Read Online Purgatory: A Prison Diary Volume 2 by Jeffrey Archer - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jeffrey Archer
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out to be a fascinating
one. He was a senior partner in a small successful firm of accountants. He fell
in love with one of the other partners, who was already married to a colleague. One night, on his way home from work, Steve
stopped at a pub he regularly frequented. He knew the barman well and told him
that given half a chance he’d kill the bastard (meaning his girlfriend’s
husband). Steve thought nothing more of it until he received a phone call from
the barman saying that for the right price it could be arranged. The phone call
was being taped by the police, as were several others that followed. It was
later revealed in court that the barman was already in trouble with the police
and reported Steve in the hope that it would help have the charges against him
dropped. It seems the key sentence that mattered was, ‘Are you certain you want
to go ahead with it?’ which was repeated by the barman several times. ‘Yes,’
Steve always replied.
Steve and his girlfriend were arrested, pleaded guilty and
were sentenced to seven years. She currently resides at High-point, while he
has gone from A- to B- to C-cat status in a couple of years (record time), and
is now living on the enhanced wing at Wayland with D-cat status. He doesn’t
want to move to an open prison because Wayland is near his home. He is also the
prison’s chief librarian. I have a feeling that you’ll be hearing more about Steve
in the future.
On the circuit round the perimeter we are joined by the
prisoner I shared a cell with on my first night, Chris (stabbing with a Stanley
knife). He tells me that the News of the World have been in touch with his
mother and will be printing a story on Sunday. He tries to assure me that he
has had no contact with them and his mother has said nothing.
‘Then it will only be three pages,’ I tell him.
When I return to my cell, Jules is looking worried. He’s
also heard that Chris will be featured in the News of ike World this Sunday. Chris told him that a lot of his friends and associates
don’t even know he’s in jail, and he doesn’t want them to find out. He attends
education classes twice a day and wants the chance to start a new life once
he’s been released. I just don’t have the heart to tell him that the News of
the World have absolutely no interest in his future.
10.00 pm
We watch the news. Still more August
storms. At 10.30 Jules switches channels to Ally McBeal while I try
unsuccessfully to sleep. I’m not sure which is more distracting, the TV in our
cell, or the rap music emanating from the other side of the block.
DAY 29 – THURSDAY 16 AUGUST 2001
5.50 am
I wake from a dream in which I had been using the most foul language when talking to Mary. I can’t explain it.
I write for a couple of hours.
8.00 am
I plug in Jules’s radio so that I can hear Mary’s interview
with John Humphrys. I shave while the news is on, and become more and more
nervous. It’s always the same. I am very anxious when William screens one of
the documentaries he’s been working on, or James is running the 800 metres, and
especially whenever Mary has to give a talk that lay people might expect to
understand. She’s first on after the news and handles all of John Humphrys’ questions
in that quiet academic way that could only impress an intelligent listener. But
I can tell, even after her first reply, just how nervous she is. Once Mary has
dealt with the Kurds and Baroness Nicholson, Humphrys moves on to the subject
of how I’m getting on in jail. That was when Mary should have said, ‘My
agreement with you, Mr Humphrys, was to discuss only matters arising from the
Kurds.’ Once Mary failed to point this out, he moved on to the trial, the
appeal and the sentence. I had warned her that he would. He has no interest in
keeping to any agreement made between her and the producer. And that’s why he
is such a sharp interviewer, as I know from past experience.
9.30 am
I call Mary, who feels she was dreadful and
one. He was a senior partner in a small successful firm of accountants. He fell
in love with one of the other partners, who was already married to a colleague. One night, on his way home from work, Steve
stopped at a pub he regularly frequented. He knew the barman well and told him
that given half a chance he’d kill the bastard (meaning his girlfriend’s
husband). Steve thought nothing more of it until he received a phone call from
the barman saying that for the right price it could be arranged. The phone call
was being taped by the police, as were several others that followed. It was
later revealed in court that the barman was already in trouble with the police
and reported Steve in the hope that it would help have the charges against him
dropped. It seems the key sentence that mattered was, ‘Are you certain you want
to go ahead with it?’ which was repeated by the barman several times. ‘Yes,’
Steve always replied.
Steve and his girlfriend were arrested, pleaded guilty and
were sentenced to seven years. She currently resides at High-point, while he
has gone from A- to B- to C-cat status in a couple of years (record time), and
is now living on the enhanced wing at Wayland with D-cat status. He doesn’t
want to move to an open prison because Wayland is near his home. He is also the
prison’s chief librarian. I have a feeling that you’ll be hearing more about Steve
in the future.
On the circuit round the perimeter we are joined by the
prisoner I shared a cell with on my first night, Chris (stabbing with a Stanley
knife). He tells me that the News of the World have been in touch with his
mother and will be printing a story on Sunday. He tries to assure me that he
has had no contact with them and his mother has said nothing.
‘Then it will only be three pages,’ I tell him.
When I return to my cell, Jules is looking worried. He’s
also heard that Chris will be featured in the News of ike World this Sunday. Chris told him that a lot of his friends and associates
don’t even know he’s in jail, and he doesn’t want them to find out. He attends
education classes twice a day and wants the chance to start a new life once
he’s been released. I just don’t have the heart to tell him that the News of
the World have absolutely no interest in his future.
10.00 pm
We watch the news. Still more August
storms. At 10.30 Jules switches channels to Ally McBeal while I try
unsuccessfully to sleep. I’m not sure which is more distracting, the TV in our
cell, or the rap music emanating from the other side of the block.
DAY 29 – THURSDAY 16 AUGUST 2001
5.50 am
I wake from a dream in which I had been using the most foul language when talking to Mary. I can’t explain it.
I write for a couple of hours.
8.00 am
I plug in Jules’s radio so that I can hear Mary’s interview
with John Humphrys. I shave while the news is on, and become more and more
nervous. It’s always the same. I am very anxious when William screens one of
the documentaries he’s been working on, or James is running the 800 metres, and
especially whenever Mary has to give a talk that lay people might expect to
understand. She’s first on after the news and handles all of John Humphrys’ questions
in that quiet academic way that could only impress an intelligent listener. But
I can tell, even after her first reply, just how nervous she is. Once Mary has
dealt with the Kurds and Baroness Nicholson, Humphrys moves on to the subject
of how I’m getting on in jail. That was when Mary should have said, ‘My
agreement with you, Mr Humphrys, was to discuss only matters arising from the
Kurds.’ Once Mary failed to point this out, he moved on to the trial, the
appeal and the sentence. I had warned her that he would. He has no interest in
keeping to any agreement made between her and the producer. And that’s why he
is such a sharp interviewer, as I know from past experience.
9.30 am
I call Mary, who feels she was dreadful and
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