The Blame: A totally gripping mystery and suspense novel by Kerry Wilkinson

Author:Kerry Wilkinson [Wilkinson, Kerry]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781800195011
Publisher: Bookouture
Published: 2021-02-19T00:00:00+00:00

Twenty-Two

The visiting area of the prison is not what I’d expected, although – with that – I guess that’s because I’ve watched far too many US TV shows. There is no glass divider, with a telephone to talk from side to side – and no surly guard standing nearby with a baton at the ready.

Instead, it is more of a school canteen – but without the annoying, screaming children. It’s a wide, echoing hall that’s filled with tables and chairs that are bolted to the floor. It could probably fit fifty or sixty people in total, except, for now, there is only one.

Me.

I thought Oliver and I would be seeing Richard together but that was apparently never the plan. Not for Oliver, anyway. He turned himself into my chauffeur without me realising until we got to the prison. He ushered me onwards, saying only one visitor was allowed. There was no time to question who, what or why.

There are vending machines on the other side of the room and I cross to them and scan the contents, more to re-familiarise myself with British junk food as opposed to anything else. In the time I’d been away, I’ve forgotten about Flamin’ Hot Monster Munch, not to mention Cheesy Wotsits and Roast Beef and Mustard Brannigans. There are small packets of Jaffa Cakes, Double Deckers, Topics, Boosts, and Wispas.

I have no idea why I ever left the UK.

There’s a clunk and then a heavy door swings open and a guard appears who’s wearing a white shirt and dark tie. There is a bunch of keys attached to his waist that rattle around like a loose screw in a jam jar.

‘Can you sit?’ he asks – although it’s more of an order than a question.

I cross back to the table where I was before and take a seat. The guard reopens the door, says something to whoever’s outside, and then two more people appear.

The first is another guard, who could be a non-identical twin of the first guy.

The second is Richard.

There’s still no orange jumpsuit; instead, he’s wearing something drab and grey that’s at least a size too big. He looks both ways, taking in the almost empty room, and then homes in on me as the guard leads him across. I stand and offer my hand to shake but there’s a moment of ungainliness as the guard has to undo Richard’s cuffs to release his wrists.

I half expect to be told ‘no’ by the guard – but there’s little objection as we shake hands. Richard leans in and we end up transitioning into an awkward double-pat-release, something I don’t believe we had ever done as teenagers.

Richard slots into his chair, with me opposite, and the two guards drift away to the wall near the vending machines. The two of us spend a second or three looking at one another. He seemed trim and fit in his suit at court but here, face to face, he is a lot thinner. It feels more as if it’s from a lack of food than exercise.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.