Helen cradled her head in her hands as she sat at her desk. It felt strange being back at Larkhall. She had not planned on returning following her holiday. But here she was. She couldn't stop thinking. About Nikki. About that night they spent together. About Nikki hating her for taking her back to Larkhall. What if Nikki had been right? What if she never got her appeal? What if Helen had jeopardised her last chance at freedom? How could she forgive herself for that.

It's hardly my fault, Helen assured herself. I'm not the reason she is in prison. I'm not the reason her appeal has now been jeopardised. She did that damage herself committing a crime in the first place, she did that damage by lying to me, lying to her lawyer. What did she think it would achieve?

Helen had been called back from holidays early to investigate the death on G wing. She had returned to chaos. And yet all she could think right now was this- Thank God it wasn't Nikki. Her relief consumed her and left no room for sympathy for the real victim. Helen shook her head, Nikki would never consider suicide. It was absurd that Helen even thought it. But it had scared her shitless, thinking of Nikki gone, thinking she had caused it. It made her realise that she couldn't just walk away, she couldn't leave things as they were. She realised she may have little choice in the matter. No doubt Nikki had lost all respect for her after their argument. And that was probably for the best. It was over. Maybe she should have left it all alone.

In a desperate attempt to distract herself Helen turned to the reports from the officers on duty at the time of the suicide on G wing. But something did not sit right. There was more to the story than the reports offered , she felt it in her bones.

Dominic was the only one who agreed with her on this point. Perhaps he was not the only one who agreed that something didn't add up, but he was the only one who seemed bothered by the fact. Helen had been surprised and delighted when she returned from holidays to find Dominic had also returned to Larkhall. He smiled at her as he entered her office for a briefing, followed by Jim and Sylvia.

"Well well then, another one bites the dust. One less trouble maker on G wing, that's a good thing if you ask me." Sylvia announced.

"No body did ask you, Sylvia, and I'll thank you to keep your opinions to yourself." Helen replied harshly. She was in no mood for Sylvia today.

"Oh come on Helen, its no great loss to the world, Chin up." Jim intervened in support of Sylvia, the two of them exchanging a wide grin.

Ordinarily she would have reprimanded him too, but she had no energy to deal with his callousness today and let the comment slide.

Helen felt Dominic's questioning gaze upon her, waiting for her to put Jim in his place. Finally Dominic spoke ."Well, I think we should interview the girls again, the ones who were there that night, someone is bound to slip up and tell us the truth of what happened."

Jim laughed "What difference would that make son?"

"What difference?" Dominic repeated indignantly. "Truth. Justice. We owe it to her, to her family and friends to find out the truth!" Dominic looked to Helen for support.

"Another time Dominic" She said swiftly.

"Oh sure, another time then." Dominic said sarcastically. "Someone in our care is dead, but lets worry about that some other more convenient time!"

It was not in his nature to speak back to Helen in that tone. And she felt momentarily bad for not standing beside him and supporting him. After all he was right, and it was painful to watch him outnumbered by those bastards. But today she found Dom's enthusiasm and idealism as draining as Jim and Sylvia's callousness. She had no time for it. But she couldn't leave him stranded there.

"What do you expect I can do about it Dominic? You know what they are like, they all stick together, no one will utter a word to us. And Jim's right " Helen added, almost choking on those two words. "It wont bring her back. Lets just leave it for today, let the girls attend the memorial service in peace. Speaking of which, we best be on our way to the chapel."

Jim smiled, as he and Sylvia left the office, playfully punching Dom in the arm "Come on son, more important things to be doing than wasting the Governors time."

Dominic waited in stunned silence until Jim and Sylvia had left the room.

"I thought you were different." He accused Helen bluntly. "I actually thought you cared."

The accusation stung Helen "Dom, I do care." She protested, but was unable to justify her comments earlier. "Give me a minute yeah? I just walked in the door." She said more gently.

Dom seemed satisfied that the Helen he knew and counted on was back in business. "Right then. Well I think the best thing to do is that you could talk to Nikki about it." He suggested as he invited himself to sit down at the desk opposite Helen.

"What?" Helen answered quickly in surprise. She was trying so hard to push Nikki out of her mind.

"You're right, its not going to be easy, finding the truth, no one will talk to one of us. But you and Nikki, you have a good relationship. She trusts you. She'd tell you if you played your cards right. She was there that night, I bet she knows what happened." Dominic went on to explain, pleased with himself at his plan. He failed to see the color drain from Helens face at the mention of Nikki, or to notice that he had lost his audience, Helen was no longer listening.