"I've nearly finished my Christmas shopping." Declared Bodybag proudly. "Only a present for Constance's oldest child and I'm done"
"Oh yeah." Gina yawned in extreme disinterest. "It's that time of the year, I suppose. Anytime now, there'll be the new bloody God squad Cliff Richard single pissing the hell out of me. I bet you he's bought all his Christmas presents and his bloody "Mistletoe and Wine', god help us"
It was a typical morning get together in the PO's room when idle conversation turned this way and that before Nikki was due to appear.
"I can't understand you, Gina, sneering at Cliff Richard. He sets such a good example, he's so clean living and so handsome, just like my Bobby Darin." protested Bodybag vigorously. Her tone of voice melted briefly into a girlish simper, revealing her as a True Believer before continuing to stoutly defend the traditions she was brought up to believe.
"Christmas is the time of goodwill to all men, watching the Queen's speech, remembering that we're British and"
"….opening your presents, getting pissed down the local pub, swearing at the usual crap there is on the box"
"Anyone would think you didn't like Christmas, Gina." intervened Dominic to a general laugh.
"The day's fine if I fix it right. Trouble is I've got to now start mooching round the shops and join all the other Muppets"
A chorus of sympathy from the other prison officers revealed that, not only did they commiserate with Gina with the ordeal that was facing her but that they were in the same state of unpreparedness.
It was at this point that Nikki strolled in, smiling at the snatch of conversation that she overheard and she promptly got roped into the conversation.
"Hey, Nikki, what do you think of all this Christmas bollocks and present buying rip-off"
"Well, Gina, my situation is simpler than others round here. My family has disowned me long ago and Helen's father is one of those fire and brimstone Bible bashers so naturally he doesn't exactly approve of me or my living with Helen. I like buying presents for those who are close friends of mine and receiving in return but I'm always so bloody late starting"
"I bet Helen would be the organized one," ventured Dominic.
"Got it in one." Agreed Nikki with a nod in his direction. "She runs things like a military campaign. Up till this year, I've always had a failsafe excuse for being scatty and disorganized as I used to work ridiculously long hours in the club in the run up to Christmas. Now that excuse has been blown right out of the water"
"Still, you'll have more time with Helen this year." Selena offered, helpfully.
"I will indeed." Nikki said slowly. The trouble was that, in the past, everyone else's desire to go out and party meant that the demands on the club were insatiable and bore heavier than normal on Nikki, Trisha and the overworked barmaids. While Helen went out of her way to be especially considerate and supportive of her, her pride didn't really like being cosseted in this way. Hopefully, that sort of pressure would be off her." I'm looking forward to that. Anyway, time for the meeting, if you please………."
Sylvia was in a quandary as the discussion faded into the background. She had leapt at the prospect of being a witness for the prosecution to see that Mills woman behind bars. The woman was as guilty as sin and anyone with eyes in their head could see it a mile away, anyone but her one time accomplice, that the Home Office in a fit of madness made wing governor. It had galled her enough that some lily livered wet liberal judges had conspired to let her sneak her way out of the prison where she should have been banged up for life. Then again, she had Madam ruling the roost and depriving her of the support that she and all the die-hard old stagers were entitled to. It had been so easy at one time but so many of the old school had fallen by the wayside. The writing was on the wall when Stubberfield was framed for Dockley and Blood's escape. What really had made her sit up and take notice was Jim Fenner's tragic death. Even after all this time, she missed his reassuring tones, shared points of view and ability to fix any problems. What really shook her confidence was Di Barker getting the sack. She had lost her main confidant and she really missed her. On the one hand, she burned with the desire to get back at the scheming women who had wrecked the prison service and made it the kindergarten that it now was. On the other hand, the trouble was that her chief enemies were far too dangerous and she didn't want to risk losing her pension, which was still far too many years out of reach. It was then that the opportunity presented itself when she agreed to be prosecution witness against Hunt who was still within her power. That would get back at Wade and settle a double score, to see her pal permanently behind bars. To her way of thinking, that was a form of safe retribution. What she hadn't bargained for was that the barrister would want to interview her so far in advance of the trial. She hadn't been prepared for it. The wretched appointment date meant that she would have to lay on the charm to whoever she could get to swap shifts with. She considered who of the other prison officers who would be amenable to swapping shifts and was disturbed to face the possibility that she might not be everyone's favourite prison officer. Eventually after much heart searching, she settled on the most amenable prison officer of the lot, someone who she had known the longest, Dominic McAllister.
"Dominic," she called after him as the prison officers started to file out of the room. She attached her most ingratiating smile to her face and her most hopefully honeyed tone of voice. "I wonder if you would be able to do me a favour. I'd do the same for you in return some time. It's terribly important and something that has only blown up at the last minute"
"Go on, what is it?" Dominic asked without enthusiasm.
Unknown to her, Nikki's sharp ears had picked up the train of conversation. She had had many years of keeping a sharp eye on what was going on in her noisy club that made her more acute to far away conversations than Bodybag had expected. She studiously stood where she was and examined the checklist handed to her at her leisure.
"I would be so grateful if you could cover my shift this afternoon, Dominic. I've got a last minute pressing engagement"
Dominic's mind started to cut his way through the waffle as he smelled a rat. He was naturally obliging but he drew the line at helping Sylvia out, after she had ostentatiously ignored him for weeks.
"Last minute, as in, you've suddenly had this dropped on you or last minute as in, I'd forgotten all about it until I suddenly remembered it this morning. I need a better reason than that, Sylv"
"It's terribly important, Dominic. Of course, I would love to change the engagement but it's not possible. Come on, Dominic, just between friends."
"Look here, Sylv, I'm not willing to put myself out, especially when I'm tired and was looking to put my feet up and having a night in. You're only making it more difficult for yourself as you're keeping schtum about something and I don't like that." Dominic's voice became harder edged on the matter as clearly Sylvia was clearly up to something.
"Oh come on, Dominic. I'd swap with you any time in future." Bodybag pleaded with a note of desperation in her voice and barely concealed anger
"Sylv, I'm not having any of this. I'm not changing shifts with you off my own bat. You put the whole thing in Nikki's hands and let her decide if your rota gets swapped and if so, who with"
"Quite right, Dominic." Nikki's voice chimed in from behind both of them making them jump. "There's definitely something you're not saying. Come on, spit it out."
Nikki's eyes penetrated deep into Bodybag, unsettling her.
"Err, Miss Wade, it's something private and confidential. It's something I don't want to talk about with every Tom, Dick and Harry eavesdropping." Bodybag stammered trying to vaguely buy time.
"You're quite right, Sylvia. Both of you, to my room and fast"
Dominic and Bodybag trotted after Nikki's rapids strides till they reached her room.
"And now, Sylvia. An explanation if you please"
Bodybag immediately fumbled inside her bag and drew out a letter with the stamp of a solicitor's name and address. Nikki glanced at the date on the letter and, as she had expected, it was two weeks ago. The contents of the letter caused her face to harden. It was to ask her to see a solicitor to make a statement in the 'Crown versus Mills' trial. Nikki knew enough to conclude that she was a witness for the prosecution. She had to admit that everything else about the letter was authentic and it explained Bodybag's desperation.
"There's nothing in the rules and regulations to stop me giving evidence against your friend, is there"
"No, Sylvia. As you say, I can't stop you giving evidence against Barbara Mills or any other inmate in Larkhall……."
Dominic was impressed by how Nikki's visible burst of anger was so quickly bottled up and how even her voice was. If she knew anything about her, he suspected that she felt duty bound to avoid personal favouritism.
"……..in fact, I'll take responsibility for the duty roster to ensure that you have time off to attend this meeting and it goes without saying that this will apply for any further meetings"
"…….why thank you, Miss Wade….." Bodybag was about to say in ingratiating tones. Anything to ensure she got her time off, no matter how demeaning.
"……..but I'm not pleased that you've left it to the last minute"
"……I'm ever so sorry, Miss Wade, it must have slipped my mind"
"…….but there's a much more important matter than this, Sylvia. I'm not happy with the idea of you staying on G Wing while you're giving evidence against Barbara Mills. I'm going to have words with Karen about temporarily transferring you to another wing"
"That's blackmail, Miss." Bodybag snapped, her mask of obsequiousness dropping in a flash.
"Sylvia, just use your brains for once in your life."Nikki urged with supreme patience. "I cannot be sure that word won't get out about your role in the trial, not by me, I assure you. You know how popular Barbara is on the wing while you aren't exactly the best-loved prison officer on G Wing. I don't want anything kicking off over this trial. It won't help you, or the prison officers, or Barbara or the other prisoners and it certainly won't help me. There's another matter I need to think of. You are prickly, lazy, always moaning about every little thing. If I'd set out to transfer you at the first possible opportunity, I'd only be landing the problems you always cause onto another wing governor and it would be no help to Karen. I might as well be the one to line manage you because I know you of old and at least, you know the other prison officers even if you don't see eye to eye to them. What you've done is to put the tin lid on this matter. I give you my word that, as soon as Barbara's trial is over, whichever way it goes, you have a right to get a transfer back to this wing. Only thing you'd need to do is positively tell Karen via your new wing governor that you want the transfer back. I can't say fairer than this"
"Humph." Bodybag snorted. "I suppose I should be grateful"
"You should but you won't be. Anyway, I need some space so leave it to me to organize your relief and I'll let you know which wing you're moving to and when."
Dominic gestured to Bodybag to start sidling out. For once, she took the hint.
"Of course, Sylvia has to be moved." Karen said decisively before adding slightly sternly, noticing Nikki's look of relief. "Don't look too pleased with yourself"
"Of course not, Karen." Nikki replied meekly, straightening out her features.
"I felt the same when Di Barker was moved off my wing during Lauren's trial. I've just got to find a wing governor that has your patience and intelligence in handling her. That isn't going to be easy as her reputation is well known"
Karen spoke in such a weary tone of voice that Nikki was worried about her. She was going to say something to that effect but Karen interrupted her.
"Leave me to it, Nikki. It will give me something so that I can keep my mind occupied with. You've almost done me a favour"
Nikki made a quiet exit. The room was dimly lit and Karen clearly wanted to be on her own. She wasn't sure if that was good for her but only Karen could decide that one.
Unusually, Gina made rapid strides out of the gates of Larkhall in the direction of the shops. She wanted to break the ice gently by at least having as gentle a stroll round them as the increasing crowds of shoppers permitted. She really wasn't looking forward to it as the fiery temperament which she kept bottled up at work, was apt to boil over She gained the High Street and firstly, the traditional Marks and Sparks came into view but this was somewhere she really wanted to pass by. Further ahead, she could pick out Boots and their gift counter was more promising. Just before it was the deeply unpromising sight of the tacky yellow and green logo of the local Jobcentre. She scowled at the sight of it. She had remembered it years ago when she had been there for a job. It had found her the first barmaid job. That would have been fine except that it was so lousy that only after she'd jacked it in that she'd found out that it had a high turnover of staff. Nikki had told her a few stories about barmaids that she had hired who'd worked there. The only difference was that some colour-blind moron had given it some kind of makeover. She was just on the point of speeding up to walk past it when she became aware of a woman who was standing disconsolately outside, virtually standing on the kerbstone. Gina noted dispassionately that she was obviously unemployed, nowhere to go and looking down at heel. Couldn't be arsed to go in the bloody Jobcentre and get a job, quite obviously. The penny only dropped when she could see her more clearly in profile, short, scruffily dressed and with hair tousled and not by the wind. The line of her straight nose and her down turned mouth were unmistakeable. Surely it can't be Di Barker?
Gina had just enough presence of mind to move out of the way of the increasing stream of passers by, eager to shop till they drop even on their lunch breaks. She leaned against the corner of the front entrance of Marks and Spencers, her eyes transfixed on Di. She wondered if she was even aware of her presence. It only took her two seconds to conclude that Di would never acknowledge the presence of one of her bitterest enemies who had 'put one over her' again by simply having a job when she hadn't. It was typical of the twisted woman to think that way. She obviously hasn't two pennies to rub together, nowhere to go and no company to keep. At least all of us at work have the means to go Christmas shopping, whether happy or reluctant. Di Barker hasn't got that choice. Still, she wasn't going to waste any sympathy on her as she had her chances and blew the lot. There were so many different choices she could have made in her life but she had that dogged determination to mess up her own life and anyone else she could ensnare for her own purposes.
When she thought about, a quick look round Marks and Spencers didn't sound such a bad idea. She could leave that cow to fester outside and slide off back to work while the coast was clear. All the same, she knew that in her mind, Di Barker would be forever rooted to that piece of tarmac and curbstone, right outside the local Jobcentre.