The Escape by Lynda La Plante Read Free Book Online Page A

police still had no idea where he was. They returned to his home address and this time his mother was in. She had been shocked to
hear that he had escaped from the court, and claimed to have no clue as to what he was up to or where he could be. When the police searched the house, she became vicious, outraged that they doubted
her word.
    ‘Believe me, if Barry had turned up here, I would have reported him immediately. He’s never done anything but cause me trouble,’ she said bitterly.
    ‘Sorry, we’re just doing our jobs, ma’am,’ a fresh-faced policeman replied as they went on searching the house.
    As his mother had insisted, he wasn’t there, but, as the police were leaving, they asked for a list of anyone she thought he might be in contact with.
    ‘None of the family, I can tell you that for certain. He’s just a ruddy loser,’ she said with a coldness that sounded cruel.
    Eventually, she gave the police some names and numbers, but told them it was a waste of their time. The police thanked her, but felt no further forward than when they had started.
    Barry’s other relatives and known contacts were also questioned, but no one had seen or heard from him, and no one seemed to care a jot about him. The prison authorities were not happy.
They didn’t care that Marsden was a low-risk prisoner. The fact was, he had escaped and that made them look bad in the public eye. When the police reported back that they were unable to trace
Barry, the Governor of the prison ordered the cell to be searched for any clues. He also said that Barry’s cellmate, Colin Burrows, was to be brought to his office for questioning.
    By late afternoon, East wing was buzzing with rumour and speculation among the inmates. A prisoner returning from a different court had heard two officers in reception talking
about a prisoner who had escaped. The officers were trying to lay the blame squarely on the female officer who’d escorted Barry Marsden.
    ‘What, the wimpy guy with the jam-jar glasses?’ a fellow inmate asked.
    ‘Yep, so don’t expect the screws to be in a good mood tonight.’
    Barry was lying on Colin’s bed reading a comic when the officers unlocked and flung open the cell door. Then they dragged him into the corridor so they could carry out a
search. He’d managed to take off his glasses and hide them in his hand without being seen.
    ‘Governor wants a chat about your cellmate, Barry Marsden. Seems he’s disappeared. You know anything about that, do you?’ one officer asked, and poked him in the chest.
    ‘No, sir. He’s at court, sir.’
    Barry kept his head down and tried to slip his glasses into his pocket. The officer, wondering what he was trying to hide, grabbed his hand and twisted it hard. Barry yelped in pain and dropped
the glasses. That was the moment the game was up, as the officer pulled his head back by the hair and recognised him as Barry Marsden, the presumed missing prisoner. At the same time, they found
the art pad and felt tips that Colin had hidden under Barry’s pillow.
    The other prisoners on the block, who were watching through their cell-door windows, shouted, swore and banged loudly on the doors. They were outraged at the way a helpless
fellow prisoner was being treated. Barry picked up his glasses, put them back on and moved slowly along the landing. The officer got impatient and grabbed hold of him, forcing him to walk faster.
Some of the prisoners recognised Barry now he had his glasses on, and knew that it must have been Colin Burrows who had escaped. There was more jeering and swearing at the officers. It was part
shock and part admiration of an inmate who had so daringly escaped using the identity of his cell-mate.
    Barry was really scared as he was manhandled and dragged through the corridors to the Governor’s office. He was shaking uncontrollably as he stood to attention in front of the
Governor’s desk with a prison officer either side of him. At first, he still tried to