Part 13 (1/2)

In a couple of ht with you, boss?'

I smile and tell him that's just fine We shake hands like old friends, because that's exactly e are

The four of us spend the last thirtystories as if I wasn't in jail I think I've made this observation before, but if your friends could be in prison with you, it would be alled in into my shi+rt pocket and just hope I'm sorry to see the boys leave, and it's only their absence that reminds me just how much I love them The officer who carries out the search checks ue, makes me take off my shoes, and then finishes with a Heathrow check I escape - which means for the next week I'll be able to write with the implement of my choice

500 pio's cell

'The ball is now in your court,' I tell him ”You've selected the emerald, so we're about to discover if you're a serious player or a mountebank' He has asked me to use one expression and one word every day that he won't have heard before He ilish dictionary

He then stands and formally shakes my hand The ball is now in my court,' he repeats, 'and you're about to find out that despite the circumstances in which we've met, I am not a mountebank' I want to believe him

DAY 48

TUESDAY 4 SEPTEMBER 2001

611a this diary during the day, and correcting the script of volu reminded just how horrendous an experience Belives us a lecture with slides on Rothko, Man Ray, Magritte and Andy Warhol Several of the prisoners voice an opinion often heard about modern artists, only they put it more bluntly

That's fuckin' crap, ould anyone pay good hter could knock you up one of those'

Neither of our tutors, Paul nor Anne, comments; both are professional artists and know only too well that if they could ”knock up one of those', they wouldn't be teaching in prison

After the lecture Shaun presents me with a pattern for ritte It's fun, but I wonder if Locke is capable of reproducing it Ill have to discuss the problem with my chef de chantier, Darren Will I really be allowed a sun and moon in my room?

200 pm Education, Tuesday afternoon is a bit of a farce I have to attend an education class to make up the statutory number of lessons required by a part-ti at the back of the classrooeant (Head of the Education Depart, as I did at Belmarsh Her latest comment on the subject is that the prisoners don't want another in them I find this unlikely because at least one in they've written, so I wonder what the truth really is I won't bother Wendy again as it's obvious that so out instructions In future I'll just sit at the back of the classroo Sergio reports that he's spoken to hisbrother again, and all the arrangements are in place But he has an anxious look on his face

”What's the problem?' I ask

'I'm worried about my brother,' he explains 'He's a civil servant, an academic, not used to the way business is carried out in Coloe for hiive a second thought to killing you for a thousand dollars Noant him to hand over ten thousand in cash and then transport the eio pauses 'I fear for his life'

My first thought is that Sergio is trying to get off the hook now that he's leaving these shores in a feeeks' ti?' I venture

”Perhaps it would be wiser to wait until I return to Bogota, then I can handle the problem personally I fear for io is back in Bogota I will have lost all contact with hi the past three weeks that several prisoners have offered to transfer ular supply of drugs, but he has always turned them down Has he in fact accepted every pay him an easy life once he's back in Colombia? However, I feel I ah road

'If you're in any doubt about your brother's safety,' I tell hi of the eio looks relieved 'I'll call him tomorrow,' he says, 'and then I'll let you know our decision'

I close the board iven the circumstances, there's not a lot more to discuss

600 pm Exercise Shaun has finished his preli a further attempt at Dale

As Jimmy and I proceed on our usual circuit (there isn't a lot of choice) we pass a group of three officers who are posted to keep an eye on us One of the, not unattractive, wo' about Malcolm (ABH, punched a publican) who she will miss when he's transferred to his D-cat prison on Monday

'The stories I could tell you about Malcol up'No, no,' says Ji a word about that man until I'm sure he's safely ensconced at Latchmere House

He flattened that publican with one punch' He pauses 'But ask ain next week'

DAY 49 WEDNESDAY 5 SEPTEMBER 2001

900 p Dr Bell in a Conan Doyle drama described in The Tiet his portrayal of the chief whip in Michael Dobbs' excellent House of Cards I've known seven chief whips in my time - Willie Whitelaw, Francis Pym, Humphrey Atkins, John Wakeham, Tim Renton, Peter Brooke, and Richard Ryder - but even their combined talents lacked the Machiavellian skills of Francis Urquhart, under whose gaze I certainly wouldn't have dared to io Is he a liar, just another two-bit con enuinely anxious about his brother's safety? Only ti ritte pattern Shaun has designed for the wall Darren, as works rees that it's far too elaborate, and should be cut down to about half the original, and even then he's not sure I'll get aith it But as Darren points out, the worst they can do is inal colour - cost, 1 So it's agreed that while I'in, and then we'll have to wait and see how the spur officer reacts

900 am Pottery Today the class settles down to do a still-life drawing Anne, our tutor, and for together objects of interest to e She has set up in the centre of the room a small card table, and placed over it a cloth with a red and white diamond pattern On the table she's placed an ereen vase and a fruit bowl In the bowl she's carefully arranged a bunch of grapes, a pineapple, three oranges, two apples and a peach Paul, one of our other tutors, has supplied a cheese board and a lump of Cheddar

We all sit round the table in a circle and attempt to drae see in front of us Keith (kidnapper), who is sitting next to me, will present the piece as part of his A-level sub I, on the other hand, do not Anne helpfully points out - to everyone else's aer than iven a ten-o off for a quick drag Shaun and I disappear with Anne into her office to discuss some ideas for a prison landscape which I hope to include in this book I take up as much of her time as possible, because I can't face another hour of still-life drawing However, she see