Denny had been keyed up about the visit for days and days but the big unknown in her mind was who would accompany her. Gina was in charge and she was great but Denny had a belief in Sod's Law, which meant that bad luck would dog her at crucial moments in her life. Burnt into her mind was the way that Shaz had been ghosted out of Larkhall just when things were good between them, and the way she was spaced out of her mind on magic mushrooms and was more worried about the sharks swimming close by their boat instead of jumping off their upended table and getting out of their room before the flames poured through the hole in the door. That was the one-day of the whole frigging year that Shaz had come over for the day. Her visit to see Shell might just end up the same way.
"Who's taking me to see Shell?" Denny asked a very distracted Gina for the second time that morning. Gina's mind was very distracted by that very same problem and was only half listening to Denny. After a few seconds, her mind registered the voice, which turned into words after a further delay.
"I'm sorting it out, Denny. Can't be everywhere at once all at the same time. Just give me a bloody break and shut it," Gina snapped.
Denny glared at this fat cow. Surely she should understand that something that she had been planning and replanning in her mind, day after day, meant more than some frigging bits of papers being shuffled about. Zandra was right. In her overheated mind, they did these things deliberately to her just to wind you up.
"Look here, Denny. Everything's sorted but I need to find someone to go with you. You're going to a maximum security prison and not Yvonne Atkins house. There's a difference between the two."
"Like what?" Denny asked with a trace of belligerence.
"Like I'm less worried about you being in Yvonne's hands. Now just wait out on the wing and let me get on with sorting this mess out."
The concentrated glare in Gina's eyes and the realisation that she was trying her best made Denny feel sheepish and a little ashamed.
"Sorry, man."
Karen sat staring into the width and depth of the computer screen as the figures of how her budget allocation was being spent. This was the least pleasurable part of her duties having reluctantly acquiesced to Grayling's regretful tones that there was no more money to be had for Larkhall. Her mind went back to the time of Grayling's very first speech where he came out with the all time tired cliche of HMS Larkhall and him as the captain. The way the ship was steaming, she ruefully reflected, it was going to run out of fuel fifty miles short of harbour and she was going to need a tug to tow them all in. She ran her fingers through her hair and her eyes felt tired even first thing in the morning. Whichever way she went, someone was going to protest to her in the same way that she might have done at one time, and with good reason.
The shrill discordant tones of the phone took five rings to penetrate Karen's deep train of thought.
"Gina here. I've hit a problem for escort duty for Denny to Ashmore. The only officer I can spare to go is Dominic. Even though Denny's basically a good kid, I don't like the idea as it's asking for trouble in case anything kicks off."
"You're right. It isn't safe, not by a long way," exclaimed Karen to Gina and the mathematics of the computer screen. All the books on financial management are only worth so much until you have a real situation on the ground. After that 'calculated risks' blow up in your face like now if she took the easy way out and from how she remembered hearing how the riot on G Wing started when Helen was short staffed in her turn and especially when she was away.
"Can you think of anyone from another wing we could get at short notice to help out?" Gina asked.
"You need look no further. I'll do it," Karen's decisive tones gave Gina at least one solution, herself rather than make promises to look into an overstretched budget. "I was the one who arranged the visit in the first place, so I might as well see it through."
"You sure you can spare the time?" Gina asked anxiously. She was finding herself creeping into the habit as Wing Governor, of taking work home with her and she figured that Karen was far worse a workaholic than she was. Working in prisons didn't do much for relationships with anyone on the outside. She did not want to see Larkhall Prison cited as causing a breakup in Karen's relationship with that very good-looking barrister of hers.
"I'm getting nowhere doing what I'm doing so I might as well be doing something totally different."
Gina nodded. That made sense.
Karen came to Gina's office where Dominic and a very excited Denny stood before Gina.
"It's nice to have your company, Karen, but how are we getting to Ashmore?" Dominic queried on a practical note.
"Simple. We use my car. Can you two squeeze in the back if I push the front seat forward?"
"Wicked."
This time, luck was on her side for a change.
Karen pulled the seats as far forward as they would go so Dominic's long legs wouldn't be through the roof of her soft-top. Denny squeezed in beside Dominic and both were tucked into the space, which was as secure as anything was. Karen's sporty looking green MG sports car revved up and she pointed it at the direction of the gates.
"Are you two comfortable in the back?" she asked. God, this seemed a little like her taking kids on holiday. She couldn't help but reflect that she had known Dominic on and off for a few years and had seen him grow from the 'all fingers and thumbs' shy young prison officer into the mature and balanced slightly older young prison officer. If only they all grew up as steady and responsible as him, mused Karen with regret.
"We're fine in the back, me and Denny. All we need are the buckets and spades."
"I wish," came Denny's joking reply.
Karen smiled in satisfaction, glanced at the roadmap on the passenger seat balanced precariously on her briefcase and headed her car out onto the open road. She relaxed into her car seat as much as she could with the reduced legroom for Denny sitting immediately behind her. The steady hum of the car soothed everyone as the journey wore on although the giant juggernauts loomed over them like huge cliffs. It was a nice spring day and the green fields either side of them stretched into the distance. She was away from Larkhall almost as if she were escaping from her own prison, her fancies told her.
Suddenly, her mobile started to ring relentlessly. Oh God, can't I be allowed to be away for one day in my life, she thought first until she switched it to hands free.
"Hello darling."
"This is a nice surprise," Karen told her, thinking that George must be at a loose end to be phoning her in the middle of the morning. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Well, I just wanted to say how nice that was on Monday," George's most alluring tones could be clearly heard in the car. At her end, George was looking out of her office down on the busy streets below on a nice sunny day. She wanted to share her better spirits with the woman who was dearest to her so she had clicked on her mobile and, not getting an answer from Karen's direct line, tried her mobile only to hear muffled background sounds which puzzled her. I can't believe it, Karen thought in turn, as all those rehearsals for George to play her version of Eve throughout her range right up to top C had sharpened up her ability to project her voice. She was only too right as the unmistakable sounds of George Channing could be heard clearly in the cramped space in the back seat of the car.
"Oh, which part of it?" Temporarily, Karen was confused as to where she was, next to George in her dreams or trying to be the responsible Governing Governor in charge of a prisoner and one of her prison officers.
"Darling, don't be coy. You know which part of it," George retorted in a teasing, bantering tone of voice.
"What exactly are you doing right now?" She enquired in a more restrained, lower pitched voice as she was starting to hear more distinct human voices over and above a regular low drone.
"I'm taking my car up to Ashmore to take Denny to see Shell Dockley."
Karen answered in her most inconsequential tones while keeping a sharp eye on the oil tanker she was overtaking.
"Am I ringing at an inconvenient moment, darling?"
"No great problem, George. But I must warn you that every word that you are saying is being taken down and remembered by Denny Blood who I can see in my rear view mirror and is smirking at me. Dominic is trying to turn a deaf ear but is obviously failing."
" Hey posh bitch," Denny sang out from the back. "You come to G Wing and us girls will make you welcome any time you want."
"If you want to cover a night shift any time, you would always be welcome,"
Dominic said in his best well-meaning fashion. All the time, Karen kept her eyes on the road while letting all the bedlam carry on all around her. It definitely felt like one of Ross's birthday parties years ago when he was wide-eyed and innocent and never knew at the time that children could ever grow up.
"Oh well, thank you," George responded and laughed at all the sounds of bedlam that was clearly breaking loose in reply. She knew that if there were anything seriously amiss, Karen would have made that clear.
"I'll phone back later and we'll fix up a time to meet, darling. I can see you're busy."
"I'll come and see you some time," Karen said, her voice not altogether sounding like the dutiful Governing Governor she was half trying to be. The feelings of sexual arousal conjured up by that delicious memory of the feel and the texture of George's soft skin in the dark were definitely coming out on top. Even at a moment like this, she was not in a hurry to draw the conversation to a close.
The eavesdroppers in the back of the car were intrigued to hear Karen's husky voice, which was a long way apart from her very proper official tones. Denny was sure she had heard that line of Karen's before somewhere and made a note to ask Lauren later on as she was clever and sure to know the answer to that one.
Karen discreetly put a CD on and some quiet chill out music accompanied the journey with fairly unspecific lyrics. It helped to mask the sudden exposure of Karen's private life and also to pass the time while they drove up the motorway and sign after sign announced the distance to far off towns and cities. In the back, Denny and Dominic felt dwarfed by the size of virtually everything on the road in Karen's low slung little sports car. At last, Karen saw the turnoff and her car curved to the left and climbed up to the roundabout and the more ancient roads which linked one community to the next. She had not driven far when she spoke over her shoulder to Denny, her voice thankfully back to normal.
"Denny, we're getting near to Ashmore and I do not need to remind you that we'll be under their jurisdiction especially in relation to internal security. At Larkhall, I'm the boss. At Ashmore, I'm just a visitor on their terms and that goes for the rest of you."
"Have you heard how Shell is? Denny asked eagerly. Now they were off the motorway, the place they were going to wasn't something abstract and the question came uppermost in her mind.
"I asked her psychiatrist and Shell's progress is satisfactory."
Denny's stomach lurched at Karen's careful, considered reply. That was what they told you to palm you off with a load of bullshit.
"I'm sure she's fine," Dominic added helpfully but the grin was wiped off Denny's face.
Karen spotted the entrance on the left and swung past security to their allotted car park spot.
"I'm sorry, Denny, but until and unless the hospital say otherwise, me and Dominic have to be handcuffed to you."
Denny's face was expressionless and no one spotted her train of thought as to the light regime that Karen ran that far off time when she had taken her to Yvonne's, what sort of frigging place was she being taken to?
When they approached the receptionist, they passed into an airless almost claustrophobic atmosphere that was immediately different to the fresh spring air outside.
"Who's that cow giving me the evil eye, Miss Betts?" Denny muttered under her breath.
Karen smiled sweetly as she remembered the neighbourhood dragon whom she had had to slap one of John's court orders on her which could bust loose anyone from Alcatraz let alone Ashmore.
"I can see you remember me from last time I saw you."
"Just sign the register and I'll phone through to say you've all arrived."
The woman's face was blank and expressionless, and her voice was as unfriendly as she dared. She knew better than to use her repertoire of stalling tactics, starting from asking that all the 't's' be crossed and the 'I's' are dotted when these intruders had signed in. She wanted them in and out as soon as possible. For that reason alone, they spied the nurse come through the silently opening door and when they passed through, it silently closed behind them.
"This place is weird," Denny muttered and Dominic silently agreed with her as they walked slightly behind the young nurse.
"The last time I was here, Denny," Karen clarified. "that all time dragon receptionist barred my way to see Shell until I produced a court order signed by the judge who Lauren was up before. She changed her mind but she will hate my guts for the rest of her life."
"You're going up in the world, Karen," Dominic grinned.
"Wicked," Chorused Denny briefly.
After passing the usual miles of aisles, they came to the last security door and handed her over to the ward sister who told them that Shell Dockley was coming to meet them.
"Mr. McAllister, fancy seeing you back as a screw. I thought you'd stay in Greece."
Shell Dockley called out to him in a disturbingly vacant tone and walked up to them.
"Couldn't stand the heat and the ouzo. I came back for good English bitter and the weather," Dominic added in his dry humour.
To Karen, she was no different in her tracksuit and jogging bottoms but Denny reacted differently. To her, Shell was the woman who had all the glamour and smart talk and was inseparable, in her mind, from her gold jewelry, bright red lipstick, short skirt and low cut top. Dressed that way, Shell was her old self that she could remember. When she 'dressed down', Denny got worried about her and thought that she was cracking up. She always used to when she dressed that way. Immediately, Denny was guilty for not thinking more of her and therefore angry with everyone around her. In a weird nut house like this, Denny felt constrained and couldn't say too much.
"You promised you'd get me out of here, Miss Betts," Shell said reproachfully, her blue eyes looking reproachfully at her.
"Did you, Miss." Denny muttered.
Immediately, Karen felt uneasy. There was a world of difference between trying to do something and delivering the goods where long-term psychiatric prisons were concerned. They were a law unto themselves, probably even for Grayling let alone her.
"I said I would try, Shell. I made some enquiries but I was not able to get very far."
"Lauren Atkins sends on her best wishes," Dominic added helpfully.
"And my old mate Denny. I've not seen you for ages."
Shell flung her arms round her and drew her close to her and held her for a long time.
"How are all the others from the old days like the Julies and Bodybag?"
"The Julies send their love, and Bodybag, well you can guess, man," Denny grinned.
Shell's manner was more animated as ancient memories penetrated her rather fogged mind. She couldn't remember stuff from yesterday with all the dope they were feeding her but all her memories of Larkhall started to flood back.
"If you don't mind, miss, I would rather talk on my own to Shell," Denny said curtly, when she had detached herself eventually from Shell's embrace, her feelings of guilt only increased by Dominic's well meaning words and the strange feel of Shell's body next to her.
"I have no problem with that if the hospital don't."
Dominic's expression indicated to Karen that going along with this request might not be the best course of action even though it was in the spirit of the request.
Presently, Denny and Shell were led into a sideroom, which was austere and simple, and there was a glass panel outside which a nurse was on duty to keep an eye on them. Karen and Dominic began to feel like spare parts standing in the middle of the ward where strangers passed by on either side.
"Do we need to be on hand or have you got sufficient security here?" Karen asked the sister.
"If anything does kick off, there are enough here to restrain them before you can say Jack Robinson," Came the businesslike reply. "You might as well go to the canteen where you can chat as long as you like till you are ready to collect your prisoner. One of my nurses will show you the way."
Karen nodded respectfully at the other woman as one professional to another, especially as she once wore a nurse's uniform.
"Do you think we're doing the right thing?" Karen suddenly posed the question to Dominic as they sat at opposite sides of a cheap Formica table.
"You wouldn't have asked my opinion years ago, it would have been the other way round," Dominic cheerfully reminded her.
"You've changed a lot since the old days," Smiled Karen as memories took her back of the man who was more shy and awkward and, well, younger.
"The trouble is that Denny hasn't changed, or at least not entirely."
Karen raised one eyebrow, inviting him to develop his point.
"I knew Denny Blood before you came to Larkhall. That was when she was right under Shell's influence. Denny still doesn't really know deep down who she is or she wouldn't change so much depending on who she's with. Denny was quite happy doing Shell's dirty work for her and seemed to get a kick out of bullying anyone who was weaker. When you got here, she had come under Yvonne's wing and she was pretty well the Denny Blood you think you know now."
"But that was years ago," Protested Karen. "She's had a long run of behaviour varying from at least half way good to exemplary behaviour. I took her out to Yvonne's house one time and I never thought I could let down my guard as I did nor did I expect her to."
"That's because either Yvonne or Shaz or Lauren were around her. They aren't here right now. Someone like Denny doesn't forget, and she and Shell go back a long way. She feels guilty for having forgotten Shell. You can see it in her face."
"What do you think we ought to do?"
"First of all, we ought to keep our ears to the ground as to what they are saying. Don't forget, she shares a cell with Lauren. She's like her mum, keeps her ear close to the ground and you'll hear soon enough from her if there's any trouble."
"If or when?" interjected Karen.
Dominic reflected for a while. In that moment while he was silent, Karen could not help feeling buttressed by this young man's common sense and insight. He had picked up effortlessly where he had left off and had made steady progress. It wouldn't be long before he would become fitted for promotion if he wanted it. He showed no signs of being overly ambitious but neither was she when she first started off in the prison service. It was the dependability of a man like this that made her job easier. It was a pity that her own son didn't have that sense of grown upness about him.
"I'd say when." He said at last.
Karen took the honest opinion without flinching. She had asked for his opinion. She sought to change the conversation fast, lit another cigarette and began to talk about something more congenial in a more relaxed situation than normal.
"I ain't wanting to put no pressure on you, miss, seeing as I'm grateful for you taking an interest in me," Shell said in her most guileless fashion as they came to collect Denny and make their departure. "Still, you can't have everything and at least you have always taken an interest and someone else could have come instead. It's that seeing everyone from the old days makes me wish I was back at Larkhall, and I'd make sure I'd make Denny smile, as she's my bezzy mate, aren't you, Denny."
"Sure am, Shell," Denny swaggered with that touch of bravado that contact with shell always brought out in her.
"I expect you'd be looking to go now," Shell said in a slightly downcast fashion.
"I'm sorry, shell but we have to go."
Why did her dealings with Shell always make her feel guilty, she wondered? It all went back to that time when shell opened up to her and when she was ghosted out of Larkhall thanks to, wait for it, Jim bloody Fenner.
"At least Fenner's not around at Larkhall. I suppose I ought to thank Atkins's daughter for that," Shell said with a hint of a sneer like the old Shell.
While Shell and Denny embraced one last time, Karen and Dominic said their awkward good-byes and left her gradually starting to diminish as they walked away.
"I'll write to you Shell and I'll keep my promise," Denny's last words to Shell left her more agitated and upset than ever.
They made their reverse journey back through the endless corridors while Denny seemed to pull on the handcuffs. They had not noticed this on the way in to the ward. Presently, they were out in the cold clear spring air, which stung their cheeks and blew away that slightly drowsy hospital air.
"You've got to get Shell out of there. You just have to," Denny urged Karen passionately as they crossed the car park.
"I'd be happy if Shell came back to Larkhall.To get her there isn't as easy as I've explained, Denny."
"I'm telling you, Shell doesn't belong there," Denny repeated in a sombre tone of voice before she was wedged, as before, in the back seat of Karen's car, next to Dominic.