Chapter 1

She strolled along the walkway slowly swinging the bunch of keys attached to her belt. At each cell door she stopped and peered through the peephole, in each cell two women slept. Beverley Rutledge was a Senior Correction Officer at Holmesdale Prison For Women, and she ruled 'D' wing with an iron hand in a velvet glove. She was respected and liked by most of the women under her care and also by her colleagues. Bev was said to be tough but fair, but with one major failing. Beverley Rutledge had a weakness for young women. Bev had been openly bi sexual for many of her thirty-eight years and had exploited the sexual opportunities open to her ever since she joined the Prison Service fourteen years ago. She had excelled in her chosen profession and had risen through the ranks fairly rapidly; and she'd attained senior status two years previously.

Now, having completed her checks for the evening; she'd have to do it again in two hours time at midnight, she descended the metal stairs to the ground floor. She walked towards the Officer's desk at one end of the large open space. Sitting at the desk were two other women officers. One was an experienced officer named Carol Redman, she and Beverley had worked 'D' wing together for over a year now. They had formed a good working relationship and an understanding, and Carol was happy to let Beverley exercise her unique approach to order and control of the wing and didn't ask questions or interfere. While the wing ran smoothly under Bev's special style of command, Carol was reluctant to make waves.

The other officer was a recent recruit to the Service. At twenty-three, Linda O'Callaghan was eight years Carol's junior and fifteen years younger than Bev.

As the Senior Officer approached the desk, Carol looked up and smiled, "All shipshape Bev?" Beverley smiled back at Carol, she preferred and encouraged the more informal approach to leadership and insisted on first name terms rather than the stuffy 'ma'am'.

"Yes Carol, no knotted bed sheets tonight." Both women laughed at Bev's usual joke.

Linda looked down at the crossword both she and Carol had been struggling with and said,

"Ten across Bev, 'Understand the woolly crop', six and two, last letter 'N'." Bev thought for a few moments, " Er... Cotton On." Both women looked puzzled. "See, wool, cotton and, to understand, cotton on. Get it?" both women grinned, "Oh yeah" said Linda, scribbling the words in to the crossword. "I'd never have thought of that." Linda added.

"Not just a pretty face", said Bev smiling, as she walked off towards her office. When she thought that Bev was out of earshot, Linda whispered, "Do you think she's got a pretty face Carol?"

Carol shrugged her shoulders, " She's OK I suppose. She's got a big arse, I know that."

Linda giggled and said, "Yeah and big boobs. I wonder which one she's had tonight."

Carol didn't answer, she wasn't particularly interested in discussing Bev's sexuality or her conquests. It was old news to her, but it always seemed to fascinate the new ones. A real live dyke in their midst was a source of much gossip and joking amongst the younger officers. But Carol knew from experience that dykes in the prison service were not at all uncommon, or surprising, a bit like tennis.

Linda wasn't to be deterred. "Y'know that new girl in D12, the black girl, the one that's in for fraud, transferred from 'A' wing. I reckon Bev's had her. What's her name, Oh God, it's on the tip of my tongue... a.bit like Bev, eh?" Linda laughed out loud at her own witticism. "I know, Marcia Turner, that's it, Marcia Turner, her. I reckon Bev's shagged her. I saw 'em together the other day, they looked really pally together. Yeah, I'm sure Bev must have got in to her knickers by now." Although Carol only bothered to grunt a response, she knew that Linda was probably right. The new girl, Marcia, was just the kind of pretty young thing to get Bev's juices flowing.

In her office, Bev got down to some paperwork; there were time sheets, overtime payments to calculate, and rotas to sort out. She couldn't have known about the conversation between Linda and Carol, but if she had, she'd have had to agree, Marcia Turner was indeed just the kind of young woman to arouse her interest, in fact she already had. Linda was spot on, Bev had got in to her knickers. Bev's thoughts drifted away from the boring minutiae of the overtime payments and went back to the day, three weeks ago, that she'd managed to seduce the young Marcia. It was a day after Marcia's transfer to 'D' wing. Bev had taken the young black girl into her office on the pretext of giving her a reminder of what was allowed and what wasn't. It was ostensibly the standard pep talk Bev gave to all new arrivals on her wing.

"So Marcia, made yourself a little unpopular with the girls on 'A' wing have you?" Marcia sneered and said, "Weren't my fault, that bitch had it in for me all along." Bev consulted the buff folder on her desk containing a report from Janet Morgan, the Senior Officer and Bev's counterpart on 'A' wing. Bev looked across the desk at Marcia sitting opposite her. Bev thought to herself that this young black woman was very attractive in her T-shirt with her nipples showing through and the tight jeans hugging a good pair of legs and a nice arse.

"It says here that you were constantly fighting with another prisoner, a Karen Ibbotson."

"Yeah, well she asked for it, the cow. She kept making racist remarks an' that. Said she couldn't share a cell wiv no darkie: bitch." Bev stood up and walked around the desk,

"Well Marcia, I won't tolerate violence on my wing. You won't be transferred; you'll be put in solitary if you start fighting again. It is within my power to send you back to 'A' wing straightaway if I think that you will disrupt the peace and calm of my wing.

"Nah, don't do that Miss Rutledge, please, Ibbotson and her mates threatened to stick me if I came back. They'll kill me honest they will. Keep me here, I'll behave meself, just don't send me back to Ibbo and her bunch of crazies." Marcia looked genuinely frightened. Bev stood behind the frightened young black girl as she turned in her seat. Bev leaned down so that her face was level with Marcia's, she spoke softly "It's really up to you Marcia. Be a good girl and I'll let you stay. Be a very good girl and I'll make your time on my wing as much a pleasure as I can. Do you understand what I'm saying?" Marcia stared blankly back. Bev felt that she had to explain further. "What I mean is Marcia, is that I'll be really nice to you, if you're nice to me." Bev then put her hand gently on Marcia's thigh and moved up towards her crotch.