Evidence 6
Alex paced back and forth in the small, restricted space inside the cell. It was nearly six o'clock and she was waiting for the late afternoon lock up to come to its end, anxious for that imposing metal door to be unlocked. She hated being cooped up like this. The four walls often felt as if they were closing in on her.
At seven o'clock in the morning the cells were unlocked to allow a head count and then Alex and her fellow prisoners would be allowed to go and get what passed for breakfast in this hell hole. They were then locked up again until eight o'clock when they would again be let out and those with jobs inside the jail would gradually be taken away at their appointed work times.
Lunch, if it could be called such a thing, was served at midday after which some would return to their jobs. At two o'clock others like Alex would be locked up again for the afternoon. Now it was almost time for the cells to be unlocked again and their inhabitants to be allowed out to freely, as freely as one could in prison, associate with one another.
Alex stopped, looked at the heavy door and tapped her foot impatiently with her arms folded. She wasn't usually this impatient but today she had something that needed to be done, and it had to be done soon, preferably before she thought better of it and changed her mind.
After Gene's visit the day before, Alex had seen what a state she had allowed this place to get herself into. The visit had certainly been emotional. Allowing Gene to see her battered and bruised in prison had felt incredibly degrading to Alex. As everyone knew, she prided herself on being in control at all times, but the visit with Gene had been filled with emotions over which she had no control. She felt glad that he had been able to make her smile again, if only briefly, but also felt bad that she had shouted at him and they had argued. It could almost be thought of as 'situation normal' had the circumstances been different.
But seeing Gene had, after some thought, been a positive thing. After coming away from the visit, Alex had completely broken down in Jill's arms and sobbed for quite some time until no more tears would come. Jill had comforted Alex and stayed with her until she had calmed herself. Eventually the afternoon lock up time had once again come upon them and Jill had to leave and return to her own cell as she had no work that afternoon. In the four hours of isolation that followed, Alex had cleared her head and thought deeply.
In between the heated arguing and updating Alex about her friends, Gene had spoken some very good words of advice.
"Look Bolls, if she starts on you again you're gonna have to defend yerself, you can't just sit back and get beaten to a pulp on a weekly basis!" had been Gene's words.
She knew full well that Gene thought with his fists first but Alex had to admit that he had a point. She was no fighter in the physical sense, yet she knew Kim Neary would have to be dealt with. In the four hours of lock up Alex had thought about Gene's words, and thought about Kim and her actions. She had seen the Neary girl around a lot prior to the attack. Her psychology kicked into action and she had tried her best to analyse what small amount of information she had been able to pick up from observing Kim Neary.
First, the girl was a pack animal. Most of the time she was with the gang who had stood by and watched as Kim had beaten and kicked Alex. From this, Alex had deduced that Kim was not pro-active. She was a follower not a leader and she had probably had to clear her attack on Alex with the gang's leader.
Secondly, if Kim was a follower then that meant she would respect authority in the same way as a pack animal. She would respect strength, whether she wanted to or not. Alex knew there was a 'pecking order' in prisons, she had known that before even being shot in 2008. Maybe, just maybe, she could put Kim's own personality traits to good use.
Alex had thought and thought about this and decided that she simply had to make a move. It would be risky and could easily backfire on her if she was wrong in her analysis, but if she didn't put and end to Kim's vendetta now then the girl would probably start to think of Alex as weak. If that happened then things could get very bad and Alex's worse case scenario was they she might even end up getting killed before she even got to trial. It had to be ended, and now.
Alex began to pace the cell again, simply wanting to get this over with. She was relieved to have so far had the cell to herself but she knew that probably wouldn't last long. Some extra clothes had been nice too. She had gone through the box of items Gene had sent in. Nothing fancy by any means. Extra clothes mostly including the red top she wore today and a couple of small bars of Cadbury's Dairy Milk for a little comfort - the calories be damned!
Alex looked up suddenly as the lock clunked itself undone. The door slowly opened with the rattle of a bunch of keys on a chain and a male officer opened the door.
"Association", he simply announced and moved on to the next cell. Alex took a deep breath. It was now or never.
Cautiously, Alex left her cell. She was always extra careful leaving her cell now in case anyone was lying in wait outside the door to attack her; thankfully, no attack came and Alex looked left and right, observing the prison officer making his rounds and unlocking each door as he went. As she looked, she saw prisoners emerging from their cells. Most were engaging in conversation with one-another.
It had to be done now, before common sense kicked in.
Alex buried any doubts she may have had and made her way along the landing to Kim's cell. She had seen Kim's cellmate make her way down the metal steps to the level below and felt confident that the Neary girl would now be alone. It took only moments for Alex to reach Kim's cell. She stopped by the doorway and briefly looked in.
Kim was stood facing the wall, looking up at the evening sunshine coming through the barred window as she brushed her hair. Alex took a silent step forward, mentally urging herself on. This pack animal had to be dealt with now and in terms she would understand - Kim Neary had to be taught that she was lower down the 'pecking order' than Alex Drake and there would only be one shot at this.
Kim heard nothing.
The dark haired girl dropped her hairbrush as her arm was grabbed from behind and forced painfully up behind her back. A hand clamped itself tightly over the girls mouth to prevent any scream and Kim was forced up against the cold wall. Alex Drake had Kim Neary exactly where she wanted her.
The Neary girl struggled for a few moments and then gave up knowing she couldn't get out of the painful situation.
"I'm going to take my hand away," Alex began, "and you're not going to scream, you hear me? You're not going to scream otherwise I'll make it hurt more."
Reluctantly the girl nodded frantically and Alex slowly and cautiously removed her hand from over Kim's mouth.
"Good." Alex responded.
"It's you innit?" Kim hissed, "bloody copper bitch!"
Alex pulled Kim's arm up a little further, increasing the discomfort.
"Ooow! Shit! Stop it! Bitch!"
Alex didn't like using violence like this but it was a technique for restraining suspects that she had been taught many times at the Met.
"I think you and I need a little chat, don't you Kim?" Alex began in a voice which told Kim they were going to have this chat whether she liked it or not.
"Wot about!?" Kim asked painfully as she began to stand on tip-toes to lessen the pain in her arm and shoulder.
"How's you brother, Kim?" Alex simply asked, "I hear you like telling everyone what a hard man he is?"
"He's worth ten of you copper!" Kim defended with venom in her pained voice.
"So everyone here is impressed by your tales of Simon's crime lord lifestyle are they?" Alex pondered out loud as she held Kim in her uncomfortable position, "Yes, the guns, the money, the drugs, the expensive BMW..."
"More cash than a bloody copper gets!" Kim fiercely defended.
"Oh and the boyfriends...the man on man sex in seedy hotel rooms...the fact that he was shot by his gay lover…" Alex continued, "tell me Kim, how does that go down with the other inmates?"
There was silence from Kim for several moments. Alex too was silent. She recalled how she had blasted her own colleagues for their prejudice but Alex saw that, just for now, that same prejudice might be her only chance of keeping the Neary girl off her back. She simply had to play along with the attitude of 1981.
"What's that, Kim? You've gone quiet all of a sudden!" Alex remarked, "Did you not tell everyone that we followed him undercover while he had sex with his boyfriend Marcus...oh and the S&M gear we found in their room, they had been very busy boys indeed!"
Alex felt Kim cease straining against her grip.
"Look what d'you want?" Kim finally began, her voice sounding defeated.
"I want you," Alex refused to release her grip, "off my back and out of my way."
Kim blew out an angry breath.
"Or just maybe..." Alex used her height advantage to lean slightly forward and talk directly into Kim's ear, "Maybe people here will learn that your beloved brother is something of a fairy?" Alex felt such a hypocrite having said that but she knew she had little option but to make it sound as realistic as possible.
"You wouldn't..." Kim tried to shake her head from where she stood pressed up against the wall.
"You kicked my head in a few days ago," Alex sounded like she meant business, "you tell me why I wouldn't do it?"
Kim said nothing but Alex could feel the girl's pulse racing in her wrist, she was agitated and scared. It was working. Alex clearly had the upper hand and Kim was surely now taking a few moments to weigh up her options.
"And you won't tell 'em?" Kim blurted suddenly.
"If you leave me alone and keep your friends off my back too," Alex explained, "then there's nothing to tell is there Kim?" Alex slowly released her grip on Kim enabling the girl to lower her arm to a less painful position behind her back.
"But!" Alex raised Kims arm again causing the girl to almost yelp, "one more ounce of trouble, one more attack, even one more insult...and I will destroy your brothers reputation."
Alex let Kim go completely. Kim spun around, holding her aching arm to her chest and rubbing her arm with her hand. She looked up at Alex, her face full of rage and spite...yet it was also a defeated look.
"Deal?" Alex asked, blocking Kim's exit from the cell.
Kim looked down, anger filling her face but seeing no other realistic choice.
"Deal", she muttered, "but this don't mean nuthin'. Yer still a good fer nuthin' bloody copper."
"Yes, yes, whatever…" Alex waved her hand to dismiss Kim's spiteful words, "Now run along...and remember what I said."
Kim glared at Alex momentarily and then headed for the cell door, eager to leave the presence of the D.I she had clearly misjudged. Once Kim had left, Alex let out a large sigh of relief. She knew she would have been in major trouble had an officer walked past and caught her threatening Kim. But Alex felt safe in the knowledge that her idea had worked. Kim was, as Alex had suspected, just like a pack animal. Alex had proven she was stronger and smarter, and in doing so, Kim had been put firmly in her place lower down the prison pecking order.
With that out of the way Alex decided that Kim's cell was still not the best place to be. She made her way to the cell door and turned to head back to her own cell. She needed a few minutes to calm herself and then she would go and find Jill if she wasn't already wandering around looking for her.
"Remind me not to cross you in a hurry!"
Alex looked stopped and looked round from where she was on the landing. Jill stood, arms folded and leaning against the wall outside Kim's cell.
"Saw you go in there when they let me out," Jill explained, "thought you were either going in there to sort her out or you'd suddenly acquired a death wish".
"Were you there the whole time?" Alex looked highly surprised as she looked to her friend. Jill nodded and smiled, she was clearly impressed.
"Nice one." Jill said approvingly, "Put that little madam right in her place. 'Bout time someone took her down a peg or two."
"Well, I just hope it works." Alex bit her lip, the cut now having healed a little more.
"I think you've given her food for thought!" Jill laughed, "C'mon, crossword?"
Alex nodded and began to walk with Jill to the association area.
"You seem a bit brighter than yesterday", Jill observed as they walked.
"Just followed a good friend's advice," Alex nodded, "something he said when he visited."
"Good friend, eh?" Jill raised an eyebrow and winked, "Good male friend?".
Alex let out a small laugh at Jill's obvious dig for further information.
"What?" Jill shrugged as she attempted to sound innocent.
"It's not like that!" Alex shook her head.
"Not like what..." Jill inferred.
"He's my D.C.I."
"Annnnd...?" Jill continued to prod for information as they walked down the metal steps.
"Alright, we did go for dinner on one occasion," Alex succumbed to Jill's prying, "but, well as you see, events took over."
"Seems he gives good advice, if your performance with the Neary girl was anything to go by!" Jill complemented her friend whilst nodding in approval as they reached the bottom of the steps.
"I think Gene would approve!" Alex smiled at the thought of something having finally gone right.
Jill pointed to a table with a discarded newspaper on it and indicated for Alex to follow. The two sat down and Jill flicked to the crossword page.
"I knew a DCI called Gene once. Well, I say 'knew', never actually spoke to the bloke." she remarked, "I did a brief stint in Manchester in '73. Looked out the station window one day and this D.C.I was having a blazing row with his D.I over something".
"Manchester?" Alex raised her eyebrows in interest and listened, "1973?"
"Yeah...anyway, he'd only gone and shoved his D.I in the boot of a Cortina would you believe it?!" Jill laughed, "Must be a Manchester thing I guess. Gawd what was his name?"
"Gene Hunt." Alex simply answered the question.
"That's it!" Jill clicked her fingers, "How'd you know that?".
"That's who came to see me yesterday." Alex simply explained, "He's part of the Met now...and was my D.C.I...until all this came along."
Jill's look suddenly changed to being serious.
"Alex", she began, "if you've got Gene Hunt backing you up, you're bloody lucky."
Alex sat back and sighed.
"I only wish it was that simple".
End chapter 6.
(Author note - As with previous chapters I sometimes have problems with formatting when I upload fics to the site. Sometimes it loses gaps and bunches stuff all together, despite having been beta'd. If this happens with this chapter, please take that into account as I don't yet know what causes this website to do this during the upload).
Many thanks to real life solicitor Skywise for advising me on what can be sent in for a remand prisoner.