Smile of the Stowaway by Tony Bassett

Author:Tony Bassett [Bassett, Tony]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Thriller;stowaway;South of England;family;loyalty;crime;adventure
ISBN: 9781912924493
Publisher: The Conrad Press
Published: 2018-12-11T13:47:20+00:00

21

Yusuf looked haggard and unwell when Anne and I were finally allowed to visit him on Thursday, November the twelfth. He had always been an outdoors man who relished the fresh air and being at one with nature.

The ordeal of being locked in a cell for the best part of twenty-four hours a day appeared to have crushed his spirit.

He had been allowed to shower and change into a grey shirt and brown trousers. But he was downcast. Even his enigmatic smile was absent when we squeezed into his small cell for our visit. We had only gained permission to see him after Mrs Carslake made a personal request to the chief superintendent.

As Yusuf had requested, we had brought along two photographs of Fiesta the cat. One pictured the pet walking gracefully towards the camera with a proud look upon his face. The other showed Yusuf holding the pet outside the front door of our cottage.

We had brought a small container of poster adhesive with which he managed to stick them onto the wall beside his bed.

‘The police have been talking to you about the murder then?’ I said after he stood back to admire the pictures.

‘Yes. They think I tied Lucas to a chair and blew off his head with a big firework. They’re crazy!’

‘Mrs Carslake has told us everything and we are going to do everything possible to get you out of here,’ Anne assured him.

I could tell from Anne’s face she was distressed to find our friend in such a predicament, but she was hiding it as best she could for Yusuf’s sake. We both realised there were aspects of his life which were closed off to us. He had no doubt crossed swords with some unsavoury characters, including some criminals - in his efforts to reach the safety of Britain.

We were also aware Sharp left our friend deeply upset by blaming him for the theft. However, we were equally convinced our friend could, by no stretch of the imagination, have carried out the horrific murder.

I tried to cheer him up as best I could.

‘Fiesta’s been chasing birds in the garden again,’ I informed him. ‘Sometimes she sits on the mat outside the front door. She looks up whenever a cyclist comes by. She’s probably looking out for you.’

‘I miss Fiesta,’ he said. ‘I miss everything about your cottage and the garden. Are there still foxgloves growing in the lane?’

‘Yes, along with some daisies and there are some hollyhocks as well now!’ I said with a laugh.

We said our goodbyes. I shook Yusuf’s hand and Anne kissed him on the cheek. We promised to visit him again soon.

But, as we drove slowly home, I began to realise we would have to put our normal lives on hold.

‘Bob, we have to help Yusuf. We are probably the only people who know for sure he couldn’t have carried out this murder’ she said.

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