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| unfinished business; Bad Girls / Judge John Deed trilogy | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jun 22 2008, 10:39 AM (19,810 Views) | |
| richard | Oct 20 2008, 06:36 PM Post #181 |
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This is phenomenal. I’m getting to the point of having that sense of excitement and anticipation as to what you guys come up in terms of literary criticism. There are aspects of the fic that stand out in bold relief after you’ve posted. In fact, in reaction to earlier feedback about Fenner blabbing to the tabloids, I’ve just added a bit in one scene coming up as I thought that the point wasn’t covered. First off, thanks JAM for loyally following this fic and neatly capturing the irony of the situation. To Emtsue, I admire your sense of dedication and friendship with AL2laf in posting an inspired chunk of feedback, shooting off to work and coming back to finish it off. Hope you got some rest if possible. First off, you have captured both the thinking of the LCD contrasting with John and Nikki and Helen so perfectly which I can hardly add to as it is so insightful. I had this very strong image of Nikki lying on her back and feeling so relaxed and able to communicate so clearly contrasting with Sir ian etc straight laced manner. I’m so pleased you read Shirley’s commnt about Chix so well. To Andlif2laf, your point about Fenner being inadvertently being wound up in doing something stupid throws up the strange degree of ‘control and not control’ he has over himself. He can do it if he wants but when he loses control, is this a conscious choice? I can’t quite make my mind about someone who is essentially a sociopath this way. Similarly, you show so well how the LCD just don’t get the new form of John George relationship. As I’ve said before, all your speculations regarding the future are all closely thought and I can see why the ‘might have beens’ matter as much as the ‘dids’ if you see what I mean. What is totally striking in the Yvonne Kris interactions is that in the original bad Girls Series 5, the interaction was short lived while the Selena Kris lesbian relationship took centre stage. I have built up the former relationship from not very much almost inadvertently while the latter relationship is certainly there but not so prominent. I am definitely at the point where I need to really work at it to give feedback up to the delightfully and incredibly high standard that I am being given. Hope I haven’t missed anything out. |
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| Andliv2laf | Oct 21 2008, 02:22 AM Post #182 |
G2 landing
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Thanks Richard...again, you always make me smile! And after the day I've had I really needed it!
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| Axiegirl21 | Oct 21 2008, 06:57 PM Post #183 |
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I think Karen can breathe a sigh of relief for now, I can't believe dumb and dumber are giving John Karen's case I agree with emtsue that they've corrupted the system so long that they wouldn't know the truth if it hit them with a 2 by 4. I loved the scene between Nikki and Helen and could actually picture Helen holding her lady love and gently coaxing her through her thought process, the two of them are really able to see how the other thinks without even knowing that they're doing it Fenner I find is now a bigger problem than he was, he's becoming unpredictable and that makes him dangerous Yvonne has to have words with Kris and make her see that winding up Fenner is not the best thing to do right now.Great update Richard but I have a horrible feeling in my bones that this is coming to an end soon
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The past is history. The future a mystery. And now is a gift thats why we call the present. Larkhall Lovelies Rule | |
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| richard | Oct 22 2008, 07:21 PM Post #184 |
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Hi Axiegirl – you have got exactly the right line about Sir Ian, etc, though there will be complications coming up in the trial. I am at my most certain if I can both see and hear a scene as I’m writing it and, for that reason, I’m especially glad that you got the flavour of the Helen Nikki scene. What is highly interesting in your feedback is seeing the situation evolve as you see it as I hadn’t anticipated quite the sense of tension and that ‘anything’s possible.’ PS HR has kindly sent me ovr betaed versions of the last 3 scenes and I've edited the last 3 in line with them. Hopfully, the next scene will go up on the weekend. |
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| richard | Oct 25 2008, 01:16 PM Post #185 |
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This next piece gives a generalised slice of backstory on George, of the trials of a smart talking daughter. It is a curious piece as John possibly finds it easiest to reassure someone else like Joseph about George’s relationship with Alice. Incidentally, I have borrowed from the TV series the account of John Deed's first meeting with Neil Haughton. Enjoy. ................................................................................................................... Scene Twenty-Five In a backhanded way, Fenner wasn’t the only one to have lesbians on the brain as Joseph Channing was still trying to get his head round the idea of George’s new partner. It went completely counter to his upbringing. He was steeped in his died in the wool conservative background and had duly striven for success in his chosen field to bring up his family. His wife had died tragically when his daughter was young and he had done his best to lavish his love on her and make up for the loss of her mother. George had been richly endowed with all the feminine graces, being lively, charming, quick witted and had been the apple of his eye. True, he might have spoiled her and indulged her willfulness but at the same time, he knew that she had always had a clear idea where she was going in life. It accounted for the way that, when she was in her teens, she had picked up boyfriends and deposited them by the wayside at the drop of a hat. She was fortunate to study law just at a time when the first women came into the legal profession and, much though he had fulminated about the country going to the dogs, he was secretly pleased as it meant that once more, a Channing would don the traditional wig and gown. What he could never understand was what she had ever seen in John Deed. He had everything going for him that Joseph disapproved of. John was a modern liberal who insisted in using the time-honoured laws of England for highly suspect purposes. Furthermore, he was the original rakish man with that suspect charm that, unaccountably, women found devilishly attractive. What’s worse was that John's father was a baker from Birmingham and he remembered only too well his mounting nervousness about John and George's wedding. He had to concede, against his better wishes, that his time spent at Eton and Oxford had given him acceptable manners but he still cringed at John’s father’s and sister’s uncouth manners. “Mark my words,” he had warned her endlessly,” You have married the wrong man. You’ll live to regret it.” “Oh daddy,” she counter argued,” if it was left to you, you would have married me off to some chinless Hooray Henry. Every one of them is just weak and ineffective. Believe me, I’ve tried them out.” The arguments had gone on and he could never find a satisfactory counter argument. When George’s marriage finally broke up, he had very discreetly wrapped up his ‘I told you so’ line of reasoning very tactfully, or so he thought to himself. He knew very well that there was a touch of silver-tongued guile about him. Of course, what did she do but pick up that awful Neil Haughton as a potential partner. He took an instant dislike to the man as shallow, charmless,a philistine, a second hand salesman chap and he immediately made his views clear to her. “But daddy, I thought you wanted me to marry into money. He’s rich, successful, ambitious, charming. Your problem is that there is no man good enough for your daughter,” protested George with that teasing smile about her. Joseph Channing growled and grumbled back at her, wishing that the brains that had made her such a formidable barrister should be so cruelly used against him. Life was so unfair. Times started to change when that frightful man had threatened to introduce a bill that would restrict the power of judges. Joseph had come to see that his original calculations had been wrong and that John had been right all along. He had come to reevaluate his position in terms of his relationship with the political apparatus. This had divided him from Sir Ian Rochester who had thrown in his lot with the government. He had come to change his attitudes in recent months to see himself as a bit of a rebel after all. He had discovered that age had not mellowed him, quite the reverse. He realized that he was disinclined to blindly follow any party line but to make up his own mind. By some mysterious process, the brethren had forgotten their old petty rivalries and formed up behind John as leader. After all, he had been the most intransigent Bolshevik of them all and it was interesting how his advice came to seem as wisdom. A lifetime of frosty relations with John had thawed and he had come to enjoy chatting with him, locking horns with him in friendly debate. George had changed mysteriously with the times. She had at last broken with Haughton. He hadn’t been deceived by her pretended disapproval of their strike and act of civil disobedience and approved of her change in work to criminal cases. Underneath that veneer of hardness, a softer George was emerging as he sensed that she really cared about the cases she was now dealing with. Certainly, that policewoman had been dealt with shamefully and deserved every penny of compensation she had wrung from the metropolitan police force. He had gathered that she and John were getting on better than ever as she had come to understand his politics in her own individual, backhanded way. Everything was getting normal in his life and all should have ended happily ever after…..until George dropped this bombshell on him. Since then, his meetings with George had been amicable enough but he had backed off from meeting this Alice. He couldn’t face it. He had mulled this problem over and over in his mind until the answer came to him. He would talk to John. “Ah, John, I thought about coming to see you and have a chat with you. It’s about something personal,” Joseph greeted John ‘That used to be the precursor of you wanting to horsewhip me,” John answered with a wry smile. “That was a long time ago, John. I wanted to talk to you about George. It’s a little embarrassing.” John took a closer look at the older man and realized that his opening remark was misplaced. Instead of being flip about the matter, he needed to fine tune his listening abilities. “Want a drink, Joseph?” he offered. The older man gratefully accepted the large measure of whisky and sank back in an armchair and John tactfully waited for the older man to speak. “I ’m not sure if you’ve heard about George’s new partner. I suppose that is what they call it these days,” the older man said in embarrassed tones. “You mean Alice. I went round to see George with the thought of us finally getting back together. I found out different. I couldn’t fault her on her honesty with me- or her compassion…..you know the irony of the situation is that at the precise moment that she has become more human, more admirable in every way, she takes off with another woman.” “So what did you do about it?” Joseph asked out of pure habit. “I did what I do these days when I’m confused. Till recently, I used to go out and pick up some nameless woman. This time, I went round to see Nikki Wade and her partner Helen Stewart and talked over everything with them. They sorted my head out, at least superficially. They said that the hardest thing to deal with is that someone who you once loved has found someone else who is more suited. I have to accept that this is the right answer, as anything else feels too painful. I think this is only skin deep and only part of me accepts this.” “You know, I sense that you’re very close to these two women. It goes against the entire background of your relationship with women.” John laughed at the older man’s remark but made no answer. He had hit the nail on the head. His only answer to himself was that the less he analysed this friendship, the more durable it would be. “So what do I do with George?” “Have you met Alice?” counter questioned John, feeling immediately more at ease in dealing with someone else’s problems than his own feelings. “No, never.” “It seems to me that you will find it better to confront what you’re afraid of. Take me, for instance. After George told me about this Haughton, I met him at a gathering and it cleared my feelings at once.” “How do you mean?” “I hated him at once. I called him the former Mr. George Channing. It was the start of a beautiful enmity.” Joseph Channing chuckled at the younger man’s dry wit but his face fell as he came back to his dilemma. He was no further advanced in resolving his problem. The look in the older man’s eye conveyed this to John. It occurred to him that he kept coming out with these flip remarks as a defence against his own insecurity. “This doesn’t get me anywhere. I don’t want to be estranged from my own daughter. That would be a tragedy but I’m damned if I can see a way out.” John pulled himself together and finally got a slant on the whole situation. “Let’s put it this way. Have you ever got George to do anything that she really doesn’t want to do or stopped her from doing anything she really wants to do? Be honest with me because we’re both fathers and I know how lax I’ve been with Charlie.” “Well, no. I suppose not. She was always obstinate and willful,” conceded Joseph grudgingly under John’s searching gaze and his frank confession. “Let’s put it another way. Do you find George more human and kinder than she used to be, not to you as she has always respected you? What I mean is the way she views the world in general and treats or talks about other people.” “I can’t deny the truth of what you’re saying,” Joseph was forced to admit. “Therefore, it’s possible you might get to like Alice. More than ever before, I’d trust in George’s judgment even if you can’t understand her. Let’s face it, you’ll either fight her over it or come to accept George and Alice.” Joseph winced at the way the names were bracketed but as his jangled nerves came to accept the wisdom. John was right of course. He helped himself to another measure of whisky as he helped get his head round the whole situation. |
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| Andliv2laf | Oct 25 2008, 08:07 PM Post #186 |
G2 landing
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Very nice Richard...Joseph and John may be friends after all! I was just thinking that this story is so different because the dynamics of every relationship in this story have changed except for those of Nikki and Helen's relationship...quite different I must say! I can't wait for them to meet Alice...George is going to be through the roof...wait until they see what a wonderful couple they make...and just how happy George truely is! And good ol' Nikki and Helen...just looking around at all the relationships the have affected like proud parents! If they can just get Fenner...the world will be at peace...well, maybe? Ok, I am going to stop there...Emtsue should be posting her chapters of response...she has only let us down once, the other day when she was ill! Thanks again Richard...now that you have laid more background we should get back to a little action, yeah? I'll be waiting!
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| emtsue | Oct 25 2008, 08:13 PM Post #187 |
G3 Curtain and Duvet!
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This time Emtsue really is ill!!And I have to go to work in a few minutes,so I'll read and post manana. |
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| emtsue | Oct 26 2008, 08:09 AM Post #188 |
G3 Curtain and Duvet!
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This may be totally irrelevant,but the first thing that struck me about joseph and George's relationship is how totally opposite it is from that of Helen and her father( I should include Nikki in this as well).Everything from Joseph lavishing all his love after his wife passed away to being the proud father of a daughter who'd be wearing the robes in the name of Channing.Though Joseph is having a tough time reconciling his feelings about George and Alice being partners,it is because of the kind of relationship they have and how Joseph raised her to be a strong independent woman,not to mention Georges own willfulness that she was born with(I wonder what her mother was like),that she was able to tell him in the first place.I also find it ironic that at just about the same time Joseph was changing his way of thinking, so was his daughter. Joseph deciding to seek John's advice was probably the best thing he could have done.Who better than to go to a open minded liberal ,but at the same time ,knowing John to be the womanizer that he is,he was more than likely hoping the latter would overrule and validate his feelings.Well he did...and he didn't.I felt a kind of smugness coming from John when he was asking Joseph all the pertinent questions.,and maybe he was alittle...but he was also honest about his own evolution through all this and the fact that he is still not able to get his head totally around it.At this juncture the talk has given Joseph a few things to think about,but has helped John move further along in accepting the changes in George.And all thanks to Helen and Nikki...what would these people do without them?!!! Richard ,great backstory on three very essential people. |
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| richard | Oct 26 2008, 12:08 PM Post #189 |
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Wow, two very thought provoking posts which maintain the incredibly high standards set. If I haven’t said so before, I must pay tribute to Bad Girls which amongst other great qualities, stands out in putting a lot of its characters through changes quite apart from the run of the mill soap whose depressing message is, ‘no matter how situations, change the characters don’t change and are immune from the lessons of life. Judge John Deed does this to a lesser extent as it deploys the nicely ironic thought that it's Neil Haughton’s overbearingly dictatorial ways that unites the brethren – against him as in my fic. Where John doesn’t change is in his private life and in his relationship with Jo and George which this fic explores. When I put on Judge John Deed DVds, I think, ‘yes but where are Helen and Nikki?” To you, Andlif2laf, you have zeroed in on how John has really been put through changes by Nikki and Helen and, by them talking to him, has put him one step up from Joseph in getting his head round George’s new sexual identity. I’ve got the feeling that they don’t influence people by talking to them but by exemplifying qualities that those who are aware enough, pick up on in exactly the way you describe. You have very nicely captured the feeling that both women are well on the way in meeting life’s challenges, like Fenner. This aspect of the story will move on next scene after this interlude- incidentally, I added this scene on after my cowriter on other fics had a sneak preview of this fic and pointed out this gap- due credits to her for this. To you, Emtsue, I hope you are feeling better. Feeling rough and a night’s work (I have got my timezones right?) sounds pretty tough. First off, whatever thoughts you have which seem like tangents, please, please post them as your striking contrasts of George’s father with Helen’s father. Joseph’s warmth and positivity and positive pride in George contrasts with the coldness, distance and lack of approval shown to Helen- even if Joseph sometimes bites off more than he can chew. As you so neatly pointed out, at least George told him about Alice even though she carefully chose her tactics. You pose a very interesting question of George’s mother which I haven’t pursued as details in the TV series are so sparse. What is interesting is that John’s modern liberalism had once repelled Joseph is now a cue for Joseph to do the difficult thing of talking about personal matters with another man. When they talk to each other they switch back and forth between a bit of light hearted banter and the serious stuff as they both take time and effort to put aside barriers. I’ve also suddenly realised that John’s ‘let’s put it this way’ is a very Helen expression which bears out your point. Andlif2laf and Emtsue, Feel free to come back on anything here or any other contributors. |
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| Andliv2laf | Oct 26 2008, 10:10 PM Post #190 |
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Hey you two, I thought the same thing when I read this about Helen and her father...Nikki's family didn't cross my mind. So when the time comes, I do believe that Joseph will embrace Alice and George...and I think it will also be a special moment for Nikki and Helen. For them to see how it can be and to be happy about the outcome...and proud of their part in it! So that's it for now. Emtsue, I hope this finds you feeling much better!
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| richard | Oct 27 2008, 05:48 PM Post #191 |
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Hi, Emtsue and andlif2laf- you have both prompted me to come back on the matter of Nikki’s family. Another instance of Nikki and Helen making changes is them mending the long standing rift that had existed between Nikki and her family by them taking the adult approach and making peace with them, not an easy thing to do. The TV version of Judge John Deed has a gloriously funny episode of George’s style in being first jailed for contempt of court by John, and then phoning Joseph and demanding, bold as brass with no embarrassment, that he get her out of jail immediately. From that instance, it is easy to see that George must have been quite a handful for Joseph as the dialogue started by ‘but daddy’ strongly indicates. Your last point about Nikki and Helen’s hand in George’s family matters has set me seriously thinking, Andlif2laf. Thanks for that one. |
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| Axiegirl21 | Oct 29 2008, 12:06 PM Post #192 |
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Great chapter Richard, it gave us alittle insight to what Joseph's relationship with George is all about. I think that if he is the loving father he seems to be then he will at least give Alice a chance. Once he sees Alice and George together and sees how much Alice cares for his daughter then he'll relax a bit. Can't wait to see Haughton's face when he finds out though, wonder if it will stop at going red or if he'll push it to puce :lol: John's friendship with Nikki and Helen has certainly gone a long way in helping him accept (or at least start to accept) George's new ralationship. |
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The past is history. The future a mystery. And now is a gift thats why we call the present. Larkhall Lovelies Rule | |
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| richard | Oct 30 2008, 05:27 PM Post #193 |
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Hi Axiegirl21- you have certainly absorbed the feel of the fic of both Joseph and John going through learning curves and, especially how john has been so influenced by nikki and Helen. In the TV series, what marks John out is intellectual pride, that he won’t absorb a different point of view, the downside of his toughness in withstanding the forces of reaction. You also have a PM as your post about Haughton has certainly started off a train of thought within me. In posting scene 26, I have borrowed both dialogue and action from Bad Girls Series 5 as this crosses over the path mapped out by that episode but I’ve taken it in a different direction. This shows Karen regaining her fighting spirit and wanting to take charge of her destiny and acting in ways reminiscent of when Helen stalked Fenner in late Series 3. Enjoy ............................................................................................................. Scene Twenty-Six In the last week, Karen had taken the steps to move to humbler dwellings and that alone had forced her to become more active and energetic. She’d said a sad goodbye to her nice luxury flat and packaged her belongings to find a home in a humbler Victorian terraced flat, which could be afforded now that she was down to state benefits. Her smart suits were hung up in her wardrobe and now she dressed in more functional jeans and trainers. When she had come down in the world, the financial crash wasn’t as hard as she feared. The problem she now faced as each day crawled slowly and painfully by was the forthcoming trial. It had got to the point that all her energies were focused on the promise that Shirley had made on the phone to be ready for an exciting discovery. She jumped out of her skin when the knock on the door took place. As soon as she opened the stout, blue painted wooden door, she glanced anxiously at the expression on the other woman’s face. “You really have good news. I mean, come on, what is it? Do you want a cup of tea or whatever,” gabbled Karen at express speed. “This is good news, Karen. I think things are looking up but tea first. My throat’s as dry as I don’t know what.” Nervously, she clattered around in the cramped kitchen, which was beginning to make her feel that she had to keep her elbows in all the time. She produced a tea tray and sat it down on the coffee table “I’m glad you’ve got a video player ‘cos this is what it’s all about,” said the other woman smirking.” Mind if I work it?” “Be my guest,” Karen offered, putting not only her life, her hopes but also her remote control in the other woman’s hands. She leaned back in her settee while the other woman slid the videotape into the slot and clicked it on. Instantly, the static nighttime view of an anonymous roadside came into view and the same drab image remained in front of their eyes. Karen became restless with nothing to show for the promise of the news that could change her life. “Wait,” the other woman sharply commanded. An instant later, the familiar shape of her car rounded the corner and Shirley froze the image, mid turn. “You look at that and check out the driver. You see that the person has long hair and the features don’t look a million miles different from yours.” “She’s even got my favourite blue coat, the one that went missing that night. This is weird.” This conveyed a surreal impression in Karen’s mind as she could see the similarity. It was no wonder that the witnesses at the scene had picked her out. It had a confusing effect on her as if she’d been stalked by her Doppelganger. “You just wait and see. Here’s the good news coming up,” answered Shirley in a gleeful tone of voice as she clicked on the pause button again. The car whizzed past under the field of view of the camera and only the road remained in view. Suddenly, a shape scampered into view from bottom right, twisting himself round in full view before running away to the top left of the screen. “Fenner,” exclaimed Karen with a feeling of exaltation inside her. “I thought I’d test you out, like a video identity parade. Just how sure are you that it’s him?” ‘Totally bloody sure. I lived with him for a while. I know him. It’s even the way he bloody walks. So what do we do next?” “There’s the problem, Karen. In a court of law, it could be argued that you think it’s him because you’ve got every motive to want it to be him. A barrister could tear this to shreds. It’s not definite enough. That man could be anyone from Jim Fenner to Tony Blair.” “Didn’t think the Prime Minister would be capable of murder. He was on TV once saying he’s a pretty straight sort of guy,” Karen found herself laughing. “Let’s keep to the point. This is okay for our point of view but we need more than this.” “Is there any way we could get this shot cleaned up enough to make it more positive and get some sort of analysis done to prove a match?” “Have you got an old photo of him?” “I’ve always found him camera shy. He didn’t mind taking sort of candid shots of me when we took a foreign holiday together. If I had any photos of him, I’d have ripped them up anyway,” came the gloomy response. “It looks as if my particular skills are called for. We need bang up to date snaps and this is my meat and potatoes. Suddenly, a charge of electricity had shot through Karen’s system. She knew what she had to do. She owed it to herself. “Shirley, I want to do this one myself. I’ll take a camera and photograph him on his lunch break. He’s a creature of habit, same break every time. It’s this way. Ever since I was railroaded out of Larkhall, I’ve been sitting around, doing sod all while you, Nikki, Helen and everyone else have been running around after me. I’m drinking too much, slobbing around the flat and getting stir crazy with nothing to do. This job will psych me up nicely for the trial coming up. It will do me good and I can give positive evidence that it was me, myself, who took the photos which puts this bastard in the frame for murdering that poor man whose only ‘offence’ was being at the wrong place at the wrong time. You see that I simply have to do it.” Shirley looked at the other woman for a long time. A completely different woman to the one she was used to was appearing before her eyes, sharp witted and decisive. She could relate to the idea of doing this as therapy. Her experience of the women relating to the trial was that they were reliable. Slowly, she nodded agreement. “Okay, I’ll leave it up to you. You get the photos and turn them over to me. I’d better let George know.” The recent discovery had a revitalizing effect on Karen. She was awake early the next day without the alarm clock and was soon out of bed. Humming to herself, she took a leisurely shower and put on a clean pair of denim jeans, crisp shirt and a smart brown leather jacket. She thought to herself ruefully that Grayling was right about keeping fit without a car. She’d learned to bus it around London on the occasions she went out and she’d done more walking than she’d done for years. She took her place upstairs and looked down on the streets of London with satisfaction, feeling an Olympian perspective that she’d not felt for months, either feeling a totally useless member of society or else ground down by the rigours of her job. Soon, the bus took her to the destination she’d carefully worked out and skipped daintily off the bus with a smile at the driver for free. She paced the way she had once driven every day and walked up the narrow approach road and the forbidding vision of the grey stones came into sight. It struck her that she’s seen the place so often that familiarity had bred dullness of perception, if not contempt. It was utterly fresh to her eyes. With a pang, she looked at the rows of cars parked and the place where she had parked her car was occupied by Di Barker’s green saloon. It had no right to be there, she thought but realized sadly that she’d passed on. She kept out of sight of the officer at the gate as she did not want him to either recognize her or pretend that he hadn’t. The gentle autumn breeze blew gently at her hair and the time she was spending reminded her just how not having a job had affected her lifestyle. In former times, she’d have driven up to the place like clockwork and handed in her keys. This time, she took out her camera and held it at the ready. This was her job. She checked her watch and it was only now she realized that Fenner might not be coming out but could easily be swilling back beer in the social club. This was a crazy expedition, she thought to herself and was starting to have second thoughts as she leant against a wall while minutes past. She ought to have left this sort of thing to Shirley. A comforting thought struck her and she smiled ironically to herself. She realized that she was counting on Di Barker’s obsessive, possessive nature to want to drag him out at lunchtime. Suddenly, two familiar figures appeared and Karen at once had Fenner in her sights, aimed the viewfinder at him and started clicking away even though he and Di Barker were some distance away. “Karen,” Fenner called out in pretended puzzlement. “Never know when you’re on camera, Jim. They’re all over the place, even down by the canal where you dumped my car,” Karen retorted, feeling all the confidence in the world as she saw a mixed expression of anger and fear spread across his face. “What’s going on?” demanded Di querulously. “What’s happened to your face?” “I suppose those two bitches, Stewart and Wade have got you to harass me. You want to watch what you’re doing.” “I’m here on my own account.” Karen threw back as Fenner stalked closer to him and his facial expression was clear to see. She hadn’t the faintest idea what the man was blathering about but made a mental note to check this out with her two friends. “That’s a good one. Really shows the panic in your eyes. You never know if your past is going to catch up with you.” Fenner gave one last glare, turned on his heel and stalked back to the car while Di Barker hustled him into the car. Karen turned around, feeling an enormous sense of satisfaction with herself and she made off in the opposite direction. She was slightly puzzled by the angry grazes on the man’s face and hoped that they wouldn’t spoil the photo match. “Jim, get in the car. She’s gone,” Di Barker commanded. “What the hell was she doing back again?” he answered, feeling for his diazepam tablets that Dr Nicholson had prescribed him. “I don’t know. Causing trouble again,” grumbled Di. She drove the pair of them away from this disturbing situation. ******** Helen and Nikki had only just got home when the phone rang. Automatically, Helen prepared herself to deal with the usual cold caller with the latest sales hype and so she answered in a very businesslike tone, indicating that she would be no pushover. “Karen, how nice to hear from you,” she exclaimed in a much warmer tone of voice. “This may sound a peculiar question, Helen, but have you had any contact with, dare I say it, Fenner recently. I recently took a load of photos of him to do with the court case and, besides the usual unfriendly greeting, he looked as if he’d been in a fight recently and accused you two of setting me on him.” “That’s easily explained, Karen. Somehow, he’d been tipped off that we were on his case so he broke into our flat late one night only he picked the one night we’d been putting up a very dear friend of us, a high court judge. He very gallantly came to our rescue, seeing as we were only dressed in nighties and Fenner easily came out worst. The grazes must have come about after John threw the bastard out onto the pavement. I suppose in his usual paranoid way, Fenner thought we’d been conspiring together.” “Thank heavens you were both unharmed,” Karen said with deep feeling. The last thing she wanted was that they’d come to harm over her troubles. ”What you said explains his weird behaviour today. High court judge, eh? It sounds like you’re going up in the world, with the company you keep. I’d better tell Claire about all this,” Karen continued, feeling good in herself that she was taking everything in her stride. Her day’s activity had given her a taste of the normality that she’d once known “Not forgetting Claire and a couple of barristers,” Helen retorted teasingly while Karen smiled with warm appreciation of their friendship. Today was one of her better days, she reflected, as she cheerily carried on the conversation. |
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| emtsue | Oct 31 2008, 09:17 PM Post #194 |
G3 Curtain and Duvet!
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Hiya Richard, Ican certainly understand Karen wanting to feel useful and not have her friends do all the groundwork,but what baffles me is the way she went about getting those photos of Fenner.You could be sure that if Shirley was the one taking those pictures,Fenner would have never known about it.I can only conclude that Karen felt the need to let jim know that,one,she wasn't afraid ,and two,that they know its him and they are very close to having all the evidence they need to prove it.She may very well be in danger due to the fact that he's been so erratic.And now we also know he's on diazepam ,which is an anti -anxiety drug.We still don't know who he may be in league with as well.Other than being greatful that Nikki and Helen were not harmed the night Fenner paid them a visit,she didn't seem too alarmed about his behavior where she herself is concerned.Although she did mention letting Claire and George in on whats happened.Yes karen wants some normality back in her life,but is getting in Fenners face to take pictures normal?Obviously I'm thinking karen's behavior is somewhat questionable.Richard ,I think you need to shed a little light on this for me.Very interesting update....you have me wondering..... |
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| Andliv2laf | Nov 1 2008, 05:30 AM Post #195 |
G2 landing
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Very nice update Richard...and you have left my dear friend Emtsue wondering! We just can't have this Richard...you know how she is...and with no sleep...this could be devastating! Ok, so Karen is feeling a bit over adventurous...and I like Emtsue would like to know how she got the pictures...then I would like to know what Fenner and Di are doing together...joining forces for what? So we know by the meds that Fenner is worried about something... so what is it? Is he worried that when it all comes down he will be the scapegoat? Is he afraid of John, Helen and Nikki...is his conscience getting the best of him...I doubt it...you gotta have one first! So, has he been warned by other forces...has he done something else we don't know about yet? Inquiring minds Richard...not always a good thing! Has Yvonne given him a little something to think about...is he worried about Wonder Wade and what she might know? As usual you have left lots of options to consider! I can't wait for the next bit to see if you shed any light on the direction you are taking us! Glad to see Karen taking an interest at least. Thanks for the story Richard...it's always a pleasure to read your stories!
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I think Karen can breathe a sigh of relief for now, I can't believe dumb and dumber are giving John Karen's case I agree with emtsue that they've corrupted the system so long that they wouldn't know the truth if it hit them with a 2 by 4.
Yvonne has to have words with Kris and make her see that winding up Fenner is not the best thing to do right now.

8:47 AM Jul 11