Joint Judgement (An Emma Harrison Mystery Book 3)

by Wendy Cartmell

  Some of the boys shuffled, sniffed back tears and nodded their heads in agreement.

  ‘So, best we all listen to Sgt Williams here and do what he asks, otherwise we’ll all find ourselves locked up for the rest of our lives, found guilty of the murder of Mr Walker when we haven’t done anything.’

  Chapter 41

  Billy could see the glint of tears in Aiden’s eyes as he finished telling his tale. In fact, Billy wished it was just that. A story, made up, fiction. But it was all too real and all too common. He could only hope that with a change of Justice Minister in the latest cabinet reshuffle that the awful law might be amended. He looked up at the exit to the education block and saw Chief Robinson standing looking through the glass panels. Billy searched his face, looking for a sign that the Governor had given his agreement and had never been so relieved in all his life when he saw the chief giving him the thumbs up.

  ‘Right,’ Billy said. ‘I’m going to start letting you leave the block.’

  This started some of the boys chatting in their excitement, so Billy raised his voice just a touch to draw their attention back to him. He daren’t use his full on army voice, as the last thing he wanted to do was to break the fragile equilibrium he’d managed to achieve. At this stage he had to appear as an authority figure, but not painted with the same prejudices they had for the prison officers and police, who spent most of their time shouting at the inmates. As Billy started speaking Geoff Fox and Aiden moved to the exit.

  ‘Dr Fox and Aiden are going to move the tables away from the doors and the lads who are cleared by my investigation, group by group, can leave. You can’t all go at once, but you’ll all be able to leave.’ Billy then reiterated the agreement he’d come to with the chief and the governor. ‘You will be allowed back to your cells and in no way will your records be blotted or any retaliation taken against you for this morning’s events. It will be fully understood that those of you who are innocent, were caught up in a situation that was outside of your control. You haven’t hurt anyone or threatened anyone. I know I’m asking you to trust me and to trust the prison authorities, but don’t forget that there have been no acts of aggression made against you, only understanding and compromise. There will not be any use of the joint judgement law in this case. So if you’re with me on this…’ Billy waited for any dissention. When it didn’t come, he said, ‘Right, the first group who can leave are…’

  You could have cut the atmosphere with a knife. The tension was palpable and Billy had a flash back to talent shows on the television, where the presenter says, ‘and the winner is’ and then makes everyone wait for about two minutes. But Billy couldn’t afford to wait that long. He’d lose their attention. He had to keep the momentum going. He was trusting the lads with his life really, for if some joker decided not to play along and rush him, the others would follow suit and he could be kicked to death by a mob in a few minutes. He also hoped Colby would go along with Billy’s plan. So far Aiden and Billy had seemed to mesmerise all of them, so he took a deep breath and said… ‘The group from the maths class stand up.’ As they complied he continued, ‘Thank you. You can leave now.’

  As those boys stood up, grinning and slapping each other on the back and making their way to the exit, the boys who were left twisted around to see what was happening.

  ‘See you later, losers,’ called one of those leaving.

  ‘Hah hah, we’re off for lunch,’ quipped another.

  ‘Maths rule!’

  As the maths group filed out and were met without any shouting or signs of aggression from the prison officers and quietly led out, the remainder of the boys eagerly turned back to Billy.

  ‘Who’s next?’

  ‘When is it our turn?’

  ‘Come on, Billy, you know I didn’t do it!’ someone bantered.

  ‘Nah, you wouldn’t have the bottle!’ came the sarcastic reply.

  ‘Alright, settle down,’ Billy said. ‘Let’s get on with it.’

  Looking up towards the exit, Billy saw the Chief nod. He was ready for the next group.

  ‘The next group to leave are the lads from the English class.’

  Those boys jumped to their feet, pumping their fists and calling, ‘Yes!’ as though they had just scored a goal or a particularly tough point in a tennis match. They rushed towards the exit as though being pursued by wild animals. Billy wondered if this was the first time Chief Robinson had ever had so many lads excited about returning to their cells.

  The remaining boys shifted their focus from those leaving back to Billy, and rows of eager faces looked up at him.

  ‘Who’s next?’ one asked. ‘Is it cookery?’

  ‘Come on, Billy, get on with it.’

  So he did, calling for the computer class to stand up and make their way to the exit. Chattering like chimps, they ambled their way out of the education block. Billy now had two groups left, the art class and the cookery class.

  ‘Right, listen up,’ he said. ‘This is where it gets more interesting,’ and with two groups of boys hanging on his every word, he began to explain…

  Chapter 42

  ‘Can those boys whose project is painting with watercolours stand up please?’ A group of four boys stood and before they could turn away, Billy continued speaking, ‘Hold out your hands.’

  ‘Eh?’ said one.

  ‘What the fuck?’

  ‘Can’t we go?’

  ‘In a minute,’ Billy replied. ‘Just hold out your hands first.’

  As they did, Billy went and checked each boy’s hands, turning them over and examining both the palms and the backs of their hands, taking note of their fingernails.

  ‘Yes, you’re good to go,’ he told them and was rewarded with broad smiles as they turned and hurried away.

  ‘What about the rest of the art class?’ Memphis Colby said. He’d been watching Billy closely all the time. Billy had felt the piercing gaze from the self-appointed leader of his wing burning the side of his face. Colby hadn’t sat down with the rest of his class, clearly thinking that to do that would be beneath him. Billy had figured he’d probably needed to keep up appearances. It was his way of letting the other lads know that he was special, above them, allowed to stand whilst the rest of them sat. Billy hadn’t pushed the point. He needed everyone fixed on him, not on Colby. And he needed Colby on-side, not against him at this delicate time.

  ‘Won’t be a minute, Memphis,’ Billy said. ‘Can I see the hands of the group from the catering class, who were mixing dough?’

  Once again Billy examined their hands, front and back, before saying they could leave.

  ‘What’s with the hands shit?’ someone called out.

  ‘Yeah, what you looking for?’ asked Memphis.

  ‘Who’s next,’ another boy called.

  ‘The art class again,’ Billy replied. ‘This time I want those who were painting with oils.’

  ‘Yes,’ someone said, giving his friend a high five.

  This time three boys stood, had their hands examined and were then allowed to leave. This left two boys from the art class.

  Billy turned to the remainder of the cookery class. ‘I understand a couple of you were responsible for raising the dough and then cooking the bread.’

  Two boys jumped up.

  ‘Me.’

  ‘And me.’

  Both boys held out their hands without being asked, bringing a wry smile from Billy. After checking their hands, he told them they could go.

  ‘What the fuck?’ said Colby.

  Billy shot him a look, but Colby hadn’t moved. He wasn’t advancing on Billy. So far so good.

  ‘Okay, there are two of you left from the art class. Which one of you is under 5’ 8?’

  ‘Um, yeah, me, I suppose.’

  A small Asian boy stood and Billy said, ‘Off you go then, you’re too short.’

  ‘For what?’

  ‘Who gives a shit for what? Now fuck off so we can get on with it,’ grumbled a boy sat with the cooker
y group.

  ‘No,’ said Colby. ‘I want to know. Why can he go?’ he demanded of Billy.

  ‘Because he is too short to have stabbed Mr Walker. See, I’ll show you.’ Billy turned to Colby. ‘Mr Walker’s stab wound in his stomach was straight in and out,’ Billy demonstrated by pretending to stab Colby in the stomach, his left arm bent at the elbow at 45 degrees. He then pushed his hand straight out as if he was sticking a knife in Colby. ‘So the killer had to be over that height, otherwise the knife would have gone in at an upward angle. Equally, a very tall person would produce a stab wound that was angled downwards.’

  ‘Fair enough,’ said Colby.

  Billy turned back to the boys still sat before him.

  ‘Right, there are three of you left from catering. The two not wearing glasses can go.’

  That was when it appeared to hit Memphis Colby. There was just him and another lad left. His face wore a ‘what the hell’ expression, his eyes wide open. But then his brow furrowed and his eyes grew dark.

  Chapter 43

  ‘So that just leaves you two,’ Billy said. ‘What’s your name?’ he asked the boy, although Billy knew full well what it was from their earlier altercations and the finger prints lifted off the long, thin knife in the cookery room. But he wasn’t about to share that piece of information with the boy in front of him, who was wearing black rimmed spectacles.

  ‘Mark Somersby,’ the boy said and scrambled to his feet.

  ‘Right, Mark,’ but Billy got no further as Colby interrupted.

  ‘Oy, what’s going on? Are you saying Mark here killed Mr Walker, as you can’t mean me? If you think I did it, you’re a bloody idiot!’

  ‘Please, Memphis, let me explain,’ soothed Billy, hoping he could get the boy’s anger down to a reasonable level.

  ‘You’ve no evidence it was either of us,’ chipped in Mark.

  From the corner of his eye, Billy could see that Geoff Fox had opened the doors to the block and let in Chief Robinson and three other officers, whilst the boys were arguing with Billy. They were so intent on protesting their innocence, that they hadn’t noticed anyone coming in. They were still mesmerised by the process of elimination, just as Billy had hoped, that they didn’t realise what was happening behind them.

  ‘Well, here’s the thing,’ Billy said. ‘I found flakes of spray paint on Mr Walker’s clothes and around the wound in his stomach. Now, Memphis, you have flakes of paint on your hands and under your nails, and your fingerprints are on the clay sculpting knife.’ Colby looked down at his hands as though he’d never seen them before. ‘I very much suspect that when we forensically examine your hands, and your clothes, we’ll find Mr Walker’s blood on you. And according to the CCTV footage, when you walked to classes this morning you had a short sleeved white tee-shirt on. Now you have a sleeveless one on.’

  Leaving a puzzled Colby still inspecting his fingers and looking at his tee-shirt, Billy turned to Mark Somersby.

  ‘Mark, your prints were found on the knife from the cookery room.’

  ‘What the hell’s that got to do with anything?’

  ‘You see, there were two stab wounds on Mr Walker. One was straight in and out in the stomach, courtesy of Memphis here, and one higher up. On the back of his neck to be precise. That’s the one that you did, and I’m sure we’ll find that the fine drops of blood sprayed on your glasses come from Mr Walker.’

  Mark took his glasses off and peered at the small specs of blood on his lenses and frames.

  ‘There’s not enough of anything there to test,’ he challenged.

  ‘Oh yes there is, you can trust me on that.’

  ‘I thought Ethan Hall killed someone with a shiv,’ said Colby. ‘Didn’t he do it with that? Why does it have to be a knife from the cookery room?’

  ‘Yeah,’ said Mark quickly, grabbing that as a lifeline of an excuse. ‘You must have our finger prints mixed up. Or even the weapons mixed up.’

  ‘No sorry, the wound in Mr Walker’s neck isn’t compatible with the size and shape of the blade on the shiv. Trust me, I’ve double checked.’

  ‘Fuck this,’ said Colby, taking a step towards Billy, his fists clenched and jaw working. ‘After all I let you do, you’re fitting me up! I was the one who said you could come in. I was the one who let you do your fucking forensic shit. And instead of thanks, what do I get? Fucking stitched up, that’s what!’

  ‘I’m not fitting anyone up, Memphis,’ said Billy, more calmly than he actually felt. ‘I’ve never done that before in my life and I don’t intend to start now, especially as you’re trying to intimidating me. As I said, you both killed Mr Walker and both will be charged with murder. Chief Robinson here will escort you back to the wing for interview.’

  The two boys snapped their heads around to look towards the exit, but the chief and his officers were already standing behind them, and grabbing both boys, put them in handcuffs. It was one of the easiest arrests any of them had ever made.

  As Colby and Williams were led away, Geoff Fox went to Billy’s side. ‘Why on earth didn’t you say anything about your suspicion that Colby was the killer before? You’d been dealing with Memphis Colby all day and never once let on that you knew he was the killer.’

  ‘No way could I do that,’ said Billy. ‘Once Colby knew I suspected him I would be in big trouble. Colby was so arrogant that he thought I wouldn’t be able to work out what had really happened. So I couldn’t confront him before now. The only thing he understands is violence and that would have been his reaction to any hint I might have given that I suspected him. Also, I think he wanted to keep an eye on me and what I was up to, and so he made the play that he was co-operating with me, hoping that because of that co-operation I would believe that he couldn’t possibly have been the killer.’

  ‘All I can say is that you were bloody brave and bloody clever. Come on, let’s get out of here.’

  ‘Let’s get Jack Walker out first, shall we?’

  ‘Good point,’ said Fox. ‘He deserves a bit of dignity, especially as he helped you find his murderers.’

  Chapter 44

  As Billy walked out of the education block, by the side of Jack Walker’s stretcher, Emma threw caution to the wind and grabbed him and held him close. She’d been beside herself. She had been so frightened for him and wasted no time in telling him that.

  ‘So was I,’ said Billy, ‘but it’s all over now. Mind you, it’s made me wonder how the hell you do this job every day. The tension, dealing with so many lads at any one time, deciding what attitude to take with what boy, it’s exhausting.’

  ‘Well, it’s not every day this sort of thing happens,’ she laughed. ‘Normally my day is humdrum, just like anyone else’s.’

  But Billy didn’t seem convinced and looked at her askance. ‘No, respect should be given where it’s deserved. You do a bloody tough job for a woman and from what I’ve seen you also do it bloody well.’

  Emma felt that praise deserved a kiss, Chief Robinson and DI Briggs be damned. When they parted Billy asked, ‘How was Aiden when he came out?’

  ‘Pretty good. A bit shaken, but the chief and I made sure that he knew that we appreciated what he’d done and that we’ll let his appeals team know as well, so they can use his responsible actions and behaviour to add weight to his appeal. I also think the chief will reward him in some way as well. Make him a trustee at the least I should think. Ethan was bothered about his mum, though.’

  ‘Really?’

  ‘Yes, he should have had a visit from her today and he was worried that she might be upset, especially when I had to tell him that visiting had been cancelled. Oh, that reminds me, he asked me to find out if she’d waited, just in case visiting would be allowed after all, so I better find out for him.’

  Grabbing her radio, Emma was patched through to the gate to make sure all the visitors had left.

  ‘Well, not all, Governor.’

  ‘Really? Who is still there?’

  ‘It’s Mrs Hughes. Pa
cing up and down outside she is, says she’ll not leave until she knows Aiden is okay. We keep telling her everything is fine, but she says she has a mother’s intuition or some such.’

  A grin spread over Emma’s face. ‘Call her back in would you, and put her in the visiting room?’

  ‘But there’s no visiting today, Governor. You cancelled it yourself.’

  ‘I think there are grounds for an exception here, just this once. I’ll be down shortly.’

  Turning back to Billy, she said, ‘I better go and get Aiden. I can only give him about 10 minutes visiting with his mother. But she was the only one who waited for news, which says everything as far as I’m concerned. So many of the lads have no family looking out for them, Aiden is very fortunate and I think his actions this morning and his mother’s stubbornness deserves a reward.’

  Emma turned to Billy. ‘I better go, but I’ll see you before you leave?’ she asked tentatively.

  “Without a doubt. I’m not going home just yet; I’ve got to give a report to DI Briggs before I leave. And then I think we deserve a meal out tonight, don’t you?’

  ‘Without a doubt,’ she agreed and grinned.

  Chapter 45

  Several days later, the post-mortem meeting about the incident was nearly over when Governor Sharpe cleared his throat and then did something that didn’t come easily to him.

  ‘I’d like to thank everyone for coming to this meeting and for giving their detailed reports on what was a very difficult day for the whole of the establishment. It seems to me that there was no one reason for what happened that day. No one was at fault. It was just a case of small incidents that combined to create a huge problem.’

  As he looked around at his people, he watched as some of the tension seeped out of them. Geoff Fox exhaled loudly as he realised he wasn’t going to be singled out for his faults when treating Titas Arendall. The man was still a bloody idiot when it came to understanding how best to manage the behaviour of inmates, but his efforts in helping Sgt Williams had far outweighed his mistakes earlier in the day, the governor had decided. Emma Harrison had been playing with her pen, passing it through her fingers time and time again, a play which stopped when he’d said that no one was at fault and the pen now lay still on her notepad. Chief Robinson relaxed slightly in his chair, his ram-rod way of sitting taken down a notch or two as he leaned forwards onto his arms.