Story Episode 13

As we were enjoying a leisurely breakfast before travelling to G4S HQ later in the day Stan came in to tell us that we had an unwelcome visitor wanting to see us. Nathan Roberts.

"He is insistent that he speaks to you Gray" said Stan.

"OK I replied, you had better let him in".

On entering the room Roberts had a look of thunder on his face. "Jones" he said "I have got a bone to pick with you"

"Do come in and sit down Mr. Roberts. Would you like a cup of tea or coffee?"

"I've no time for that" he replied "I hear you have been bothering my missus".

"Who told you that?" I asked.

"My mate at the MOT garage". He said you wanted to know my address. When I got home last night the chap over the road said there had been a car outside the house with people looking in at my wife in the back garden. It could only have been you lot."

I confirmed that we had visited his street to see where he lived but that we had not intended to upset his wife in any way. If we had done so we were very sorry.

I told Roberts that our main concern was to get Ken and Tom back from South Africa. After that, if possible, we would like to get the man who had imprisoned us and whoever was working with him at G4S HQ.  I told Roberts that we were not interested in pursuing him or the other jailer. No doubt you were just trying to get some paid work in what is a difficult time economically.

I could see that he was wavering so I followed up by saying that if we really had wanted to get him into trouble he would have been under arrest by now. Roberts started to calm down and nodded his head. "Perhaps I will have that cup of coffee now" he said to Stan.

I apologised to him for hitting him during our escape. He said that there were no hard feelings about that. In my position he would have done the same. There was no lasting damage done to his back  He said he actually felt sorry for us prisoners but he needed the work.

When I asked if the four of us had been the only ones imprisoned he confirmed that there had been no others before us.  He said that the prison had been in a right old state when they had first got there. It obviously hadn't been used for some time and needed a really thorough clean up. 

I asked if he knew any more about the place. He said it had been some kind of military lock up at one time and Kelly had got hold of it through an army friend in Wiltshire.  So now we knew the name of our interviewer - Kelly. That would come in useful when we got to meet Mr. Anderson later in the day at G4S HQ.

Roberts departed on amicable terms and we shared a joint sigh of relief.  Now we could concentrate on our trip to Crawley.