Sophie Hannah - A Room Swept White

RH:

I met Helen Yardley once, thats all. What do you want me to say about her? I thought you wanted to talk about me.

LN:

I do, very much. You dont seem to, though.

(Pause)

LN:

I dont want you to say anything in particular about Helen. Im not trying to

RH:

I met her once. A few days before her appeal. Everyone wanted her to get out. Not only the women. All the staff too. None of them believed she was guilty. That was down to you.

LN:

I was only a small part of the effort. There were

RH:

You were the public face and the loudest voice. I was told youd get me out. By my lawyers, by nearly everyone I met inside. And you did. Thanks to you, and because of the timing, I had it relatively easy, in Durham and in Geddham Hall, give or take a few minor run-ins with idiots.

LN:

The timing?

RH:

Public opinion was turning by the time I was convicted. Your hard work was having an effect. If my case had come to court a year later than it did, Id have been acquitted.

LN:

Like Sarah, you mean?

(Pause)

RH:

I wasnt thinking of Sarah Jaggard, no.

LN:

She stood trial in 2005. A year after you. She was acquitted.

RH:

I wasnt thinking of her. I was thinking of myself, in the hypothetical situation of my trial taking place a year later.

(Pause)

LN:

What? Why are you smiling?

RH:

The group identity is important to you. As it is to Helen Yardley.

LN:

Go on.

RH:

Us. The women you campaigned for. You say Helen and Sarah as if theyre my friends. I know nothing about either of them. And what little I do know tells me we have nothing in common, apart from the obvious. Helen Yardleys husband stood by her throughout, never once doubted her innocence. Thats one thing we dont have in common.

LN:

Have you had any contact with Angus since getting out?

(Long pause)

LN:

It must be difficult for you to talk about. Shall we go back to Helen and Sarah? They dont know you any better than you know them, and yet, from speaking to both of them, I can tell you that they feel a strong affinity with you. Because of what you call the obvious.

(Pause)

LN:

Ray, youre unique. Your tragedy is something that only happened to you. I know that. Im not trying to chip away at your right to be an individual. I hope you understand that. Im simply saying that

RH:

Sarah Jaggard was acquitted. She was accused of killing one child, not her own. Theres even less common ground between me and her than there is between me and Helen Yardley.

(Pause)

LN:

Ray, you know, Id understand completely if you said youd had moments when you hated both Helen and Sarah. They would understand it.

RH:

Why would I hate two women I dont know?

LN:

Sarah was acquitted. All right, she had to endure a trial, but she got a not guilty verdict. Thats the verdict you should have got. Meanwhile you were stuck inside, wondering if youd ever get out. If you resented her even if you wished in your darkest moments that her verdict had gone the other way itd be only natural. And Helen you said it yourself, everyone knew she wasnt guilty. Her appeal was coming up just as you landed at Geddham Hall. When you heard she was going home, and you knew you werent, you might well have hated her, wanted her appeal to fail. No one would blame you.

RH:

Im glad youre recording this. Id like to say very clearly, for the official record, that I felt none of these feelings youre attributing to me.

LN:

Im not