Chapter Four
“Bennett!”
Vera did not recognize the voice that rudely awakened her from sleep. Her first night in protection was not a restful one. She only dozed off when the light of the fledgling day trickled into her cell from the small window that broke the monotony of the gray wall.
“Bennett, wake up,” the woman repeated, “breakfast.”
Despite sleep hanging heavily over her, Vera got up and took the tray from the slot in her door. The cold face of the corrections officer was one unknown to Vera.
“Could you tell the Governor that I would like to see her?”
“Yeah, but I don’t think she’ll come,” the woman said.
Vera saw her name tag, Miss Hood. She was new to Wentworth. Vera heard that Ferguson had hired replacements for her, Will Jackson, and a few others that had been implicated in the “conspiracy” against her for which she and Will had been sentenced for along with other crimes.
The morning past slowly. With no books, no one to talk to, and nothing to do, time was not kind. Vera’s thoughts traveled to her last days as Governor. Maybe she deserved punishment. She had taken a satisfaction in tormenting Joan. She had enjoyed what Joan had called, “little victories” over the former Governor, her mentor. Maybe she wasn’t as different from Joan as she thought. She did not suffer from having euthanized her own mother. She took some enjoyment in the fact that Joan was ganged by Juice and her “boys” even though this came back at her as a false accusation.
Vera remembered that there was never proof of the Governor’s role in connection with Jodie Spiteri's abuse and subsequent mental breakdown. Bridget Westfall's file on the Governor had turned Vera against her. She had made her believe that Joan was a psychopath. Was it all a mistake? Maybe Joan was working for the “better good” all along and Vera had misconstrued her actions. How could she be so wrong? Maybe she was the psychopath.
So engrossed in her thoughts, Vera did not realize she was being watched from the other side of the glass that framed the entrance of her cell. The Governor watched as Vera stared at the wall, sometimes tilting her head and straining as if to listen to a non-existent voice.
“Bennett,” Joan cleared her voice and called to the woman in the cell, “I hear you wished to see me.”
Startled, Vera turned to face her captor. “Umm, yes, Governor, I was hoping I might be allowed to shower.”
“Shower? You haven’t been here 24 hours and you are already making demands?”
“I’m sorry,” sputtered Vera, “I didn’t mean it that way. I haven’t showered for three days now. Since being in holding following the trial for processing.”
The Governor seemed to think over the request for a brief moment, “Miss Hood, arrange for Bennett to shower.”
“Yes, Governor. Immediately.”
The warm water trickled over her body and soothed her soul. Vera enjoyed this brief return to humanity which had been denied her these last few months during the police interrogations and her incarceration prior to the trial. She was not granted bail as she was judged a flight risk having few ties to the community except for her job, a job that she had lost when she was arrested.
“Enjoying your shower?” the Governor’s voice brought Vera back to the present. She had been watching her. Little did Vera know that Joan was very much aroused. Her eyes fixed on Vera’s slim body. She eagerly took in every little imperfection. She had stripped Vera so many times in her imagination when she was her Deputy but the supple body that was before her now was much more beautiful than she had envisioned.
“Enjoying yourself?” Vera did not notice the faltering in the Governor’s voice but she felt the Governor’s eyes on every corner of her body.
“I, I’ll be out in a moment. I’m sorry I took so long.” Vera was scared. She vividly remembered the strip search where she realized Joan had been viciously ganged in the showers. She had failed to protect her. Joan had been under her care and she failed her. She realized how defenseless she was.
“Miss Hood will take you back to your cell,” Joan averted her eyes and left the room.