This was one seaside journey which would not end in a sandcastle competition and an ice cream on the pier….
I had to ring round and make some hasty childcare arrangements- and then follow the list of instructions which had been left to me in a separate envelope. The first was to check that Mr Edison was still there and not suspicious. Then I had to choose someone to take with me as further instructions would be issued en route and obviously if I were driving I would not be able to answer the mobile. I knew who I would ask before I had read the rest of the sentence.
Quickly I got myself ready and persuaded Lorraine to join me. Her reluctance was short lived when I told her she would score points with Deano for helping me in this task. She grabbed her bag, and without further ado we left the room. I could hear Mr Edison on the phone behind another door. He didn’t sound particularly pleased, but we didn’t have time to find out why, went downstairs, across the car park and over to my car.
I looked up and saw Mr Edison – at the same instant he finished his call and caught my eye. He seemed to be mouthing ‘WAIT!’ but of course we didn’t, got in the car and left the car park. It was just before school let out and traffic was building. I had to get out onto the motorway as soon as possible.
We made it across town before hitting the first round of roadworks, and the first phonecall from Ms Bright shrilled through the peace in the car. I handed the phone to Lorraine and she answered what turned out to be a brief call. Did I have the file in the boot – this felt like an insult to my intelligence. Were we being followed? Not as far as I could tell – thought now obviously I was more on my guard.
We were given a list of times when the phone would ring, and with that the call was cut short.
Following this, our journey continued, and the red light appearing on my fuel gauge indicated we would have to stop soon and fill up. It was as I paid at pump as per instruction, that I first became aware of the green car that had just entered the forecourt behind us. We left and it left too without refuelling. Deciding not to worry Lorraine with my concerns- for she was of the jittery panicky sort- I kept quiet and carried on driving, time had passed, the light was going and people had dipped headlights on. Checking the dashboard clock, I noted that we were due for the next call soon. Flashing a look at Lorraine I saw she was dozing, and just hoped that when the call came she would not be asleep. Fishing about in the glove compartment I found a mint, and as it seemed to be all alone, I decided to eat it.
Lights flashed behind me and I realised I had slowed right down and the juggernaut following in my wake was not best pleased. I speeded up and as I did so two things happened, the mobile rang, frightening poor Lorraine almost out of her skin, and the green car pulled up alongside us. Lorraine asnwered and gave Ms Bright – Oh please, call me Helen- a quick update. She asked what road we were on, and instructed us to take the next turn off. I checked mirrors and indicated as the countdown signs appeared beside us. The juggernaut was now beside us and provided some sort of shelter from the green car, which by now Lorraine had managed to work out was trailing us.
At the dawning of this realisation, as I suspected she might, she began to panic. I dared not admit to her that inside I too were panicking just a little – I had never been chased before, and had watched Police, Camera, Action with some trepidation, always a little relieved it weren’t me ! I had not been able to update my husband as to my whereabouts and knew by now he would be worried. Not a driver, he would not have been able to come to our aid, of course we were not in any danger but if we were…..
Now we had left the main carriageway and were on an A road. A glance in my rear view mirror told me that for the moment we had appeared to have shaken the green car. Lorraine had become quiet fidgety, but now we had lost it, she relaxed. Inwardly I took a deep breath. But before I could rest too easily, the headlights were once more behind us. The chase was back on…………..
