The Escape Read online

  The Escape

  Lynda La Plante is a Number One bestselling author. Born in Liverpool, she went to drama school and worked in theatre before becoming a television actress. She then turned to writing – and made her breakthrough with the hit TV series Widows. Her novels have all been bestsellers worldwide. Her script for Prime Suspect won many awards, and Above Suspicion, The Red Dahlia and Deadly Intent have been hugely successful for ITV in recent years. Lynda La Plante was awarded a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in 2008. She joined the Crime Thriller Writers’ Hall of Fame in 2009.

  Visit Lynda at her website:

  www.lyndalaplante.com

  Follow her on Twitter: @LaPlanteLynda

  Also by Lynda La Plante

  Quick Read 2012: The Little One

  Wrongful Death

  Backlash

  Blood Line

  Blind Fury

  Silent Scream

  Deadly Intent

  Clean Cut

  The Red Dahlia

  Above Suspicion

  The Legacy

  The Talisman

  Bella Mafia

  Entwined

  Cold Shoulder

  Cold Blood

  Cold Heart

  Sleeping Cruelty

  Royal Flush

  Prime Suspect

  Seekers

  She’s Out

  The Governor

  The Governor II

  Trial and Retribution

  Trial and Retribution II

  Trial and Retribution III

  Trial and Retribution IV

  Trial and Retribution V

  First published in Great Britain by Simon & Schuster UK Ltd, 2014

  A CBS COMPANY

  Copyright © Lynda La Plante, 2012

  This book is copyright under the Berne Convention.

  No reproduction without permission.

  ® and © 1997 Simon & Schuster Inc. All rights reserved.

  The right of Lynda La Plante to be identified as author of this work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988.

  Simon & Schuster UK Ltd

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  222 Gray’s Inn Road

  London WC1X 8HB

  www.simonandschuster.co.uk

  Simon & Schuster Australia, Sydney

  Simon & Schuster India, New Delhi

  A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

  Paperback ISBN: 978-1-47113-228-5

  Ebook ISBN: 978-1-47113-229-2

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual people living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Typeset by M Rules

  Printed and bound by CPI Group (UK) Ltd, Croydon, CR0 4YY

  The Escape

  During my research for the ITV series The Governor I worked with many prisoners and encouraged their writing projects. They told me many stories about their lives. The Escape is a work of fiction but based on a series of events told to me by two inmates. The names of the characters and the location of the prison have been changed. As that was some years ago, the prison systems have since been upgraded, but it remains a very moving and thrilling story.

  Lynda La Plante

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Books In The Series

  Hidden

  Blackout

  Rules for Dating a Romantic Hero

  Four Warned

  A Cruel Fate

  Why not start a reading group?

  Other resources

  Other titles by Lynda La Plante

  BACKLASH

  THE LEGACY

  THE TALISMAN

  PRIME SUSPECT

  PRIME SUSPECT 2: A FACE IN THE CROWD

  PRIME SUSPECT 3: SILENT VICTIMS

  SHE’S OUT

  Chapter One

  Colin lay on his prison bed, staring up at the ceiling. He had never in all his life felt as depressed and worthless as he did now. All he wanted was to be left alone in his one-man cell on West wing at Barfield Prison. His thoughts were cut into by the sound of the cell door being unlocked.

  ‘Come along, Colin, you need to get your stuff together. It’s time to move over to East wing and meet your new cellmate,’ Officer Reardon said with a big smile as he entered the cell.

  Colin rolled over and turned away from Officer Reardon, who sat down on the end of the bed.

  ‘You can’t let prison life get to you like this, Colin. I know you’re deeply upset, but the Governor’s not going to change his mind about your day release to be with Karen for the baby’s birth. If you want someone to blame about being moved to another wing, then I can tell you that it was down to me.’

  Colin, shocked by what he had just heard, turned and looked at Officer Reardon. ‘Why? Why do you have to move me? I’m not doing anything wrong and all I want is to be left alone. There’s no crime in that, is there?’

  ‘No, but I’m trying to help, not hinder, you, Colin. You haven’t been eating properly or taking part in prison activities for nearly a month. You’ve shut yourself off and that’s not good for your health, for your body or your mind. Having a cellmate will give you someone to talk to and help get you back on your feet again.’

  Colin let out a big sigh. ‘But I don’t need anyone else to talk to, Mr Reardon.’

  ‘OK, here’s the deal. Give it a couple of weeks and see how it goes. Your new cellmate is called Barry. He’s a nice young lad like you and he’s looking forward to a bit of company. But, if it doesn’t work out, I will get you moved back here. How’s that sound?’

  Colin still wasn’t happy about moving, but he liked and respected Officer Reardon. In fact, not one of the inmates on West wing had a bad word to say about Mr Reardon. He was experienced and kind-hearted, and he often helped to make prison life bearable. Colin got up off the bed and started to remove the blanket and sheets to take with him.

  ‘Good lad, Colin. I’ll do that while you get your wash kit and other bits together.’ Officer Reardon patted him on the back before starting to fold the blanket. Colin was ready to go after putting his few personal belongings in a clear plastic bag.

  Colin Burrows was twenty-two years old and had two years to go before he had any chance of release on parole. He had pleaded guilty to burglary and handling stolen goods at the Crown court. The judge had granted him bail, but stupidly Colin went on the run. During the time it took police to find him, he had met and fallen in love with a beautiful and generous girl called Karen.

  Karen had made him happier than he had been in his whole life. They got together when he found work as a painter and decorator for her father’s small company, where she was a secretary. Because of Karen, and her family’s support, he had been determined to go straight. They had been living together in Karen’s two-bedroom flat in Croydon for a year when she agreed to marry him. A month after their small wedding, she had proudly told him she was pregnant. They were both thrilled, and had just set about decorating the box room as a nursery when the police came knocking at the door.

  Colin’s re-arrest had really shocked him. As the m
onths had passed he had come to believe that the police had given up looking for him. Karen and her father had stood by him but they didn’t know that Colin had previous convictions for petty theft. The judge took no notice of his having a job, his marriage to Karen or the fact she was pregnant. He was sentenced to a total of four years in prison.

  Depression at the prison sentence had almost crushed Colin and he was shattered at being separated from Karen. He was relieved that she was still sticking by him and was visiting him regularly in prison. Her father had promised that, when Colin was released, he could return to work for him. But Colin doubted that would happen. His boss had been disgusted when he learned of his son-in-law’s criminal record.

  On her last visit Karen had said she would not be able to come again as the baby was almost due and she was finding it hard to travel. Colin broke down in tears when he got back to his cell and was so upset he couldn’t eat. When his request to be released for the birth of his child was then denied, his depression grew worse.

  Officer Reardon escorted Colin over to East wing, where they were met at the entrance gate by another officer. Officer Reardon shook Colin’s hand and told him to cheer up, be positive and not to look so down in the dumps. Colin still felt very depressed, but he didn’t want to upset Mr Reardon. He forced a smile and thanked him for his kindness. The other officer then escorted Colin up to his new cell, unlocked the door and virtually pushed him in. Then he slammed the door and locked it.

  ‘Hi, I’m Barry Marsden, and you must be me new cellmate. Colin, isn’t it?’ said the man on the top bunk, sitting up straight with a big welcoming smile. ‘I’ve only been in a couple of days. The officer said you’re a first-timer like me and been in a few months, but you was a bit down so I should try and cheer you up.’

  Barry Marsden was twenty-one, a jovial friendly young man on remand in custody from the magistrates’ court. He was a bit overweight, and had a pleasant face, though he looked a little nerdy with thick jam-jar glasses and he had bad body odour.

  A sad-looking Colin said nothing as he placed his belongings, wash bag, bed sheets and blankets on the bottom bunk. He sat down on the end of the bed, put his head in his hands and began to cry.

  ‘Cor blimey, Colin, you is in a bit of a state. Fancy a game of “I spy with my little . . .”?’

  ‘No I don’t. Just leave me alone,’ Colin replied sharply.

  Unlike most of the inmates, Barry actually liked prison life and more than anything enjoyed the three meals a day. He had come from a very difficult family, and had been in and out of a series of foster homes. Social Services had often been involved because of his step-father’s drinking and violence. Barry’s first attempts to make friends with Colin were met with moody silences, but finally his easy manner and persistence paid off. He felt very sorry for Colin, who was heartbroken that he would miss the birth of his first child.

  Colin wrote endless letters and called home whenever he could, but hearing Karen’s voice only made him feel worse. After a couple of weeks of watching his cellmate weep every night, Barry came up with an idea.

  ‘I’m new to the wing, right? Nobody really knows me, and I’ve never met any of the officers on the main gates.’

  Colin shrugged, not at all interested, until Barry excitedly suggested the idea that he could, if they worked together, plan Colin’s escape. Interested and slightly bemused, Colin asked what the plan was.

  ‘It’s simple. All we do is switch identities! You go in my place to the magistrates’ court in a couple of weeks and do a runner when you get there,’ Barry said.

  At first, Colin thought it was the most stupid idea he had ever heard. Apart from having similar hair colour and being the same height, they didn’t even look that much alike. And doing a runner from court was why Colin got four years in the first place. However, desperate to be at the birth of his baby, he decided to listen to more details of Barry’s plan. The more the two of them discussed the escape, as farfetched as the idea was, the more it seemed as if it might work.

  Chapter Two

  The two inmates whispered together through the night. Barry told Colin that it was usual to be questioned by the prison officers before being taken to court. As part of the plan, Barry told Colin everything about his life, explaining that it was important to remember as many details as possible. Colin listened intently as Barry spoke about his brothers, his mother and his violent step-father, who had given him regular beatings. Worse still was the abuse Barry had suffered at various foster homes. Colin worried about being able to keep all the facts straight in his head, because one mistake could cause the escape to blow up in their faces.

  As Colin went on listening, he thought it was no wonder that Barry didn’t want to leave the prison. After such a childhood, life inside was better. Barry said he was eager to further his education, and in prison he had the chance to do so.

  He had begun art classes, and was showing great promise, so much so that he was allowed to keep a sketch-book, a variety of pencils and felt-tipped pens in his cell. Barry enjoyed copying pictures from magazines. He had never had such encouragement at home or school and, although he was a beginner, he was proud of his efforts. The prison art teacher had told him that, if he kept up his progress, he would be allowed to use acrylic paint and, in time, even oils.

  The two cellmates became firm friends as they planned the switch, but time was running out. If the idea was to work, Colin had to feel certain he could take over Barry’s identity. As part of the plan they made a point of never being seen together, and they always ate separately. Barry stayed in their cell as much as possible, and always kept his back to the door when the officers looked through the sliding hatch.

  Colin went over Barry’s life with him, again and again, so that he could answer any question Barry asked him about himself.

  ‘OK, so where did I go to school?’ Barry asked.

  ‘St Thomas’s.’

  ‘How many GCSEs did I get?’

  ‘None. You never sat any because you were expelled.’

  Barry raised his hand. ‘You’re becoming a good me,’ he said, as they slapped their palms together in a high five.

  They were both growing confident that they could pull it off. Eventually, Colin could recall all of Barry’s background, even down to aunts and uncles, addresses, dates of births and foster carers. They had left nothing out.

  Colin was very careful not to mention anything to Karen when he spoke to her on the phone. She could sense that he was less depressed, and thought that he was now coping with their separation and prison life. She felt it was safe to tell him that she had asked the baby’s sex at a recent scan, and that they were going to have a beautiful boy. Colin was overjoyed at the news and excitedly told Barry. They were now even more determined to make the escape plan work, so Colin could be with Karen at the birth of their son.

  Colin knew he’d be arrested again, and that his escape would put his chance of parole in danger. He decided that, as soon as he had held his newborn son in his arms, and had kissed Karen, he would give himself up at the local police station.

  ‘It’ll only be a couple of days as her due date is the day of my escape. I’ll convince the officers you had nothing to do with it. I’ll say it was all my idea and I learned all about you from sharing a cell.’

  Barry grinned and gave him a big hug. He had never had such a close friend. In fact, he’d not even been friendly with his brothers as they were much younger. He was thrilled and felt that, for once, he wasn’t a Dumbo. Colin clearly liked him, and had been really appalled to hear about his abusive childhood. They agreed that, when both of them were finally released, they would stay friends. They even discussed working together painting and decorating.

  ‘I doubt my father-in-law will take me back on, so we could set up our own business together,’ Colin said.

  ‘That would be brilliant. We could do up kids’ rooms with, like, cartoon characters and stuff,’ Barry replied with enthusiasm.

  ‘
Yeah, you draw them and then I paint them in. We could call our company BC designs.’

  ‘I’m so excited, Colin. I’ve never had anything named after me before.’

  Chapter Three

  With two days and nights to go, Colin was feeling nervous and it was keeping him awake. They had still managed not to be seen together outside the cell, and they even went down to the showers at different times. The truth was Barry didn’t shower that often, and his body odour was at times pungent and offensive. He even slept in his prison outfit, because, he said, he liked to be first in the line-up for breakfast.

  It was early evening when their cell door was opened for shower time.

  ‘I’ll see you after your shower and we can go over everything again,’ Barry said.

  ‘I don’t want to appear rude or anything, but I really think you could do with having a shower, Barry. It’s been quite warm in here the last few days and . . .’

  ‘Sorry. I don’t tend to notice it myself. You see, I don’t really like taking showers, reminds me of school as I used to get teased and bullied about being a fat boy.’

  ‘Well, we still don’t want to be seen together outside of here so you go shower first.’

  Barry nodded and picked up his towel. He was about to leave the cell when Colin stopped him and handed him a bar of soap.

  Colin waited twenty minutes before going to the showers, as he suspected Barry would simply jump in and out again and he’d pass him on the stairwell. On entering the shower room, he noticed Barry stepping out of a cubicle and putting a towel round his waist. What Colin saw made him feel sick. Barry had tattoos over his chest, shoulders and right arm. Colin was so shaken he almost fainted. He’d never seen the tattoos before because Barry wore a long-sleeved denim shirt over his standard-issue cap-sleeved vest all the time. He got clean clothes only when he took one of his rare showers, which had always been after Colin.

  By the time they had both returned to the cell, Colin was furious. Unable to control his anger, he grabbed Barry and pinned him up against the wall.