On Monday afternoon while Nikki was working in her office, her thoughts strayed from the files that she was checking and pondered the events of last Friday when she had seen the Julies having a ding-dong row with Bodybag. She had let the argument run without any direct intervention but she was beginning to ask herself if she had acted wisely.
Technically, the Julies had crossed the line in terms of what was acceptable in terms of how a prisoner should speak to a prison officer. Like it or nor, she owed Bodybag, she meant Sylvia, loyalty in terms of her position much though her sympathies went in the opposite direction. Her sharp ears had heard enough to tell her that Barbara had been on the receiving end of that woman's heavy-handed abuse. What had surprised her was that Sylvia hadn't come in and complained to her about her lack of support which indicated that either she was stewing on it, or was biding her time and acting under the guidance of that dangerous snake in the grass, Di Barker, or that she had simply cut her losses, having behaved totally improperly.
She threw her pen down and decided to act. She needed to investigate and not wait for trouble to come to her.
The Julies were enjoying a pleasantly idle moment and Julie Saunders was writing a letter to David with one of her favourite fluffy topped garish biros. He was a grown man now but Julie still saw him as that eager eyes, ever believing schoolboy whom she had seen only at infrequent intervals.
"Can't think of anything special to write, Ju. Things have been sort of quiet, sort of nothing newsy. Can't bleeding well say that we're still doing servery duties"
"You're forgetting about Babs," Julie Johnson added.
"Oh my god, I'd forget to put my head on in the morning if it wasn't screwed on, Ju"
Came the incredulous reply and she scribbled away furiously. Just when she paused for further inspiration, there was a polite knock on the door and Nikki poked her head round the corner.
"Come in, Nikki. Make yourself comfy. We ain't seen you to talk to proper like for ages"
Nikki smiled diffidently. She was conscious that her smart suit sometimes set her apart from old friends like the Julies. She had told the interview panel that 'yes, there are people on G wing whom I would class as friends, but that would not allow me to digress from my professional responsibilities in the day to day management of their sentences.' Those were fine, brave words but it was quite another matter to look the Julies straight in the eye right now.
"It isn't exactly a social call," Began Nikki with a strained smile.
The Julies exchanged worried looks
"What exactly is it about, Nikki, if you don't mind me asking"
"Mind if I sit down"
Julie Saunders gestured her consent to Nikki and immediately, she felt more comfortable in being physically on the same level as the other two women.
"I want you to help me out with a problem. I can't be everywhere and there are situations where things happen and I don't know the background and I might make mistakes"
"Are you expecting us to be grasses?"
The tone in Julie Saunders' voice became markedly colder. They couldn't believe what they were hearing, especially from their old mate Nikki.
"It's like this. I was watching you and Sylvia having a row the other day and I missed the first part of the conversation. I heard you speak up for Barbara how she was really suffering when Henry was dying….I can imagine that as I'll never forget the way she spoke about Peter once when she was writing her diary"
The Julies saw that faraway look in Nikki's eyes and heard that tremor in her voice as old memories replayed themselves in her mind. She was the same old Nikki.
"…..anyway, I heard Sylvia say to you that you were 'living in cloud cuckoo land.' It sounded as if Sylvia had been sticking in the knife but I don't know for sure"
"Why don't you ask Barbara? You're old mates"
Why not, indeed, Nikki asked herself. It was only too easy. She was wing governor and she could set up an interview and call her into her office and talk to her just as in the old days. That was the trouble, she realized. The Julies were just that bit distanced from the situation and it did not affect them directly as it did where Sylvia was attacking a friend of hers. That instinctive heartfelt desire to stand up for an old friend made it incredibly hard to stand back and be objective about the matter.
"That's just the trouble, Julies. I have to be fair to Sylvia and be absolutely sure that I don't let my prejudices run away with me. It's just not safe for me to do that. In any case, if a complaint ever reaches my ears officially, it will be about you and not Barbara and I'd sooner get in there first"
The Julies thought long and hard about what Nikki so persuasively reasoned. They always ended up following the line of reasoning set out by a strong-minded smart leader, whether it was Yvonne or Nikki. They both made natural back up
"What do you want to know, Nikki"
The other woman drew a breath of relief. All the natural warmth of feeling had returned to Julie Saunders tone of voice and, automatically, she handed out a couple of cigarettes to them as in the old days. This time though, she hardly had to hoard each cigarette smoked in case she ran through her weekly spends. The reality of her responsibilities and a handsome salary was in danger of increasing that nicotine habit of hers.
"Just exactly what that old cow has been shooting her mouth off about. I won't use what you say unless I have to. You know me."
The three women grinned comfortably at each other. They knew each other very well.
Nikki had only returned to her office for a mere quarter of an hour during which she had attacked her paperwork with added enthusiasm, fuelled by a sense of controlled anger and self satisfaction. She threw the last file in her out tray when a self-important knock rapped at the door.
"Come in"
Bodybag bustled in and grabbed possession of the chair and started talking without any polite preliminaries.
"I want to make a complaint about Julie Saunders and Julie Johnson under 'conduct likely to prejudice good order and discipline'."
"Oh? Can you explain, Sylvia? That is a very serious matter"
"I had not exchanged one cross word with either of them for I don't know how long. I was on duty keeping an eye on the prisoners and making sure everything was in proper order when they came at me, mouthing off at me without so much as a 'by your leave'. I was completely taken aback, I can assure you. I have never been so insulted and slandered in all my life, I can assure you. It is all the more disgraceful as they have been around for a long, long time and they should know better than any prisoner what can and cannot be allowed to be said to a prison officer, especially someone of my long standing"
A little voice at the back of Nikki's mind was sorely tempted to say 'fifty years, eh' but she crushed that thought back. If only the woman wouldn't puff herself up with self-importance and bluster and, most of all for once in her life, tell the truth.
"Oh, Sylvia, and exactly what did they say"
Bodybag reached for the little pocket book where she had written down the most
"'evil old witch' 'you ought to be ashamed of yourself' 'you're jealous, that's what its all about.' Need I say more"
"Well, it's not very good. Pushing it a bit but surely it's something that you could clear up with a quiet word, especially, as you say, you had done nothing to provoke them. Is there anything else that happened that you've somehow overlooked"
Nikki said in her driest tones.
"It's not what they said, it's the way they said it. Pure venom in their voices. You were there. You must have heard what they said. You could hear it all over the wing."
Nikki had had enough. She had tried to play fair with her but it was now time to unmask her hidden guns and blow her out of the water.
"Now, see here, Sylvia. I've made a few enquiries about the incident and it has come to my ears that you are not treating Barbara Mills in the professional way that I would expect of one of my prison officers. I understand that you have repeatedly made prejudicial remarks about the offence that she is charged with. I do not approve of lynch law, as you should well know. To my mind, anyone is innocent until proved guilty. You would do well to remember it. On top of that, you have repeatedly called Barbara by the name of hunt, not Mills. You must have surely noticed that I have always addressed you as Sylvia despite my inclinations otherwise. I do this because I am expected to as a professional despite our past antagonisms. Now is there any reason why you cannot be expected to do the same for Barbara? And furthermore, is there any reason why I don't make it official if words reach me that you have not taken notice of my advice"
Nikki surprised herself as she spoke in a cold, clipped delivery reaching out for the sort of judicial turn of phrase and intonation that had ever impressed her. She was gratified to see that the expression on Bodybag's face was as if she had swallowed a large, painful object before she made one last bid to get her way.
"But what about this absurd idea of jealousy? I mean, how could I possibly be jealous of …her"
Nikki had to hand it to Bodybag. She did a pretty good impersonation of bewildered innocence.
"In two words, Henry Mills. A little bird told me the background of that one. I would drop it, I really would"
Bodybag flushed as Nikki's revelation and the warning tone in her voice. She knew when she was beaten.
"I have had a gentle word with the Julies and explained the situation. I will back up one of my prison officers in preference to a prisoner if the situation ever demanded. I will not however take the rap in the sort of situation that, say, Helen did when she defended you against Carol Byatt when she nearly bled to death thanks to your incompetence. I have a long memory, Sylvia and I never forget…..now you may go, Sylvia"
Bodybag scuttled hastily out of the door as Nikki switched from her light and judicial delivery to burning her through with her eyes and finally dismissing her.
"So how did you get on, Sylv. Did my plan work to let her sweat over the weekend and then think you were not going to bother?" Di asked eagerly over a couple of glasses of orange.
"You would think that even she would have backed me up," Bodybag groaned into her drink. She was deeply mortified at how disastrously the interview had progressed." But no, not her. It's clear to see who her favourites are and that she and Hunt will be as thick as thieves as before. It's a case as business as usual"
"Your time will come, Sylv. You have to learn to be patient. Sooner or later she'll be lured into showing herself in her true colours. She can't keep up her act forever even with Betts backing her"
"Times have changed and not for the better. A con is a con and always will be and I'm not just talking about our resident Christian who's behind bars"
"What'll happen if she's found guilty?" Di asked with eager glee. "She'll have her work cut out to look impartial. She can't do that balancing act forever. She's bound to fall off the wire"
"Betts will be bound to cover up for her." Bodybag gloomed. "Us old guard are in the minority what with all the prison colleges feeding the new recruits with all sort of liberal eyewash. Take Selena over there. She's a classic example of someone who's been fed all these ideas. Time was that you picked it up on the job and an older, wiser, more experienced colleague showed you the ropes."
Selena could sense two pairs of venomous eyes boring into the back of her head but studiously ignored them and carried on talking to Colin. She smiled as Nikki strolled casually into the social club and joined them in their little crowd.
"Give it time, Sylv. You never know, one of the old school will be looking for a transfer in and there'll be more of us. Prison system is crying out for new staff, especially in the London area"
"Aye, but will it be before I pick up my pension at the first opportunity. Things are not the way they used to be"
If Nikki had heard Bodybag's final comment, she would have heartily agreed but from an entirely opposite perspective.