when I killed Fenner, Ritchie's last wish was the only thing I could think about. It occupied every bit of my time. It was the first thing I thought about when I woke up in the morning, and the last thing I thought about before I went to sleep. I was so focussed that even Charlie would have been proud of me." "Whilst you were carrying out the initial stages of your brother's last wish, do you think you were following in your father's footsteps?" To everyone's horror, Lauren smiled, a wide, hard, soul deep smile. "Yeah, I think I was," She said, and her tone of voice and facial expression left everybody in no doubt that she couldn't possibly be entirely sane. "My dad taught me to shoot, he taught me to never miss, and he taught me to kill people. He taught me how to follow someone and never be seen. He taught me how to cherish my weapons more than I did a lover. He taught me how to cover my tracks. The eleventh commandment, thou shalt not be found out, that was dad's motto. When I stalked Fenner, I kept thinking, this is what dad would do, or this is what dad would tell me to do. I was Charlie Atkins' protégé and it was my duty to live up to that." Lauren had adopted a slightly different tone of voice when talking about Charlie, and her switch between despising Charlie and loving her dad showed everyone present just how ingrained Charlie Atkins' values were in her mind. Whilst Lauren had been speaking, Jo added, James Fenner and corruption in to the grid. "Is this why you chose to use your father's gun?" "Yes. Charlie taught me to shoot with that gun, and it seemed fitting to commit my first and last murder with his weapon." "Precisely how much do you remember of the day James Fenner died?" "Only bits and pieces. I don't remember how I got to his house, or how we got to Epping Forest, but I remember telling him that there were six bullets in my gun and that if necessary, I would use all of them on him with pleasure." Karen briefly found herself remembering the day on which Snowball had taken her hostage, saying something very similar to get her co-operation. "He was so sure of himself," Lauren continued. "He told me that he wasn't going anywhere because he had the football to watch on telly." "Did he recognise you?" "Yeah, straight away. He looked terrified when he heard the central locking on the car doors, as if he'd never put the fear of God in to anyone by the slamming of a cell door." Helen was reminded of the night Nikki had escaped and she had used the same trick on her. "He was very good, did exactly what he was told, made it quite easy for me really. He was so angry when he realised I'd been stalking him for weeks. He doesn't like someone else having the upper hand. But then maybe that's why he liked forcing himself on defenseless women." Turning her gaze momentarily away from Lauren, George could see Karen gripping the rail in front of her with both hands. Reaching forward, George gently but persistently detached Karen's fingers from the metal bar and held on to the right hand whilst Nikki took the left. Karen couldn't take her eyes off Lauren. She was almost transfixed by the gradually emerging story. "I told him to walk ahead of me which he did. Fenner wasn't going to argue with an Atkins and a loaded gun. We walked to the spot I'd previously decided on. I stood and watched while he dug his own grave. He kept asking me questions, bloody stupid questions that weren't going to get him anywhere. He wanted to know why I was doing this to him. I asked him if he could remember the night he raped Karen. I asked him if he could remember the way he'd lied to her, probably lied to everyone he'd ever known. I taunted him. I gave him a big long list of the reasons why he was going to die. I think I was saying everything Ritchie would have said to him if he'd been able to do it himself. I reminded Fenner of how he'd threatened Karen during Ritchie's trial, threatened to blacken her name if she didn't cover up for the cock up he'd made with Snowball. I told him that if it weren't for him, Ritchie might still be alive now. I don't think Fenner had ever been that frightened, except perhaps on the night Dockley stabbed him." Having a gentle hold on Karen's hand with her right, Nikki found her left being taken by Helen, both women remembering the times they'd been fooled by Fenner, and how in their different ways they'd fought to save Fenner on the night of Sylvia's party. Lauren's voice began to falter, as if she couldn't quite bear to relive and describe the things she'd been capable of on that fateful day. "I told him to stand in the grave he'd dug for himself. I shot him where I did, because I wanted him to be as helpless as Ritchie had been before he died. I wanted Fenner to know what it was like to not be able to move unless someone else helped him, only he didn't have anyone to help him. I let some of the earth land on his face and he screamed. I kept pouring the earth over his face. He tried to move but he couldn't." "What was the last thing he said to you?" "The last thing I heard him cry out, was Karen's name." Karen recoiled as if she'd been slapped. Her face had gone completely white, her hands grasping at George's and Nikki's to keep herself from making any sound. "What were your feelings on completing your task?" "I felt high, as if I'd had one hell of a hit of coke. I remember, as I walked through the trees back to my car, I threw the spade in the air a few times and caught it. I kept thinking that dad would be so proud of me, totally forgetting that he wasn't around any more to be proud of me. I don't really remember how I got home or what I did when I got there." "What do you most regret about your actions involving James Fenner?" "I regret the pain and worry I've put my mum through. She had enough of that with my dad, and she didn't deserve the same from me. Mum said to me once that the name Atkins didn't automatically mean bad any more. I just wish that she was right. I remember once telling my mum that if she was a real Atkins, she'd be proud of me, but that was my dad talking not me." After an almost endless pause, Jo said in to the silence, "No further questions, My Lord." After taking a moment to marshal his thoughts, John said, "Before the court adjourns, Mrs. Mills, would you be so good as to hand me your chessboard for a moment?" Wondering why on earth he should want to see it, Jo picked it up, walked up to the Judge's bench and put it down in front of him. Taking a moment to study it, John was at first bemused by her arrangement, until he aligned it with the grid on the overhead projector. He then realised that Jo had used the black king to represent Charlie Atkins, the black queen Yvonne, the white queen Karen, the white king Fenner, and that Lauren herself was represented by a knight. Everything else Jo had added to the grid was there in one shape or another, and John was forced to admit that it was an ingenious way of having a reference point that wasn't immediately obvious to the opposition. Handing it back to her, he said, "Court will reconvene at ten in the morning."