Joint Judgement (An Emma Harrison Mystery Book 3)

by Wendy Cartmell

  ‘So,’ he said, ‘I hold you and the chief responsible for whatever happens next. Remember that the standing of Reading HMYOI is falling squarely on your shoulders. We have an excellent reputation and for the good of the prison I don’t want that sullied. We need to continue to be a beacon institution, leading the way in education and welfare and the lowering of re-offending figures.’

  At that the governor turned on his heel and began to walk away. ‘I’ll be in my office if you need me,’ he threw over his shoulder. ‘I intend to inform the Prison Service and the Justice Minister’s office of this debacle.’ He walked off, swaggering with the sense of his own importance, oblivious to the hatred his staff felt for him at times.

  Emma was glad that Governor Shape had left and judging by the look on the chief’s face, he felt the same way. It was well known by the staff that the governor was out for one thing. Promotion. And it didn’t matter who he climbed over, or ruined, in his quest for glory.

  ‘Well,’ Emma turned to the chief and said, ‘That put us in our place.’

  The chief grinned for a moment, before his face clouded with concern once again. ‘Aye, but he is right, we have to find a way to sort this out, and quickly, before the situation escalates.’

  Chapter 11

  A commotion at the end of the corridor alerted Emma to DI Briggs’ arrival. Sighing at the thought of having to deal with yet another man in a bad mood, she nevertheless straightened her blouse, smoothed down her trousers and buttoned up her jacket. The Chief looked immaculate, as usual, and she didn’t want to be viewed by DI Briggs as the poor relation as it were. One day she might pluck up the courage to ask the Chief which brand of starch he used to ensure there was never a crease in his brilliant white shirts.

  ‘Morning, Chief, Emma.’ Briggs at least had the good grace to hold out his hand and after they had each shaken, this time the task fell to Emma to relate the somewhat delicate situation they found themselves in.

  ‘So, we’ve a dead body, teachers potentially being held hostage, around 50 inmates milling around un-supervised and no way of accessing any of them,’ Briggs summed up what he’d just heard.

  ‘That’s correct,’ said Emma.

  The crackle of the chief’s radio stopped any further conversation and all three listened to the officer in the control room. ‘Chief, we’ve just lost the CCTV cameras in the education block.’

  ‘Jesus,’ whispered Briggs next to Emma.

  ‘Why? How?’ demanded the chief.

  ‘Spray paint over the lenses. I’m surprised it took them so long to work that one out, but at least the lad responsible waived goodbye as he sprayed over them.’

  Emma bit her cheek again, but this time to stop a laugh. Chief Robinson was obviously in no mood for frivolity and he wouldn’t find the stupid antics of an inmate even remotely amusing.

  Turning to the DI the chief asked, ‘So, any ideas on the next step? And please don’t say a hostage negotiator. Not at this stage at any rate. I don’t want the bloody idiots in there getting any ideas.’

  ‘No,’ agreed Briggs, ‘But I’ll put one on notice just in case. It’s standard operating procedure, Chief.’

  ‘Alright, but the more pressing problem is who to send in to try and work out what the hell went wrong in there and who killed Jack Walker. We can’t just leave the poor man in there and the longer the lads wait without any positive move from us, then the more likely they are to explode. They said no police, remember.’

  ‘Well that’s going to be a bit bloody difficult,’ said Briggs. ‘Our scenes of crime officers are all police officers. Anyway, even if they aren’t, they are drawn from external bodies with close links with the police who help us prepare forensic evidence for prosecution. So that’s not going to work.’

  ‘But would the lads know that?’ asked Emma. ‘I’m sure they don’t have intimate knowledge of the policies and procedures of the police force.’

  ‘She’s got a point, Chief,’ Briggs said.

  But Robinson shook his head. ‘Even if we could convince someone to help, it would be a big call going in there un-armed and without support. Would anyone come under those circumstances? These blokes are used to working on their own in a sealed crime scene. And also, we have to get someone to come right away.’

  ‘Well, I can only try,’ said Briggs, moving away. ‘I’ll make some calls.’

  ‘In the meantime I’ll tell Colby what we’re up to. If I establish at least the impression of openness, that’ll be something.’

  Emma watched DI Briggs walk away. But there wasn’t anything positive in his body language. He looked like a man already defeated before he’d even made the calls. As the chief’s hand went to his radio, Emma said, ‘Just going back to my office to collect something, Chief. Be back shortly. How about I bring some coffees back with me?’

  ‘Thanks, Emma,’ said the chief, and turned away to talk into his radio.

  As Emma walked the corridors, back to her own office, the plan she was formulating took shape and by the time she pushed through the door into the admin area, she had a smile on her face.

  Chapter 12

  ‘Right, listen up,’ Memphis Colby’s voice rang around the block. It seemed those few words were filled with all the swagger and presence that his body conveyed. Deep and mesmerising, his voice caused everyone to stop talking and look at him. Aiden saw he was standing on top of a desk, with his minders ringed around the table at his feet.

  ‘I know you’re all wondering what’s going on,’ he paused for shouts of agreement and then continued, ‘The chief wants us to give up the killer of that fag Jack Walker. Any takers? Anyone ready to make a confession?’

  Those questions were met with manic laughter. As if, Aiden thought. As far as most of the general population were concerned anyone who killed a teacher or an officer was considered hard, and his actions elevated him in the hierarchy of the prison inmates and whatever gang he belonged to.

  ‘The thing is,’ Colby paused for dramatic effect until he had everyone’s attention, ‘if the killer doesn’t give himself up, we are all going to be charged with murder under the Joint Enterprise Agreement.’

  ‘What the fuck?’ called someone, which opened the floodgates for everyone to comment.

  ‘That ain’t right.’

  ‘Fucking bastards.’

  ‘I’ve been done under that by the pigs.’

  ‘Do something, Memphis!’

  ‘Memphis, Memphis, Memphis,’ grew the chant.

  Aiden looked around in equal measures of fear and astonishment. Fear of the thought of another charge on his sheet, but also fear of the power Memphis Colby appeared to wield as far as the lads in the block were concerned. Colby’s reputation spoke of disregard for authority, ruling his wing as he saw fit, with nothing but derision for the screws who tried to curtail his power. He controlled the drugs, money, alcohol and canteen on his wing, and he was a cruel bastard to boot.

  Colby held up his arm. In the quiet that followed he said, ‘I’ve told the Chief to send someone in to find out what happened. I’ve told him we won’t be held collectively responsible.’

  ‘Yeah!’

  ‘Damn right!’

  The calls continued.

  ‘But no pigs!’

  ‘No pigs! No pigs!’

  At last the crowd settled down again and Colby said, ‘That’s right, no pigs. I’ve told the Chief that. Let’s just wait and see what he’s gonna do about it.’

  To cheers, backslapping and cat calls, Memphis got down from the desk and went to meet his peers, reminding Aiden of a parody of a pop star meeting his adoring fans.

  Aiden slouched away from his fellow inmates and went to loiter by the staffroom door. Peering in, he could see the teachers, worry etched on their faces as they contemplated their fate in the hands of a violent inmate. Aiden thought that he must look pretty much as they did; haunted, worried and desperate.

  But, he told himself, he had to man up, just as he was fighting the inj
ustice of his conviction and sentence, he must try and rebel against Colby and his cohorts. Surely someone would come to their rescue? When they did, Aiden would make a full statement and tell the prison authorities what he’d seen and heard. As yet he didn’t know who had killed Mr Walker, but he was determined to try and find out. There was no way he was going to be accused of murder under the umbrella justice system yet again. Determined not to be pulled down into the mire that was prison life, he was taking strength from his appeals team and from his mentor within the prison, Miss Harrison. She was helping with his self-esteem and giving him a sense of purpose with the lessons he was attending in education.

  No, he wouldn’t let her down and he wouldn’t let his family down. He’d find out what he could and let someone in authority know at the earliest opportunity.

  Chapter 13

  Returning to Chief Robinson and DI Briggs with a tray of coffee in her hand, Emma walked with a new sense of purpose and a smile playing across her face. A muted smile, of course, as she couldn’t be seen to be smiling in the face of the awful situation they found themselves in. But she thought she’d found a solution to their problem of a forensic expert who was not linked to the police and who would come in and help solve the mystery of Jack Walker’s killer. As she handed out the coffees, she outlined her plan to the two men.

  ‘Well, that’s all very interesting, Emma,’ DI Briggs said, ‘But how come Billy is a forensic expert?’

  ‘Because Sgt Williams is a member of the Special Investigations Branch of the Military Police and as such he is qualified in forensic recovery. All members of the SIB have to be able to collect their own evidence, as it saves the time it could take to wait for an expert to be called and arrive at the scene.’

  ‘And he says he’ll do it? Despite the risks involved?’ Chief Robinson looked doubtful.

  ‘You’ve not met Billy, have you?’ Briggs asked of the Chief.

  ‘No, can’t say I have.’

  ‘Well, when you meet him, you’ll realise that he can hold his own with anyone. I worked with him when we were trying to track down Leroy Carter and I found him to have a cool head under pressure and the determination and grit needed to get to the bottom of the case.’

  ‘So you like him, then?’

  ‘Yes, I do,’ agreed Briggs. ‘And I think he could just be the weapon we need to sort out this unholy mess.’

  Chief Robinson turned away at that statement, as if he felt embarrassed and solely responsible for the murder of the teacher and the inmates’ revolt. Emma wanted to speak up in defence of the chief, but thought better of it. It wouldn’t be appreciated; the man was too proud. After a moment’s reflection he said, ‘Alright then, let’s do it.’

  ‘Thank you, Chief,’ said Emma. ‘I’ll go and brief the governor first and get his approval and then get Billy over here as soon as possible.’

  ‘How long will it take him to get here do you think?’

  ‘Well, he confirmed he has his forensic kit at home, so he only has to drive from Wokingham. About 30 minutes should do it, from the time I get permission from the governor.’

  As Emma walked briskly away, she remembered her conversation with Billy. He’d answered the phone in a fugue of sleep, which had quickly cleared when she’d told him of the stand-off in the block.

  ‘Jesus,’ he’d said. ‘Are you alright?’ had been his first thought, which had made Emma smile. For once the tables were turned and it was he who was worried for her, instead of the other way around, which was the normal state of affairs.

  ‘I’m fine,’ she’d told him. ‘No need to worry, but we really could do with your help.’

  As he’d listened to her story, he’d started asking questions, becoming more and more awake as the conversation went on, until, at the end, he’d agreed to her plan with alacrity.

  He’d said, ‘Anyway, it will give me another chance to see where you work. I’ve only been to the admin offices, so it will be interesting to see another side of the prison.’

  ‘It’s not very exciting,’ she’d told him. ‘It’s just a load of classrooms with teachers and inmates.’

  ‘Ah, but that’s what makes it so interesting. This time I’ll get to know the inmates, as well as the staff.’

  As Emma had replaced the receiver, she’d had a moment’s hesitation. Was it a good thing to put Billy in harm’s way? He’d be isolated and without a gun, surrounded by a marauding melee of inmates. He’d only have his wits and detective skills to use as weapons. She’d shuddered to think of the possibility of anything happening to him. Billy was her rock, her best friend, her lover, her…

  She’d forced herself to stop thinking such ridiculous thoughts. But one question had kept reappearing like a lighthouse beacon, rotating around in her head, no matter how hard she’d tried to push it away - would he be safe in there? Or was she leading him to his death?

  Chapter 14

  Despite his tiredness, Billy was glad he’d agreed to help Emma. It wasn’t just to get justice for the murdered teacher, if he was honest with himself. A big part of him wanted to be close to Emma in her own work environment. Far too often it was him who was unavailable, working away, or pulling double shifts. So he saw this as a kind of pay back, he supposed. She put up with so much from him and it didn’t cost a lot to repay her commitment to their relationship.

  From a quick glance in the bathroom mirror at home, he knew he looked completely knackered. There were bags under the eyes of his sallow skin that looked like it hadn’t seen a ray of sunshine in months. His hair was so unruly he just ran his fingers through it, as he knew he wouldn’t be able to tame it and that damn lock of blond hair kept falling down onto his forehead as usual. He’d have to get a haircut, just as soon as he had a free moment. If he didn’t his boss, Sgt Major Crane, would soon be on his case about it.

  He’d been told to drive straight up to the prison and upon arrival he showed the guard at the barrier his army identification. He was allowed access to the small car park and managed to squeeze his car into a corner space. Carrying his forensic case, he met Emma at Reception. Seeing her worried face he wanted to kiss away her fears, but professionalism prevailed and he kissed her chastely on the cheek under the watchful eye of the prison officer on duty. He then followed her through all the gates, waiting patiently as she unlocked and then locked them after they’d walked through. He wondered why they didn’t have a more automated system for opening and closing the gates, but Emma explained that as the prison was so old, it would take more effort, and money, than it was worth. They did have CCTV all over the prison, apart from inside the individual cells, so everyone knew that their journeys around the building were being monitored at all times from the central control room, and also from the prison officers’ desks on each wing.

  As they walked to the education block, he told Emma that he hoped the inmates would agree to his involvement. He realised that it was important for him to stress that he wasn’t the police, had nothing to do with them, and was only there because he’d volunteered to help. He had to make them understand that he had no affiliation to the prison, or to the civilian police.

  According to Emma, the governor was so thankful for the suggestion, that he’d agreed to Billy helping without any serious contemplation of the plan, and it hadn’t taken much to persuade Chief Robinson, nor DI Briggs, that he was the man for the job, either.

  As they arrived outside the education block, he put his case on the floor and Emma handed him a cardboard cup of coffee, which he gulped down, glad of the caffeine shot before he ventured inside.

  After being introduced to the chief, the man looked Billy up and down his 6-foot-tall frame, his gaze lingering on Billy’s muscles and then said, ‘You’ll do.’

  Billy grinned, ‘Thanks, Chief. Any pointers for me before I go in there?’

  ‘Be strong, don’t take any shit, give as good as you get and refuse to back down at all times. At the slightest sign of weakness from you, the lads will do their best to expl
oit it, worrying away at you like a dog with a plaything.’

  ‘Don’t worry, Chief, if I can deal with a load of recalcitrant soldiers, then I’m sure I can deal with this lot. I promise to wear my don’t-fuck-with-me soldier’s face at all times,’ he said, which brought smiles all round.

  ‘Don’t say you know me,’ cautioned Emma. ‘It’s best the boys know nothing about our personal relationship, otherwise that could be another thing they’ll try to exploit. They might do something to you just out of spite. Not all of them like me, you know.’

  ‘Really? I can’t think why not. After all, it’s not as though you’re a hard bitch who won’t help anyone, or a stuck up spinster who hates all men.’

  ‘Hey, watch what you’re saying,’ Emma said, and punched him on the arm.

  But the teasing had broken the tension, as Billy had wanted it to.

  ‘See if you can find a lad called Aiden,’ she continued. ‘He’s a good boy that I’ve been working closely with. He seems responsible and he might just be willing to support you.’

  ‘Good idea,’ said the Chief. ‘That will be one way to gain their trust and respect and get at least some of them to help you. You won’t get any help from Memphis Colby, obviously. In fact, he will be more than likely downright obstructive.’

  ‘Even though he’s already agreed to a forensic expert going in?’

  ‘Yep. He’ll do whatever he needs to do to look big in front of the idiots he intimidates into following him. So watch him. I don’t think he really wants the killer

  found. He just wants to disrupt the system. And he’s making a bloody good job of it at the moment.’

  Billy nodded and with the various piece of advice packed away with his kit he took a deep breath and walked through the gates.