Page 112 of The Dead Ex

‘But she got married.’

‘So she says.’

Meanwhile, morale wasn’t good in the prison. Nights were getting darker. Christmas was coming up. The heating kept cutting out. There was also trouble with the women on the laundry rota. One prisoner had found a large lump of faeces in her ‘clean’ sheets. No one would admit responsibility, so I put them all on loss of privileges, which meant not being allowedphone calls or the twice-weekly gym sessions. That hadn’t gone down well.

Then a young mum in the MBU tried to escape with her twelve-month-old when they were taken to the hospital for routine immunizations. Normally these were done in the prison, but the little boy hadn’t been well enough to have the jabs along with the others.

‘Didn’t get far,’ the prison officer had reported.

I instructedthat the woman should be punished by restricted visits, which meant she couldn’t see her other son, who was being brought up by grandparents. I felt terrible – yet an example had to be made, or else everyone else would do the same. I was starting to feel like I was trapped. How long could I go on doing this for?

‘Bitch,’ spat Zelda when she passed me in the corridor. So I ordered that her visitingprivileges should be cut like the other woman I’d just punished. I knew this wouldmake her resentment worse but I had to lay down the law. Zelda Darling was a troublemaker. If anything, no matter how small, went wrong, she was always first amongst the prisoners to summon in the IMB – the Independent Monitoring Board. In a way, I couldn’t help thinking Dad would have admired her. In another lifeshe’d have made a great union official. But Zelda seemed to have it in for me personally.

If only I’d known how deep her resentment went.

44

Helen

‘Are you sure you haven’t seen David?’ asks Perdita again, just before lunchtime.

‘Why?’

I speak in a sharp, defensive manner, but inside I feel nervous. Is it possible that she knows something is going on between us? Perhaps someone had heard us in the office.

‘He missed another really important meeting today. Very unlike him.’

Hah! Clearly she doesn’t know him that well. Despiteour brief acquaintance, even I can tell this is a man who doesn’t play by the rules. Rather like me.

‘I just don’t understand it.’ She runs her hands through her hair, messing up the style completely. I almost feel sorry for her.

‘Have you rung his wife?’ I suggest.

Perdita makes a face. ‘She says she thought he was staying in the London flat. But when she went round, it was empty. He’s noteven answering his private mobile.’

I hadn’t realized he had one. But when I think about it, this stands to reason. In fact, he probably has two or three.

One of the men from HR then walks past. ‘Haveyouseen David?’ Perdita demands.

‘Not for some time.’ His brow creases. ‘I need him to sign something.’

By late afternoon, the rumours are flying thick and fast. David Goudman has been in anaccident. He’s left his wife. The business is going bust. This last ‘fact’ comes from a girl in accounts. Things ‘haven’t been good’ for some time, apparently.

‘Bastard,’ says a young man who works in the design section. ‘How am I going to pay my mortgage if it all goes tits up?’

‘What’s going to happen?’ I ask Perdita.

‘I wish everyone would stop asking me that just because I’m his bloodyPA.’

‘Have the police been called?’

‘Tanya did. Apparently they told her “to wait a bit” to see if he turns up.’

‘How long?’

‘They didn’t say. Maybe until Monday. Who knows?’ She slumps down into her chair. I’ve never seen Perdita look so shaken. ‘The thing is – I know this might sound silly – but I can’t help wondering if something might have happened to him.’

‘Like what?’ I ask carefully.