Law & Order

by G. F. Newman

  ‘That’s all,’ Maudling said. ‘Dismissed.’

  ‘About turn! Move out,’ Chief Officer Carne ordered.

  In a daze Lynn turned and walked out, hardly noticing the bruising grip the two screws at his side kept. Their grip was all that was holding him up as he teetered on the edge of chaos.

  Emotion churned through him as he was escorted across to the wing. In his anger and pain he was ready to strike out and hurt somebody, anybody, as if spreading pain around would relieve his own suffering. Seventeen years! His head pounded as he thought about his family. Dolly would be fifty-five by the time he got out, if he got out. How could he expect her to wait for him? Carol, his eldest daughter, would be thirty, and Sandra would be twenty-seven – grown women who would have made lives of their own. Nausea washed over him with no connection to the contents of his stomach and no amount of vomiting would alleviate. He was sick at heart. The only way he would find relief was for someone like di Pyle to receive pain from him, he was the one he truly wanted to hurt, but clearly that bastard couldn’t be hurt, and he knew the complaint against him, currently being investigated by CIB, wouldn’t do it in view of the Appeal Court’s finding.

  As the door was opened to his cell on the threes, he turned with a cry of anguish from deep within him and launched himself at the two escort screws. The move was anticipated and they quickly slammed the door causing Lynn to hit the solid riveted steel plate with the full force of his charge. With his fists he pounded the door as though it were a uniform and would yield to punishment. The flesh on his knuckles tore open and blood spurted from between his fingers, but at that moment he felt no pain. ‘You dirty fuckers! You no-good dirty flicking cunts! I was fitted by that dirty flicker!’ he screamed, over and over until he was hoarse and exhausted, with tears streaming down his face. With nothing left he became silent and still, when he felt physical pain, which soon dominated his emotions and he was grateful for it. He wrapped his towel around his knuckles, uncertain how he had come by the injury, and lay down on the bed and quietly cried until thoughts about his predicament opened doors to fresh hostility, fresh hurt, anger, hatred. Someone was going to suffer for what they were doing to him and he prayed for it to be someone responsible for this, but finally anyone would do.

  #

  The warders didn’t unlock him for supper or association that evening, nor to slop out. They were probably too wary for that, leaving him behind his door to get used to the idea that he was in for seventeen, knowing the first through the door was going to get it.

  After wrestling with his feelings alone for two days, he was no more ready to settle down to serve his time, but was now enough in control to know that, if he was going to get out, he needed cunning. Attacking screws and hurting them would in the long run only hurt him. Instead, he thought about Brian Smith and his plan to get out. Later, when the landing screw opened the door for association, he stepped out quietly and went along to see Brian Smith.

  The young blond lad was lying on his bed reading a newspaper. There was silence as they looked at each other, both knowing why he was there.

  ‘Sorry to hear about the appeal result, Jack,’ Brian Smith said at last. ‘It was really bad luck.’

  Lynn laughed. ‘One way to put it, Bri’. What a turn-up. Knocked me sideways, it did.’

  There was another pause. ‘I see the Bill are not having it all their own way, Jack,’ the younger man said, showing him a newspaper story about two villains at the Bailey getting a result because of allegations of police corruption involving detectives on the Squad. ‘Some of those in trouble are quite senior officers.’

  ‘I expect they’ll all end up with a commendation.’ It was a fact of life. He put his head out of the door to check the landing to make sure no one was about. ‘You sorted that one you was plotting, Bri’, have you?’

  ‘No. Not at all,’ Brian Smith said, sitting forward on the bed. ‘It’s more or less been in limbo, to see what happened with your appeal.’ He seemed awkward about that.

  Lynn didn’t hesitate. ‘I’ll have some of it with you.’

  ‘That’s fantastic,’ Brian Smith said excitedly, like there could now be no possibility of their not making it out. His enthusiasm made Lynn feel hopeful.

  ‘What’s the chances of putting one more in, Bri’?’ he asked.

  ‘Who? Not Steve Collins? That’s trouble.’

  He shook his head. ‘That ponce’s about the last person I’d want to take those sort of chances with. I was thinking about Bobby. I mean, there’s no other way he’s gonna get out, is there?’ He hadn’t even hinted at the possibility to Mark, but felt sure he’d want some. ‘There’s no way I would leave him behind, unless he blanks the offer.’

  Brian Smith hesitated. ‘To be honest, Jack, I hadn’t thought about three. Is he well enough to try one, do you think – after his operation?’

  ‘I’d say he was,’ Lynn said. ‘He’ll be all right.’ He checked the landing again.

  ‘Would you not go without him?’ Brian Smith said. ‘I mean, if there were some sort of problem with him?’

  ‘I want to make one as bad as you, Bri’. I wouldn’t put a gun to your head or anything.’

  Smith nodded. ‘Well, if you think he’ll be all right.’

  ‘Good as gold. You see. What d’you have in mind?’

  ‘I have some keys which I made. They’ll get us out of the wing. What we’ll have to do is knock out the landing screws.’

  He waited apprehensively, and Lynn could see he wanted his agreement.

  ‘Knocking out screws won’t be easy, but it’ll have to do unless we find something better. What about outside?’

  ‘I haven’t worked it out. Any suggestions would be useful. We have the dog patrols to cope with and both the fence and the wall, and the security cameras.’

  ‘Yeah, they want some thinking about.’ He glanced at the younger man, seeing the anxiety in his face. ‘But they’re just details, Bri’. There ain’t a problem what can’t be overcome.’

  ‘Look, is it all right there?’ Smith nodded towards the landing.

  ‘They’ll all be watching telly:’

  From inside his mattress Brian Smith produced two sets of keys and a large handmade knife.

  ‘Fucking stroll on!’ Lynn exclaimed. He had seen prison chivs before, but nothing like that. ‘Where the fuck d’you get that?’ he asked, taking the weapon and examining it.

  ‘I made it. It’ll do, Jack, won’t it, if we take a hostage?’

  ‘I’d say so. S’hope you don’t have to stab no one.’ He handed the knife back.

  ‘What about the keys? Any chance you can look after them? They’re a bit of a problem. I don’t like leaving them here during the day, and they run the metal detector over us as we leave the metal shop. I don’t really know why I made two sets,’ he said, as Lynn took the bulky keys.

  ‘Yeah, I’ll have one set, ’course I will. I’ll give Bob the other set to mind… shush!’ Lynn cautioned, hearing someone on the landing. Brian Smith thrust the knife back into his mattress.

  Collins appeared in the doorway. ‘What you up to?’

  ‘Leave off, Steve,’ Lynn said. ‘I thought you was a screw. Bri’ was just about to go down on me.’ He winked at Smith, sharing the joke.

  ‘You got one plotted up!’ Collins said intuitively. ‘You’re trying not to put me in, you fuckers.’

  ‘Shut up, Steve, for fuck sake. You’ll get us all nicked.’ Lynn checked the landing.

  The situation presented him with a problem, whether or not to bring Collins in on the breakout. Neither of them wanted him, but he wouldn’t be easily put off and was jealous enough to ruin it for them if he wasn’t included. An idea came to him to allay this man’s suspicions.

  ‘Steve, come here. Let’s talk.’ He signalled to Brian Smith to be cool and led Collins out.

  ‘Wha
t’s the score, Jack?’ Collins asked, having preceded him into his cell. ‘Don’t take me for an old mug.’

  ‘No. If I get something going, I’ll put you in,’ he promised. Lynn watched him closely, hoping he was convinced. ‘I want a favour, Steve. That screw you got straightened over on the gate, the one who can do something about improving visits – any chance he could do one for me?’

  ‘I would’ve thought so. You have to bung him. I mean, it comes to dough.’ He hesitated. ‘The thing is, he’s got to have the money up front. What did you have in mind?’

  ‘To be honest, Steve, I wouldn’t mind giving my old lady a taste, if it can be done. I can’t even remember what it’s like when I have a wank.’ He lowered his voice as if to emphasise his shame. ‘To tell you the truth, Steve, I was thinking of browning Brian.’

  There was no doubt that that convinced Collins for such information immediately put him in control of the situation.

  With a sympathetic nod, Collins said, ‘It does you up in the head, son, don’t it, not having a dip.’ He smiled. ‘You know who it is over at the gate who arranges it? S’the po, Gordon Walters. But whatever you do, Jack, don’t try to jib him. The money’s gotta be there if he does the business.’

  ‘It will be, won’t it?’

  ‘It’s easily enough arranged. You just get your party to contact his party on the outside – I got an address back in m’ cell. You tell him what you want and when. He’ll tell you whether it can be done, and how much it will stand you in.’

  ‘He’s all right, Steve, is he?’ Lynn asked. ‘He’s not likely to go the other way and nick me?’

  ‘He’s been as good as gold with me. Times I’ve given my old woman one on a visit. Don’t worry, I’ll put you in.’

  Although the idea of making love to his wife wasn’t the prime object of the exercise, suddenly it was growing in appeal, and he convinced himself that it might be essential cover to disguise what he was doing from both Collins and the principle officer in charge of the gate. He smiled and put his arm around Collins’s shoulder. ‘Good luck, Steve. You’re a diamond.’

  53

  IT TOOK LYNN OVER A MONTH to arrange the details, waiting for his next visit from his wife. The intention to escape wasn’t something he could write to her about. At first she was sceptical, saw all sorts of dangers and dire consequences, but the arrangements were fairly easy to make and cost three hundred pounds. It would have been cheap at treble the price, he decided, if everything went to plan. How Dolly got-the money he was afraid to ask.

  The plan, arranged through the gate po, was for him to make love with Dolly on her visit after next. The details he was to give her would be imparted in complete privacy.

  The clock didn’t move the afternoon of that visit as he awaited Dolly’s arrival. When at last he was called out of the workshop and escorted across to the visiting block by two screws, he was afraid of planting one foot in front of the other in case he did something wrong and was sent back. His anxiety didn’t pass unnoticed. ‘What’s wrong with you?’ a screw asked..

  ‘Nothing, sir,’ Lynn said. ‘Excitement, I s’pose.’

  Doors and gates were unlocked before him and locked after him in familiar, strict routine. In the corridor where the category ‘A’ prisoners’ visiting cubicles were situated, alarm spread through him. There were visits in progress in each of the four areas and he assumed something had gone wrong with the plan, that the po had taken his money with no intention of producing the goods. Lynn immediately began thinking of ways he could get back at him, when Gordon Walters put in an appearance in person.

  ‘Everything all right, Mr Berridge?’ the po asked, as if with no notion of what was happening.

  ‘A bit full up,’ the screw said.

  ‘Yes, a mistake was made on the gate,’ Walters replied. That was where all the visitors were controlled from. ‘Stick him in here for now,’ he said, going along the corridor and pulling open the door of a holding cell.

  Dolly was already waiting there for him. Lynn almost fainted with excitement when he caught sight of her.

  Motioning him inside, Walters said, ‘You got twenty minutes alone.’

  Lynn was about to protest that the deal was for an hour, but knew any argument might have cost him this visit altogether.

  Inside the cell Lynn clung to Dolly, enjoying feeling her soft warm body pressed to his, smelling the perfume she was wearing, having all but forgotten what it was like to hold her in his arms.

  She voiced most of his doubts. ‘I can’t believe this is happening. I can’t believe it, Jack.’ He could hear anxiety in her voice and it worried him.

  ‘I been walking round in a daze ever since the appeal. That knocked me giddy. Now this… I mean, I can’t believe any of it’s hap­pening.’

  ‘I know. I know, Doll,’ he replied quietly. ‘I feel the same.’ He just wanted to stand there holding her, reassuring himself about what he was feeling. They were silent for a few moments, then he whispered, his lips close to her ear, ‘We’re gonna make one out, Doll, me and a couple of others.’

  ‘Jack…?’ The information startled her, but he kept a firm grip and stopped her signalling any surprise.

  ‘It’s all right. S’gonna be all right, I promise you. I’ll tell you in a little while. S’one or two things you got to do,’ – he assumed she would without question. ‘Just relax, love, try and relax. Come on, we only got twenty minutes.’ Her body was hard and tense in his arms. ‘The way I feel I can’t see me lasting two minutes.’ He ground his hips into her, letting her feel how hard and reaching he was but her tension made him more anxious. The circumstances weren’t conducive to love-making and Dolly always had to feel at ease before she could get anything out of it. Even the thought of the girls coming into the room and interrupting them was enough to put her off. ‘Take it easy, love. Come on, it’s all right. It is,’ he counselled, running his hands over her tense body. Minutes seemed to tick away with the speed of seconds. He didn’t like rushing into this but knew he had no choice here.

  ‘No one won’t come in, Jack, will they?’ Anxiety gave her a pained expression.

  ‘No, ’course they won’t,’ he said. ‘It’s all arranged.’ But she wasn’t convinced.

  He pressed on regardless, caressing her large breasts. He put his hands up her jumper and unfastened her bra. There was no feeling in his hands – he had forgotten what her breasts felt like. Pushing panic back he quickly ran his hands down her thighs, and lifted her skirt. Still he felt nothing as he brought his hand up over her tights and pushed roughly into the top of her pants. Delight rushed him as he remembered how thick and bushy her pubic hair was but, as he moved down to find the opening of her vagina, he met with resistance from Dolly. He let out a tiny cry of protest. Finally, she parted her legs, but that didn’t seem to improve the situation. She was very dry. He persevered. Awkwardly he eased her back with him onto the narrow bed, but she was like a board. They didn’t say anything to each other as he dragged down her tights and pants, trying to create excitement in his actions. A sigh escaped from him at the sight of her, and his breathing quickened, but then he saw her glance nervously towards the door. He pretended to himself something different as he knelt and put his tongue against her. The taste and the smell brought a rush of memories, but no feeling of pleasure, rather pain. Still Dolly was unable to relax and time was running out. The seconds were raining in his brain like hammer blows. He moistened her vagina with saliva, knowing he would have to forget her needs for the moment and simply answer his own before it was too late. Doubt crept in and he questioned his own ability to do anything in these circumstances. What if po Walters was watching at the Judas hole? His erection began to fade. Anxiety drenched him in sweat. He zipped open his fly, but recession was affecting everything! Not understanding what was happening, or why he was like this in the face of his urgent need, he started to get angry; then more angry a
s he tried in vain to penetrate Dolly. She caressed him but to no avail.

  Finally, their time ran out and, having failed to achieve sexual intercourse or relief of any kind, he hurt with the kind of rage that people killed in. Dolly was in no better state, and blamed herself for the dismal result.

  ‘I’m sorry, Jack… sorry, love,’ she said over and over, crying the whole while.

  So wrapped up was he with his failure to get what he wanted, he was hardly aware of her or her problem. ‘Jesus, that has never happened before,’ he was saying.

  ‘It’s this situation. I mean, like this, s’not natural.’

  ‘S’all that fucking gear they stick in your tea. What a time for it to happen.’ He thought fleetingly of the men he’d stiffed since being inside and, having had no problem on those occasions, wondered if he was going the other way. ‘I was looking forward to this. Cor, you don’t know how much, Doll. Too much, I s’pose.’ He pulled her closer to himself.

  ‘S’my fault, Jack. I was so tense. I’m sorry.’

  ‘I’ll get back to my peter and get a raving popcorn, you see. Wish I could take you back there for a little while.’

  ‘It is nice being with you like this, Jack, even if it’s for such a short time.’ She clung to him like a child.

  ‘We’ll make a proper job of it when I get out,’ he whispered, his lips close to her ear. It was time to talk of the things she had to know about the breakout. ‘S’one or two arrangements you gotta make for me.’