Karen stubbed her cigarette into her ashtray, which was rapidly filling up with dog ends as testimony of her strenuous efforts to secure Nikki as wing governor. She picked up her phone, which again was going to act as electronic postman for another yet surprise message. This time, it was Neil Grayling's turn.
"Neil, I think I've found the answer to the permanent wing governor vacancy," She announced breezily.
"I didn't know that you had added to your skills such as magically pulling rabbits out of hats. I've scoured the breadth of the country for a possible transfer wing governor to Larkhall and to no avail, yet you find one right under my nose."
"It's nothing," Karen lied through her teeth, doubting that Nikki could be seriously described under that inoffensive metaphorical description. "As I'm popping into area on another errand, I might as well drop in if that is all right and talk about my idea. It is a bit radical."
Grayling pricked up his ears at Karen's over elaborately casual manner. It sounded like a style of delivery he had used in the past when he had a bit of smooth talking to do. There was more than met the eye on this one but he blandly agreed.
Once Karen had gone through the same culture shock that Grayling had experienced when he had set foot in area for the first time, she soon found herself in his starkly decorated yet comfortable office where Grayling courteously offered her a coffee.
"So what mystery are you going to unfold before me? I am sure it will be up to Larkhall's standards. Sometimes I miss the announcements of some crisis in some perverse fashion."
Karen could have done with another cigarette, both as a prop and for the nicotine but, out of deference to Grayling, she resolved to make the best of the situation.
"There's someone who I know who is keen to have the chance to work as wing governor at Larkhall. She is uniquely gifted for the job."
"Go on."
"Her background is that over ten years ago she and her ex partner founded and built up from scratch a lesbian club. Because of that, she has built up considerable business skills and experience of handling staff."
Grayling's initial reaction was a frozen horror and desperate hope that Karen was pulling his leg. Unfortunately, Karen's facial expression and voice were perfectly serious.
"You surely cannot expect the prison service would take someone with no previous experience of the prison system straight in at such a responsible level because, for some reason which you have not yet explained, she wants to do the job? She must have more to offer than this?"
"She has a B.A. Honours degree in English."
"No doubt gained from the more cloistered corners of academia."
"Hardly that." Karen's smooth delivery showed signs of cracking as she approached the tricky bit of her proposition.
"She has experience of the prison system in a way that neither you nor I have quite experienced. She spent three years at Larkhall as a …."
"….prisoner?" gasped Grayling. He seemed to rise in his seat and sink back in shock.
Karen let him take time and get over the shock.
"How long have you been Governing Governor at Larkhall, Karen?" He said at last.
"About six weeks."
"And after hardly spending time getting settled in with your feet under the table, you come out with a proposal that is either sheer genius or total madness."
"I must be following your style of leadership as you came out with very radical ideas the moment you came to Larkhall."
"But those ideas were bollocks," Groaned Grayling. "I was talking out of my arse from reading too many management textbooks. I haven't got around to asking them for a refund from the bookshop but I should do. The worrying thing is that there is something I haven't grasped as I have never known you not to come out with considered proposals………………."
Suddenly his guardian angel planted the thought in his mind that he had been desperately searching for.
"Do I know the name of this woman, Karen."
"You'll have seen her at the trial. Her name is Nikki Wade."
A whole series of emotions flooded through Grayling's mind, half worry, half relief. He knew very well that Mrs. Warner regarded him as virtually a Bolshevik and if he steered Nikki Wade into the prison service, his reputation as a maverick would be sealed. He could place where he had seen her before on the day that he sat in on the Atkins trial.
"Neil, I might have presented this rather badly. Let's look at the facts. You agree that Nikki through her second court of appeal judgement, has a clean slate, as clean a slate as mine or yours."
"Legally you are right. Such is the Tardis effect of the court of appeal."
"Wouldn't you agree that Nikki has experience of the prison system from the inside without the normally associated criminal act. She knows how prisoners feel, what they talk about and both Helen and I can tell you that she has the real knack of leadership and she gained the respect of some of the prison officers. She had no fancy title or any official position of any description but did it all because of who she is."
"And led a couple of protests, one of which ended up in a full scale riot. Don't expect that that event is not forgotten at area," Warned Grayling grimly.
"I wasn't around on both occasions but Helen filled me in on the details and both events were down to Sylvia Hollamby's initial mishandling of the situation, sloppy and inefficient on the first occasion and putting in the jackboot with a hefty dose of racial prejudice the second time around."
"Which brings me to my first major question and big reservation. How would such an appointment go down with her fellow officers?"
Karen suppressed a smile. Grayling's very understandable fears were battling with an instinct, which was secretly attracted to the idea. The very mention of Sylvia Hollamby's name helped tilt the balance in favour of Nikki.
"Your question is closely connected with the second question which springs to mind and the answer to one may answer the other. Nikki would have to be clear in her own mind as to how she would treat prisoners some of whom she may well know from when she was there last time. Nikki will need to set her stall out where she stands and she sinks or swims on this. What it comes down to is this. Why not give Nikki the chance of an interview, no special favours and let her fully answer for herself these questions. It is not as if there are any suitable candidates or that you have been overwhelmed in the rush. Please, Neil, just give her the chance."
Grayling let the slow, measured tones of Karen's explanation insinuate its way into his thinking and saw the hopeful expression in her eyes. They soothed away the panic and a strange reckless feeling overtook him that was willing to take a gamble. Above all else, he reflected on his past when his so called hunch had placed his faith on the likes of Fenner to tell him what was going on and how bitterly he had regretted. He had made serious blunders when he had disregarded what Karen had to say in the same period. He was not one for succumbing to feminine charms but he placed his trust in Karen one more time. Besides, ideas were being peeled off his unconscious as to how Alison Warner might be prevailed upon to grant the interview.
"You must be mad!" The formidable battleaxe burst out when Grayling and Karen between them had smoothly unreeled the facts of the matter. "What on earth possessed you to present this utterly preposterous idea to me. I shall not hear of it. I wonder why you, Karen Betts, have initiated such a proposal."
"The desire to have a well run wing, Mrs. Warner," Karen responded in dry, flat tones. "Don't forget that if the idea backfires, I shall be the one facing the consequences, both of my own personal position and any trouble on the wing. I shall be painting myself into a corner from which I cannot escape."
Grayling's face remained impassive while secretly admiring the skill with which Karen turned back the argument on itself. She had sharpened up her ability in this respect.
"You will do more than that. You would be straight out the door if ever anything happened in the way you describe. That is however, not the main point. We have a public duty to preserve the good name of the prison service and we are all answerable for our actions…..".
The initial ferocity of Alison Warner's attack softened as she meditated on what was the real arguments were in her mind. A sacrificial victim which had stepped forward announcing her candidature for the post which was normally decided on the "musical chairs" party game principle had much to recommend it, telling both the sharp listeners that this was a predominant argument in Mrs. Warner's mind. A sacrificial victim which had stepped forward announcing her candidature for the post which was normally decided on the "musical chairs" party game principle had much to recommend it.
"It is not just that the prison service is much in the public domain these days but for our own internal discipline which is hidden from public scrutiny."
Bullshit, thought both Karen and Grayling. All she cares about is the Eleventh Commandment,"Thou shalt not be found out." Nevertheless, they chose to humour her.
"We appreciate your concern and I subjected Karen's idea to the most rigorous scrutiny as to its soundness and only then did I dream of putting this before you. I asked Karen to accompany me so that you had full chance to ask her the most searching questions yourself rather than rely on my own direct knowledge of the candidate concerned."
Karen admired Grayling's smooth unctuous tones, which had the same effect of tickling a cat under the ear so that it purred. The tactic, though one which he had used for bad purposes, was now used for the good.
"What's Ms Wade's attitude towards the Home Office policy to reduce the incidence of illicit drugs infiltrating into Her Majesty's prisons?" she shot at the two of them after a pause in the conversation.
"From what I know of her, she has been conducting a one woman crusade against drugs from infiltrating the club which she runs and has not hesitated from sacking staff if they are implicated themselves." Karen slid her contribution in a perfect two-handed operation. Good thinking, Karen, Grayling thought approvingly. Alison Warner's reading paper of choice alternated between the Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail and any suggestion of total lily livered wet liberalism caused her blood pressure to rise.
"There's one question that was at the back of my mind and that is this one. What possible motive could there be for a candidate who had spent three years at Larkhall to go out of her way not only in applying for a job in the prison service? Either there is a criminal intent and there is nothing in what we know of Ms Wade to suggest this. It has been my experience that no one chooses to pass through the gates of any prison voluntarily unless they choose to do so. From what I understand- and you may choose to disagree- we have every reason to suppose that Ms Wade's application for the job is for perfectly good reasons. It is not as if I have been trampled in the rush of suitable candidates for the job and the use of a temporary cannot be continued indefinitely."
Grayling continued the drip drip effect of gradually wearing Mrs Warner down in the way he played his pauses and Karen watched him in fascination.
"We might as well grant her an interview, no special favours, on a level playing field and see what she has to say for herself."
"All right, Neil You have your way but I promise you that she will be out on her ear if she doesn't come up to standard and it will reflect on your next appraisal interview," Mrs. Warner finished spitefully. "I insist that you, for one, are on the interview board so that if this mad idea goes wrong, you will be right out in the open." Grayling's smooth words thanking her was in the best spirit of Sir Humphrey Appleby out of "Yes Minister" and he carried on smiling until they were out the door.
"I can't thank you enough, Neil for what you've done," Karen said in heartfelt thanks.
"I must be mad," He sighed to himself as the full implications of what was in store for him sank in. "bloody hell." He murmured to himself as he was in shock and he cast his eyes heavenwards. They walked down the corridor, both of them feeling that their legs were made of rubber. As they neared his office, a thought struck him.
"By the way, what was that other errand you were coming here for? Perhaps I can direct you where to go?"
Karen's hand shot up to her face and she fractionally turned pink. She had forgotten all about that slight fabrication she had told Grayling.
"Perhaps another day," he grinned broadly, seeing her discomfort plainly written on her face. "You are welcome anytime but try to come on a more conventional errand. A cat may have nine lives but I've just used up my eighth."
"I'll keep both promises.I'd enjoy it." Karen smiled as her temporary shock melted away into the start of an enormous high. Against all the odds, she had pulled it off.