Chapter 38

The envelope that lay on the doormat behind my front door the next day was lilac with copper plate writing that reminded me of my mother. The personalized delicately tinted sheet inside was monogrammed with my mother's name and a Post Office Box address. It all added up to only one thing. Dimly, through my residual alcoholic haze, pounding headache and still aching heart, I realized that this indeed was a letter from my mother.

Dear Barry

It was so nice to see you and your young friend. I hope you had a nice journey back to London in your new car. It was a pity we had so little time together which is why I am writing to you.

I am going to be in Avignon in the South of France next week with a small group of friends. Why don't you drive down so that we can spend some time together and travel about in style. Bring a friend if you like.

Love Mother

P.P.S. It would mean so much to me if you bring the car. Much of its sentimental value relates to time I spent in the South of France and it will be just like old times.

I read the letter and then read it again. Call me 'Sad 'n' Suspicious' but I got the strong message that she wanted me to bring the car and a very nasty doubt started forming in my mind. Was she inviting me or the car to the South of France. If it was the car she really wanted was it for the reasons given or was something else involved.

But it's amazing what a good breakfast can do to raise the spirits and rebuff the burgeoning paranoia. Muesli mingled with the milk to make me a new man. Cheerfully I entered the shower and howled as I hit on the wrong tap and jetted freezing water onto my delicate and skinny frame. Perhaps the Swedes know something though because the hot water that I sprayed over me when I got the taps right felt like paradise.

'New Man Barry' was full of confidence as he dialed the number for Lopey Lopez.

"You once did a BTEC in electronics, didn't you?"

Lopey Lopez sounded doubtful.

"It was actually an NVQ in car maintenance. I thought it could be useful in case I couldn't get into my car one day and needed to break in but I didn't stay until the end of the course because they kept going on about pointless things - like oil changes."

"Well you know one end of screwdriver from another, don't you?"

"Err-um."

"It's worth a lot of money!" This seemed to get his attention.

"How much?"

I named the figure. The quicker I got the job done, the quicker I could get Bruno out of my hair and head for the long cool drinks and sunshine of the South of France.

Lopey Lopez agreed so I collected him from the corner outside Smokey's and we headed for the East End.

Hook Nose opened the door but seemed in a rush to get away so before long we were left alone. This suited me because it meant I didn't have to pretend we knew what we were doing. I set Lopey Lopez to do the cabling while I set up the web cams and related software. He was getting on all right until he discovered the videotape store and developed a liking for the cultural cornucopia it contained.

As a result, production slowed to a crawl until I suggested lashing two video players together to create his own personal copy. By chance the one on top of the pile contained footage from the previous day.

The 'Nice Girl Next Door' looked no happier acting the part than she'd looked when she'd been waiting at the bottom of the stairs. She looked terrified when they tied her up and her tears looked genuine as they humiliated her. Lopey Lopez loved it so the film production crew must have known what they were doing. For me it was just one more reason to get away quickly.

It was late in the evening when we finished and I tested the system to make sure it worked. At last I was able to let us out of the door and close the latch behind us. This would be the last time here for me. Bruno could get somebody else to maintain the system because I wanted out.

Lopey Lopez was happy when I paid him in cash for his help and keen to get home and replay his bootleg copy of the video.

For me, the South of France with all its joys was beckoning and the only question in my mind was whether I should take somebody with me or go alone.

Copyright of this site is Rob Hopcott's, 1999 - 2009, all rights reserved. All characters in this story are fictitious and no reference is intended to any person living or otherwise.
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