The Escape

Chapter seventeen

Later that day, Barry was still so distressed that he almost walked out of McDonalds without paying for his hamburger and chips. He caught himself and delved into his pocket for the right money, before taking his tray to a table to eat his meal. By the time he had finished, he knew what he was going to do and he was going to do it now.

Barry hoped that he had the right address. He remembered Colin talking about his father-in-law’s decorating business, which was near his home. He got help at the library from an assistant to look through the Yellow Pages for the address of Scott’s Decorators. Then they used the register of voters and found the home address in a nearby street.

It was early evening, and it had taken Barry a good two hours to drive there. The small end-of-terrace house was spotless. The garden was well cared for, with potted plants in large urns by the sage-green front door. It all looked freshly painted and well maintained, as befitting the house of a builder and decorator.

He rang the doorbell, and waited. He was nervous, and kept on patting his tie and fiddling with his collar to make it sit flat. The door opened and suddenly Karen was facing him. He recognised her from the photographs he had seen in the cell he’d shared with Colin.

‘Hello, Karen,’ he said quietly, realising that she was even prettier in real life.

She looked at him, puzzled, wondering who he was. ‘Yes, can I help you?’ she asked.

‘I’m Barry, a friend of your husband’s.’

Before she could say anything, there was a wild yell. Crawling towards her shapely legs at an astonishing pace, Barry saw a blue-eyed toddler. Now a year old with a head full of dark hair, he was the spitting image of Colin, and he chuckled with joy as Karen bent down to scoop him up in her arms.

‘Justin, you be a good boy.’

At that moment, an elderly man came up the small garden path and stood directly behind Barry.

‘Who’s this?’ he asked sharply.

‘Hi, Dad. He says he’s a friend of Colin’s, but I don’t know him.’

Next, Karen’s mother came to the door to ask what was happening.

‘He’s another convict like that no-good husband of hers, and he’s not welcome in my house,’ Karen’s father said, wagging his finger at Barry.

‘Please, Mr Scott, I’m just asking for a few minutes of your time,’ Barry pleaded.

‘We don’t want anything to do with Colin or anyone connected to him. You can clear off and tell him my daughter is going to divorce him,’ he said, and started to close the door.

Karen’s mother stepped forward and held the door open. ‘We should at least listen to what this young man has to say.’

Her husband turned his back and started to walk away, but his wife was firm. ‘And that includes you as well, my dear!’

They all sat in the nicely furnished lounge, which had a floral carpet, velvet sofa and matching chairs. Barry had never in his life had to deal with a task like he was now facing. He knew he would have to keep calm and speak steadily, as he could sense Karen’s parents’ mistrust and hostility after he had told them who he was. Karen held the little boy on her lap as he cuddled a soft teddy bear.

Barry took a deep breath and, as nervous as he was, he knew it was very important that he explain everything properly.

‘Colin wanted more than anything to be with Karen at the birth. He was heartbroken when the prison wouldn’t let him, and he became very depressed.’

‘Well, he only made things worse by trying to escape,’ Mr Scott said.

‘That wasn’t Colin’s idea. It was mine. He didn’t want to do it, but I persuaded him it would work and then he and Karen could be together,’ Barry said.

Mr Scott let out a huffing sound. ‘And once the baby was born? What was he going to do then… go on the run again?’

‘Honestly, he was going to give himself up. He didn’t want to cause any trouble for any of you. He just wanted to be with Karen at the birth.’

They sat in silence as Barry broke down in tears. ‘He’s in a bad way and very depressed. If you saw him, you wouldn’t believe the state he’s in.’

‘What do you mean? Is he sick?’ Karen asked.

‘I think he was badly beaten by the prison officers, but I don’t know the full story as he can’t speak properly and slurs his words.’

‘I don’t understand. Is that because of the beating?’

Barry nodded before continuing. ‘He didn’t escape to do any crimes or hurt no one. He just wanted to be at the hospital for you. You’ve got to go visit him and let him see and hold his baby boy. It’s only right.’

Karen hugged her little boy close and started crying. Her mother had to go and fetch a box of tissues, as she had started crying, too. Only her father was still surly and unforgiving, as he refused to believe a word of what Barry had told them.

‘You’ve got to visit him, Karen. I will drive you there and back whenever you want to see him,’ Barry said.

‘No grandson of mine is going to be taken to a bloody prison. Having my daughter married to that man is bad enough.’

Barry stood up, facing Karen’s father.

‘That’s not fair. You know that he was straight during the time he was working for you. He was doing good and got his life on track. Are you saying that doesn’t count for anything? Didn’t he work hard for you? Didn’t he love your daughter? Won’t you at least help a man who risked everything to be with Karen when she gave birth? Your son-in-law is not a bad bloke, but you leave him inside with no hope and he will turn bad.’

Karen’s father was still not convinced and his wife asked to speak to him alone in the kitchen while she made a pot of tea.

‘Are you blind?’ his wife asked.

‘What do you mean by that?’

‘Can’t you tell how much Karen misses Colin? Deep down she still loves him so, when we go back in there, you will support her decision, whatever it is. Do I make myself clear?’

Her husband paused. ‘Yes, if that’s what you want,’ he finally agreed.

They went back into the living room, carrying the tea and a tray of biscuits.

‘Do you want to see him?’ Karen’s father asked, though it was still clear that he disapproved.

Karen looked at her mother. She had always found it difficult to stand up to her father, even more so lately, as she and the baby were living under his roof. Her mother nodded and Karen turned to her father.

‘I want to see him, Dad. I don’t know if we’ll ever get back together, but I need to see him and at least talk to him. Colin has the right to see Justin and, as he’s just a baby, he won’t even know he’s in a prison.’

It was agreed and that, whenever Karen was ready to visit, Barry would drive her there. Barry was able to drive home feeling that he had finally done the right thing. His own life had changed greatly since the escape and, unlike Colin’s, it was entirely for the better. Now he hoped that his dear friend’s life would change for the better as well.