Part One Hundred and Six

"You're free, Babs." Gina repeated John's words into Barbara's unbelieving ears. She stared up at the infinitely kindly and relaxed faces of John and Monty and, of course, remembered that she had once performed with them. "No more pie and chips and lockups for you"
"You come with us to see your friends. We'll look after you." Dominic urged her kindly. Somehow, Barbara's feet carried her out of the dock where she had stood for so long. Gina and Dominic ceased to be prison officers who, at the end of the day, had to fasten the handcuffs on her, and lock her up for a living. Now, they accompanied her as well wishers through the back of the court. Everything felt very strange to her, as she was only starting to adjust to her new reality.

Behind her, the visitor's gallery started to empty itself rapidly, leaving John and Monty sitting limply in their thrones. They were mentally exhausted.
"Thank God the jury voted the right way, John. For the life of me, I do not know what I would have done if the verdict had gone the other way"
"Me neither." John frankly confessed." What do you say to the idea of a celebratory drink?" The idea hit the right spot with Monty. It didn't seem right to shuffle off without some acknowledgement. He had never conceived of John as a drinking partner, but there were a lot of things he had never conceived of when the trial had first started, what felt like a long time ago.
"You lead the way, John."

A crowd of her well-wishers from the gallery clattered down the stairs to join Gina and Dominic, as Barbara's feet made their way by themselves towards the heavy swing doors. Group instinct decided that Jo and George take Gina's and Dominic's places either side of Barbara.
"Are you ready to face the press, Barbara?" Grayling asked gently, experience knowing what would be in store for her.
Barbara nodded her head and pushed the heavy door open and the others grouped themselves protectively around her, Nikki conspicuous only by her height and not through any personal choice. Barbara was utterly dazed by the crowd of photographers ,who crowded in from all sides from out of nowhere. She was half blinded as the flashguns exploded in the gathering gloom of a winter February late afternoon.

"What does it feel like to be free?" a distant voice asked her.

"Like nothing else on earth I could imagine…….I want to give my undying thanks to all my friends who have stood by me, who have encouraged me when I have been tempted to give way to despair. I must thank first of all the twelve members of the jury who have done their duty, have listened carefully to everything that has been said and have given me my freedom. I also want to thank my barristers, Jo Mills and George Channing who have worked so tirelessly for me. I must not forget the witnesses who have given their time to speak up for me and, in particularly Dr Kay Scarpetta who has traveled all the way from America. I want to thank the humanity and common decency of the judges, John Deed and Monty Everard……."

At that point, Barbara's mind froze on her to name more than those who had came immediately to mind. "………and anyone else I haven't thanked personally. They know who they are and know my feelings"
"What are you going to do with your freedom"
"I really don't know as yet. I'll spend some time, catching up with my friends and devoting proper time to my husband's memory. I really haven't anything else I can think of to say"
"Hey, Nikki Wade, how does it feel to be a lesbian cop killer and run a prison?" called a particularly strident reporter. Nikki only felt cold contempt at this illiterate reporter, who came over as a badly behaved adolescent brat. She must be getting old, she thought. "You must be from the Sun." came Nikki's ice-cold voice, dripping with contempt for it. "I'm not going to answer that one because I don't have to. If you're going to ask any questions, ask Barbara or her barristers about her trial. That's what you're here for, aren't you?" Outraged, Helen made space for Nikki to slip back through the double doors and followed her in. Incandescent with anger, Grayling strode forward to the interviewer and pulled him to one side, speaking in a low, angry tone of voice.
"One word in print out of turn and I'll personally see to it that your feet won't touch the ground, your paper will have to grovel to the public on page one and you will be out on your ear. Believe me, I can do it"
The full impact of vengeful authority exploding over him was an almighty shock to the brash reporter and he could see a P45 hovering before his eyes. Besides, he could see the other reporters grinning at him, and he couldn't hack that one. Yvonne was hugely impressed by Grayling's valid alternative of threatening the prick with a concrete overcoat, and slipped back to tell Nikki the good news.

Jo and George smiled for the interviewers, who had got their required two-minute sound bite and, in the abrupt silence, politely escorted Barbara back into the foyer and to the nearest seat. Behind her back, a two-person storm cloud was illuminated by contrast by the feelings of radiance that pervaded the high domed hall. Somehow there seemed a point to the boldly and optimistically religious frescoed ceiling but not to Amanda and Greg Hunt.
"This has been a total miscarriage of justice." Amanda stormed.
"I'm going to write to the Daily Mail about this. The lily livered jury were totally taken in by the best con artist in the business." Pronounced Greg coldly. However, their attempts at stage whispers reckoned without the sharpest ears in the business of human life.

Immediately, Yvonne reached for her mobile and phoned Lauren.
"Babs is free, Lauren"
"Wow, that's fantastic news," enthused Lauren loudly in Yvonne's ear.
"How soon can you get home and start organizing the party? There's the regular gang coming give or take a few." "As soon as, mum. You leave it to me."

"Everyone's invited back to my place for a celebration party" Yvonne announced deliberately loudly amongst all the high spirits of the crowd around her." That is, except for your very much ex step children who can piss off to where they came from. if that's all right with you, Babs"
"I never heard of an ex stepchild before," chimed in Cassie with as much apparent innocence as she could contrive. It might have been her motto that wherever Yvonne was stoking up trouble, Cassie should follow on behind her.
"It's easy to think of them that way when I see two such greedy, vindictive people who are not worthy of Peter's memory." Barbara observed. With the gradual dawning realization of her freedom, she realized that she was in a position to settle a few scores, being well protected by the higher echelons of the prison service plus two barristers. Greg and Amanda had tried to pretend not to listen but eventually their pride overcame their discretion.

"I suppose you're glad that your side won." Greg pronounced coldly to Yvonne "Yeah, like justice was done." Yvonne retorted. "How does it feel to know you were wrong"
"We haven't the slightest idea what you're on about." Blustered Greg. "We knew exactly what you were thinking, all the time we sat in the gallery." Yvonne retorted, a grin frozen on her face though she wasn't laughing." You were looking down your oh so superior noses at us and at Babs. We kept quiet, well most of the time, because we wanted Babs to get set free and then to look at your faces to see how much the verdict chokes you." Nikki and Karen exchanged glances. They could see Yvonne gearing up for all out warfare and both knew that Yvonne's pure loathing of the pair of them could boil over the top. Karen was first to intervene.
"Do I have to put you in handcuffs, Yvonne?" "Come on, Karen. I'm only having a little fun with these two losers." Protested Yvonne.
Nikki moved up on the other side of Yvonne and, in her best wing governor tone, cracked out her order.
"Come on Atkins, you've got a party to host. You can't let the side down"
"Yeah Yvonne, we've got other places to be. I'm gagging for a drink and so is Roache." Put in Cassie. Yvonne's mounting anger was snuffed out like a blown out candle as she turned away from them. What replaced it was cold contempt. She and the others could afford to pass them by to whinge impotently. They were history.

Connie's pager was already bleeping, as she joined the surge of spectators flowing out of the gallery. She, Tom and Zubin had been jammed half way down the staircase when she heard Yvonne's invitation. She sighed to herself that at least St Mary's had spared them that long.
"We have to go back"
Tom and Zubin nodded. They were exhilarated by the verdict, but even then that nagging feeling started to intrude into that good feeling that they ought to be back at the hospital. Guilt made them picture in their minds what must be building up in their absence. Connie came over to the group with her brightest smile.
"I couldn't help overhearing your announcement of a party. Normally, I and my two very disreputable friends would love to come. Unfortunately, I've just been paged by St Mary's and it's only a matter of time before Zubin and Tom get called also. Have a great party on us"
The three of them faded into the background away from the centre of good spirits as reluctantly, their feet dragged them away in the direction of a waiting black cab. Very soon, Grayling explained that he had to make tracks elsewhere and received a warm send off.
"Well, you can count us in, Yvonne." Helen pronounced for her and Nikki that they would make up numbers.
"And me, Yvonne. I've had two weeks of staying in poring over case notes. All work and no play makes Jo a dull girl. Are you coming, George, and keep me company"
"I'm sorry, Yvonne, I can't make it. I feel desperately tired and all I want to do is head for home have a soak in the bath and an early night. Trials can get me sometimes this way." Yvonne did wonder why George seemed so tired. She could hear it in her voice as well as see it in her face but she let it go. George's words resonated with Jo much more because, for a lot of the trial, George had been the strong one. Besides, wasn't it her habit, not George's to go through a kickback at the end of a long trial because she had invested so much of herself emotionally in it? She left it alone. Kay chose this ideal moment to make her excuses to leave early. She hadn't been paged, texted or phoned by Marino but she felt the pull of her own unfinished work from across the Atlantic. "I'll go back with you, George. I'd surely love to come to the party but I've got a flight back to Virginia tomorrow and face what's piled up on my desk while I've been away. It has been a real honour and pleasure to meet you all"
The farewells of George and Kay were very poignant as they made their departures.
"Well, Josh is looking after the children so I'm coming with you Barbara." Crystal pronounced."

As the crowd left made a pretty good number, everyone cheered up, especially at the prospect of it being at Yvonne's house. It had the reputation of the perfect lotus eating environment and the best company imaginable. Even though February weather ruled the swimming pool out of bounds, there was plenty left over. In no time, the line of cars zigzagged their way through the London streets out towards the land of freedom. Barbara lay back in the incredibly luxurious, adjustable passenger seat in Yvonne's car. She could let herself be driven and not have to worry about a thing. She was in safe hands and felt the car speed through the streets. Yvonne's profile was focused on the road apart from when she occasionally turned to her to smile and make some commonplace remark. On a day like this, nothing was mundane.

The sharp turn off the road, the crunch of gravel under the car and the sight of high trees and the shape of a large house against the darkness told Barbara that she'd reached journey's end. "Well, Babs, this is my gaff. You might find it a bit big after Larkhall but you'll get used to it." Yvonne grinned reassuringly.
Lights beamed out of open windows and an illuminated rectangle expanded where the front door opened and Barbara could tell that this was Lauren. Before, she could accept the vision as quite real, Barbara had to go to the front door where the bright colours and luxury fittings invited her in. As she crossed the threshold, it totally overwhelmed her and drove away the darkness forever. She was rooted to the spot. "Come in, Barbara. Mum has told you what we have in store for you"
Barbara nodded. "Before you ask, I wanted to explain why I never went to see you in court. I did a deal with mum that I would work the family business and keep the house straight, everything, so that mum could spend as much time as possible in court. Besides, you know how much court freaked me out when I was in the dock. I got to visit you in Larkhall but court was too much for me. You do understand"
Barbara's smile of understanding was enough answer for Lauren. After the stress of waiting for the verdict, having to do an impromptu speech for the nation's press and being whisked away into a new world, she felt very much lost for words.

It had only been four months that Barbara had lived in the dull painted, bolts and bars world of Larkhall but that had seemed an eternity, almost erasing any past memories except, of course, her previous spell there. Her life with Henry in the serene ordered world of a country vicarage seemed like something she had read in a book. Now she was swept up into a new existence with those who were close to her. She found herself in a large room, with unheard of delicacies like party food and a glass of sherry in her hand while all her friends gradually filed into the room.By the fireplace, lazed a large contented dog who rose to his feet.
"I'm used to a party with loud music, lots to drink but like many of us here, Barbara, we remember what it was like first day out so I just want to say welcome, Babs and we'll take it as easy as you want." Yvonne said simply before going on to add quietly to her." You know that you're welcome to stay here as long as it takes to find your feet." It crossed Jo's mind with a brief flash and was gone again that only she and Helen hadn't done time behind bars at Larkhall. This was shaping up as no mindless, drunken party but a demonstration of that highly sensitive caring Larkhall support group that she had come to know and respect.