The Doomed Oasis by Hammond; Innes Read Free Book Online Page B

offered a walk. “Tonight. When? What time?” He had jumped to his feet, all the tiredness falling from him. “For Christsake, what time?”
    I hesitated. It was no part of a lawyer’s job to get involved in a criminal case. My duty was plain. “The sensible thing would be for you to give yourself up to the police.”
    He didn’t hear me. His eyes had fastened on the envelope I had left propped up on the mantelpiece. “Were you taking this down to the ship tonight?”
    I nodded, and his hand reached out for the envelope, clutched at it. “I’ll deliver it for you.” He held it as though it were a talisman, his eyes bright with the chance it represented. “That’s all I need. The excuse to go on board. And they wouldn’t catch me this time, not till we were at sea.” He glanced at the window, balanced on the balls of his feet, as though about to take off the way he had come. But then I suppose he realized I should only phone the police. “Will you let me take it?” His voice was urgent, his eyes pleading. “Once on board the Emerald Isle … Please, sir.”
    That “sir” was a measure of his desperation.
    â€œPlease,” he said again. “It’s the only hope I got.”
    He was probably right at that. And if I didn’t let him take it, what other chance would he ever get in life? He’d escaped from Borstal. He’d escaped from the police. With that sort of record he’d be lucky to get away with three years for manslaughter. After that he’d be case-hardened, a criminal for life. And there was the sister, too. A nice girl, that. I sighed. “I’m supposed to be a lawyer,” I reminded him … or maybe I was reminding myself. “Not a travel agency for boys who’ve escaped from the police.”
    â€œBut you’ll let me deliver it, won’t you?”
    What the hell can you do when faced with youth in all its shining innocence and eagerness. “All right,” I said. “You can try it, if you like. But God knows what Griffiths will do.”
    â€œAll I want is the chance to meet up with my father.”
    I realized then that his mind had leap-frogged all the obstacles; he was already mentally sailing the coast of Arabia in search of his father. “All I’m giving you,” I warned him, “is the excuse to get on board that ship. She sails at nine thirty. And those documents have got to be delivered into Captain Griffiths’s hands, understand?”
    â€œI’ll give them to him. I promise.”
    â€œYou know your way about the ship?”
    â€œI knew every corner of her once. It’ll come back to me as soon as I get on board.”
    â€œWell, kindly remember that I’m a solicitor. When you’re caught, as you will be eventually, don’t implicate me. Shall we say you walked into my office to get legal advice, saw the envelope I had forgotten, and took it on the spur of the moment? Is that understood?”
    â€œYes, sir.”
    â€œI’ll take you down to Bute East Dock now,” I said. “After that you’re on your own.” I hesitated. It wasn’t much of a chance I was giving him. He’d no clothes other than what he stood up in, no money probably, nothing, not even a passport. But at least I’d have done what I could for him—what I’d have hoped somebody would do for a son of mine if he’d got himself into a mess like this. But then I hadn’t a son; I hadn’t anybody. “Better clean the blood off your face,” I said and showed him where the wash-place was. “And you’ll need something to hide your torn clothes.”
    I left him in the lavatory and went through the office to the cupboard under the stairs. There was an old overcoat that had been there ever since I’d taken over the place, a black hat, too. He tried them on when he’d finished cleaning himself