In this story, Helen discovers the true meaning of the saying "It's not what you know but "who" you know.
Helen Stewart was happily driving along the streets of London, feeling on top of the world.
This wasn't surprising since the job offer of a lifetime came to her.
She was offered the position of "Wing Governor" of Crow's Hall, an "open" Prison that locked up "less offenders". People like first time shoplifters, forgerers who faked signatures for prescribed medication and credit cards, etc.
She got the job after her former boss Simon Stubberfield whom her ex-boyfriend Sean Parr called "Shufflebottom" recommended her which was a surprise since they had their "differences" in the past.
Upon arrival, she explained whom she was and the gate guard let her through.
She introduced herself to Shannon Malone, the Head Receptionist who welcomed her and asked her to have a seat at that her new Supervisor Kevin Hawkins would be coming to get her and show her around.
A couple of minutes later he arrived, and he smiled and shook her hand.
"Glad to have you with us?" he smiled.
He had dark hair with a streak or two of grey, dark brown eyes and a firm build.
As he escorted her to her new office, he introduced her to her new secretary named Melanie Tewsbury, who had been working in the organizatoin for the past year and loved what she did.
When Helen sat down at her new desk, she saw how big and large it was that even had a mini-fridge, microwave and a kettle to make her tea with.
"I'll leave you to get settled in, and later on, we'll talk so I can outline your new duties here." Kevin smiled. "I don't want you to get overwhelmed on your first day."
"Thanks, I'd really appreciate that." smiled Helen gratefully.
So as she looked, she saw to her surprise that she had a Computer unlike at Larkhall that had a desktop that had various icons for programs like Excel, Powerpoint, Word For Windows and the Internet.
She was a bit overwhelmed because she hadn't really used these "programs" and since her typing was minimal since her former secretary Tina did all of her typing, she got a little worried.
A couple of minutes later, Melanie came in and explained her own duties.
"Although your hours are from 9:00 to 5:00 PM, I come in a little earlier to get the mail, organize the desk and the work for the day, I like to relax a bit before the day stars, reading the paper and all." explained Melanie.
"Oh, okay sounds great." replied Helen gratefully.
"I'll be responsible for alot of things for you, from the filing system, typing correspondance, taking messages etc, and making sure you stay on top of your appointments."
"I heard that you used to work at Larkhall, you're going to find this place like a Summer Camp, in comparison but the ladies here are nice, they just made some very bad choices in life." explained Melanie.
"Yeah, I know what you mean." replied Helen.
"However, Kevin will give you all the information that you will be needing to get established, so I'll leave you to it." Melaine smiled.
As she closed the door, Helen picked up a Manuscript that explained the rules and regulations of Crow's Hall.
They were pretty similar to Larkhall, the only difference was that there were no barbed wire and that all of the women were put on their honor 100% because if they didn't they could always be transferred which of course they didn't want.
Later, Kevin invited Helen for lunch at a Restaurant not too far away from the Prison called Sammy's Steakhouse.
After putting in their orders, Kevin and she started talking about themselves.
It seems that Kevin actually started out as a cop then changed avenues when one of his mates got killed in the line of duty. He trained to be a Prison Guard and it was there he met Simon Stubberfield.
"We have quite a history he and I." Kevin explained. "Yet, he was too damn sneaky for his own good."
"In what way?" asked Helen.
"He was always trying to get one over on people, cutting corners, trying to take credit for successful projects, never admitting he was wrong, a real star fucker, if you know what I mean." explained Kevin.
"Oh boy do I know." Helen replied with a laugh.
"As the years went, on he would always try to get on the "good side" of people and I would warn him that nobody likes a "Suck Up", I even used Wayland Smithers on The Simpsons as an example, but he didn't listen."
"In later years, he would work with new staff members who were training to be Prison Guards including Jim Fenner, whom I immediately disliked from day one." replied Kevin with a sigh.
"You knew Fenner?" asked Helen with a shock.
"Yup, and I would say to Simon, watch out for him, he's too sneaky for his own good, but Simon didn't listen and did he pay the price." replied Kevin.
"How do you mean?"
"Well, you may remember he chose to have a documentary done about Larkhall and during that time, two women under Fenner's care had escaped, Denny Blood & Shell Dockley." Kevin replied.
"Oh, yeah, I had to discipline them big time for bullying and drugs in the past." replied Helen.
"Yeah, well when Simon got fired, he was devastated, he went to a local bar and started crying like a baby after quite a few drinks, cursing Fenner for ruining his career that he worked so hard at for 25 Years." replied Kevin with a sigh.
"I didn't know that." replied Helen.
"Yeah, but Fenner had something on Stubberfield that really made be at his beck and call." replied Kevin.
"It seems that one night, he met some woman at a Men's Weekend in Holland, had sex with her, got her pregnant and he knew if his wife found out, he'd lose everything, so Fenner being the nice guy he was bribed the girl with alot of money he said he won at The Horse Races but everyone knew he got it somewhere else." replied Kevin.
"Fenner is really something else isn't he?" replied Helen as she shook her head.
"Yeah, but I know deep in my heart, he'll get his in a manner that he won't be ready for." replied Kevin.
"So what's Simon up to now?" asked Helen.
"He's in a different capacity now, just being a paper shuffler but not allowed to have any say so on how the prisons are run, he damaged his credibility to the point of no return, and when a fella named Neil Grayling refused to help him, he knew he was pretty much finished." replied Kevin.
"Hmm, very interesting." replied Helen.
"In comparison to Stubberfield, you were spoken very highly of, through many of the people who were in your care during your time there." smiled Kevin.
"Really, by who?" asked Helen curiously.
"Carol Byatt." replied Kevin.
"Really, you don't say, how's she doing?" asked Helen.
"She's fine, she works as an assistant manager in a Cafe on the other side of town, she takes a couple of courses at Night, and she continues to attend Drug Counselling meetings." replied Kevin.
"Good for her." replied Helen.
"Yeah, and the other prisoners that were under your care also did well, most notably Monica Lindsay." smiled Kevin.
"Yeah, she runs a Halfway House Monica Lindsay does now." replied Helen.
"Yes and some of our "former inmates" go to live with her until their sentence is finished." explained Kevin. "Oh by the way, do you have any questions or concerns, about your new position.
"The only thing I can think of is the Computer System, my skills are kind of slow if you know what I mean." replied Helen.
"Oh, not to worry, I know someone who can help you, her name is Cassie Tyler, and she teaches Computer Courses at The Community Center in Town, when we get back you can call and arrange to take some courses in the evening." explained Kevin.
So upon returning to the Prison, Helen saw that everything was organized for her, her new Name Tag, Card Key that was used to get in an out of the Prison, etc.
Upon returning home, she saw that her girlfriend Nikki's car was also in the driveway and upon entering the house, she was welcomed to the delicious aroma of Italian Food.
It was Spaghetti, with Cesar Salad, French Bread and for Dessert Strawberry Shortcake.
Nikki had just finished setting the table when Helen entered the Kitchen and greeted her with a smile and kiss.
"So I gather that the first day went all right." asked Nikki.
"Yeah, it went, great I learned alot, more than you realize." giggled Helen.
So as they ate, dinner Nikki told Helen about her day.
After leaving Larkhall, Nikki sold her share of Chix, the nightclub she once owned with her ex-lover and business partner Trisha. She took some intensive courses, and after getting her degree she became a successful novelist.
The extra Bedroom Nikki used as a Home Office and although she sometimes had to go in town for business meetings, she loved it because she loved the "silence" that alot of authors and musicians needed for their creativity.
After dinner and dessert were finished, Helen called and left a message for Cassie Tyler about "Computer Courses" in the future.
So for the next couple of weeks, Helen threw herself into her work. She met with inmates, screws, and other faculty staff members. She sat in on group counselling sessions where the inmates were supportive to each other.
A couple of weeks later, Helen went to the Community Center to begin her Computer Courses, she entered the classroom that had many people young and old which made her feel less nervous.
Eventually Ms. Tyler entered the room, and greeted them.
"Hello, and welcome to class, my name is Cassie Tyler, and I'm going to be your teacher for the next couple of weeks."
As she explained the class and what they would learn, some began to feel relaxed around this woman.
"Now I know that you're sacrificing alot, being with family, friends, partners and seeing what kind of mischief Tracy is getting into on Corrie, but remember "More Learning, More Earning." which they all agreed upon.
The next two hours seemed to go in a flash and before anyone knew it, class was over.
The weeks passed on with a blur, and eventually the course ended and although some were relieved, others were so enthused that they decided to take on "extra" courses in the future.
As Cassie packed her briefcase, Helen thanked her personally for all of her help these past couple of weeks.
"Would you like to have coffee with me?" asked Helen.
"I don't drink coffee late at night but a cup of Tea would suffice." grinned Cassie.
So they went to the Cafe that Carol Byatt worked at and when she saw Helen, she whooped for joy.
"Oh, Miss Stewart, long time no see, I almost didn't recognize you, with your hair being different." smiled Carol.
"I heard you were working here, how are you?" asked Helen.
"Fine, look I'm working but before you go, take my number maybe we can do a catch up." asked Carol.
"Sure, I'd like that." replied Helen.
After taking their orders, Cassie asked how she knew Carol.
"It's a long story." Helen replied gently but firmly.
"Oh okay." replied Cassie.
As they drank their tea, Cassie talked about herself, she was in the world of High Finance, got greedy and very foolish and got sent away to Club Fed for awhile. Most times she would keep her "past" private but Helen was so easygoing, she felt as if she knew her forever.
"Which one did you go to?" asked Helen.
"Larkhall." replied Cassie.
"No, way I used to work there as Wing Govenor." replied Helen.
"Wow, it's a small world." replied Cassie.
"Yeah, so what happened?" asked Helen.
"I stole funds, my PA Roisin found out, covered for me, and we both got sent down the river." explained Cassie. "We were having an affair so she kept it schtum because she didn't want anyone to find out., since she was married and all."
"Dear God." murmured Helen.
"We were in there for a year almost, there was a Fire on a Visitors Day that some psycho started, and we saved the Govenor's life, and we got transferred to open and we got out." explained Cassie.
"Yeah, that's great good for you." smiled Helen.
"Yeah, but the toughest part was that we paid the price professionally, neither one of us can ever work in government or a institution involving banking, finance, once bitten twice shy." sighed Cassie.
"That's really too bad." replied Helen. "Yet, you have to remember that your actions affected alot of innocent people, I mean not to play judge but compared to what happened at the US Companies like Enron & Worldcom, you were very lucky."
"I know but for Roisin, it's much harder, her husband requested a divorce, and her visitation rights are minimal and I'm not allowed to be around them because I'm a "bad influence", not only for being gay but bringing Roisin "into the life". sighed Cassie.
"So what's Roisin doing now?" asked Helen.
"She handles funds for a Record Shop, she's really good with music, in terms of titles, groups, new trends, etc. It's much smaller than say HMV but she likes it alot although her hours are sometimes irregular." replied Cassie.
As Helen heard this, she thought of her friend Billy Tyler, who just may be what the doctor ordered so to speak.
"Say Cassie, can I have your number please, I may be able to help you, I'm not promising anything but you never know." asked Helen.
"Sure, any help would be appreciated." replied Cassie with gratitude.
So on the weekend, she called Billy and went over to his flat.
Since he specialized in adoption, fostering and custody agreements, Helen thought he could assist them.
After hearing the case, Billy was frank with Helen.
"Seriously Helen, Corporate Crime is hitting an all time high, and just saying sorry isn't enough, do you realize that in some circles, many people thought they got off too easily." Billy replied.
"I know but they are so desperate, any help would be appreciated." replied Helen.
"Hmm, I can't guarantee anything but can you call her right now for me please?" asked Billy.
"Sure." replied Helen gratefully.
So after talking with Cassie & Roisin, plans were made for Billy to meet them at Cassie's flat to talk shop and see what could be done.
The following week, Billy arrived with a Knapsack that had his Laptop, A Legal Pad, and other "extras."
After accepting a Coke, Billy sat down and talked to both of them.
"I realize you made a serious mistake and you paid your debt to society, but custody agreements can get very nasty especially in your situation, now in order for me to help you, I have to ask some tough yet personal questions but that's the only way I can try and help you okay."
"Your crime involved Money, now please tell me about your first "experiences" Roison." asked Billy.
As Roisin told her story, Cassie and Billy were both dumbfounded at how much of a "burden" money was.
She was the eldest of five children growing up in Ireland, her mother managed a Cafe and her father worked in a factory. When she was fifteen the factory closed down when it's owner, The Yank Businessman John Delorean was arrested for trying to sell Cocaine.
When Billy heard that, a lightbulb went off inside his head. That year around 1982 when he was seventeen, he went to New York to visit some relatives, he saw articles about Mr. Delorean and his wife Christina a former fashion model and how their lives changed for the worse after the scandal.
Things got tough, Roisin worked in a Record Shop, gave a large chunk of her earnings to her family to help them out, her father became bitter because he felt that he wasn't being "man" of the house.
Upon receiving a Scholarship to Uni, Roisin moved to London, continued to work in a Record Shop, and spent to her heart's content because she was making up for what she didn't have growing up.
After graduating, she got a job in a Bank first working as a File Clerk, then worked her way up into the ranks, but always knowing that her salary had to "help" especially when her husband Aiden got married.
As a manager of a factory warehouse that sold rugs he didn't have the same salary as she and sometimes his mates and family members teased him about why his "educated" wife ended up with someone like him which hurt his feelings and although everyone said that they were "joking" sometimes the jokes hurt.
As for her family, they got jealous that she was doing so "well" accusing her of abandoning them and showing resentment because the presents she gave them, especially during Xmas made theirs pale in comparison.
So when Cassie gave her the "undivided" attention that she felt she never got from the others, it was a wonderful feeling, yet nothing lasted forever, and the most humiliating was when she called Aiden and admitted that she got arrested at work and was being held without bail.
The other family members were dumbfounded and when she got her sentence four years for fraud, while Cassie got three, she almost broke down and as the female screw hauled her away, she couldn't even say goodbye to her children.
As Billy took copious notes, he shook his head and realized that so many circumstances were really out of her control but he was going to help them no matter what.
"Now, I have to ask you that I can't do this case for free, maybe we can work out a payment system or something okay." asked Billy.
"Listen, any payment system or help would be helpful more than you realize." replied Cassie.
"Okay so I'll see you soon then." he smiled as he left.
Upon driving home, Billy knew that this case was going to be the most "challenging" but with a proper defense, he was confident that he could help them.
TBC