The Promise: A Sequel to a Strange Boy

By John L. Jewell

Leslie and his sister, Mary, are gifted teenagers who have just been reunited with their father after more than twelve years apart. Leslies abilities include a photographic memory, the ability to leave his body and transport himself anywhere, and a knack for reading minds and communicating without talking. Meanwhile, Mary is harboring an enormous secret from everyone but Leslie: she is gifted as well.

As Leslie, Mary, and their father work to build their lost relationship through a mutual love of dogs, a villain lurks in the shadows. Sir Alastair Woodford, who illegally appointed himself as Leslie and Marys guardian when they were little, is now facing several charges that include kidnapping. While Leslie deals with the legal issues surrounding Sir Woodford and his associates, his purpose and morality become clearer by the day. But what he does not know is that Marys purpose is beginning to unfold as well.

The Promise continues the tale of a modest, gifted boy and his equally talented sister as they both learn to use their powers for the good of each otherand the world.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Jan 23, 2017
• ISBN: 9781524666354

John L. Jewell

John L. Jewell enjoyed a lifelong career in catering, where he began as a trainee cook and rose to contract manager. After he retired and his wife subsequently passed away, John ventured into the world of literature where he ultimately found his purpose. John resides in Essex, England. He is also the author of The Egrenon series: Egrenon, Land of the Blittes, The Rise of Yarifel, and The New Mirsur Blood.

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© 2017 John L. Jewell. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 03/25/2017

ISBN: 978-1-5246-6637-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5246-6636-1 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5246-6635-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016919881

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and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Acknowledgements

Preface

Chapter 1 A New School And Testing Times

Chapter 2 An Assailant Thwarted And Past Friends Found

Chapter 3 New Ventures And A New Experience For Mary

Chapter 4 Some Truths For Will

Chapter 5 New Beginnings And First Trials

Chapter 6 Celebrations And Revelations

Chapter 7 Truths And Defiance

Chapter 8 Abduction And Rescue

Chapter 9 The Intruder In The Sanctuary

Chapter 10 Sleep, And The Ultimate Violation

Chapter 11 Thomas Reveals His True Colours

Chapter 12 The Beauty Of Autumn, And Billy Goes To Prison

Chapter 13 Winter Comes Early, And Billy Regrets What He Hears

Chapter 14 Min And Li Go Missing And The Fight For Their Return

Chapter 15 A Time Of Sadness And Of Cheer

Chapter 16 Convicts At Large And Secret Lairs

Chapter 17 Puzzling Dreams And Another Fulfilled

Chapter 18 The Hendricks Trial

Chapter 19 Dilemmas

About The Books

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I wish to thank my friends Jean, Frank, Coral, and Rob for their comments. Likewise, thanks to my niece Angela, my sister Mariann, and to my dear, dear friend Carmen, whose patience and suggestions have been most encouraging.

My grateful thanks also go to the team at AuthorHouse UK who have assisted and guided me in my first attempts as an author.

Most of all, I must thank my sister Jacqueline. Without Jackie’s initial prompting and encouragement to place my thoughts into written words, the two books would probably have remained as random thoughts inside my head. She probably has no idea of what she has started, because now my imagination and my fingers itch to get to the keyboard and my Egrenon series of stories. What has Jackie unleashed upon this world?

PREFACE

This story follows on from the book A Strange Boy, where the tale followed a very gifted boy’s journey in life from the age of about 2 until the age of 15. This book, tracks just less than two eventful years and explains many of the missing links in the first book.

In A Strange Boy, Leslie and his older sister Mary spent many years in orphanages. They were told their father was considered dead, which Leslie never accepted. The siblings are reunited with their father after more than twelve years apart, and now Leslie is almost a man.

Leslie was born with a photographic memory which he sees as both a gift and a curse. He struggles to forget the things that torment him and which reveal themselves as demons in his mind. He suffered and fought the demons, and along life’s road he acquired certain skills, such as the ability to leave his physical body and transport himself anywhere the instant he thinks about a place or a person. This ability confused him at first, but he learned how to control it. He then acquired the powers of telepathy and telekinesis – the power to read minds and communicate without speech, and to move or change things by thought alone. These powers he believes are gifted to him and he must act as a custodian, using them wisely. His sister has similar powers but she does not have her brother’s photographic memory, temperament, vast knowledge or his innocence.

***

In this tale, the reader learns more about Mary, what compels and drives her, what makes her different from the brother she cares so much for.

Their father Will, having been apart from them for so long, is not privy to his children’s secrets and hidden powers. Some of those powers are revealed to him gradually, as he gains the children’s trust and begins to build the relationships they all should have had during those sad lost years.

Will was on active service, and tricked when his children were so young, duped into believing Leslie and Mary died in an horrific car accident – and the news almost destroyed him. Here enters the villain, Sir Alastair Woodford, the dean and benefactor of the village where Will’s children lived. Will knew Sir Alastair as his commanding officer, Colonel Woodford of the Military Intelligence Corps or Mintel as some referred to it.

Will knew nothing about who Colonel Woodford was outside of the military, but he put such faith in this genial man. The wealth Woodford had at his disposal, the network of spies and informers he controlled or even Will’s own part in that network, never entered his mind.

***

As the children and their father now work to rebuild a broken, lost relationship, dogs feature greatly in the tale. Will’s love of dogs and his children’s awe of their father’s control of them is the catalyst that brings them closer together, and cements the bond between them. At the same time, Leslie must deal with many legal issues regarding Sir Alastair and his associates. He must also deal with a demon possessing seemingly greater powers than he or his sister, and a battle begins. This is a battle for souls, for humanity and morality, compassion and respect.

The boy Leslie has a mission, a purpose, and a morality that becomes clear as the story unfolds. But watch-out for Mary’s skills, her absolute dedication to her brother, and her solemn promise to her father so many years before as a mere child of five. The promise she made is all she concentrates upon; even her brother had not been aware of her dedication and that suited her purpose. She could be far more effective alone in her mission and her reason to exist.

Read on and realise the power of this most dedicated girl, the struggles she faces, and the way she deals with them.

CHAPTER 1

A NEW SCHOOL AND TESTING TIMES

The Johns family made the return home from their father’s unsuccessful custody hearing.

Will could not provide evidence to the judge of an income. One which would support his children to the level they had been accustomed to whilst under the care of the multi-millionaire, Sir Alastair Woodford. Their guardian was now incarcerated with many serious charges against him. The judge made the children wards of court, and on appeal, the judge awarded custody to the children’s wealthy and trusted lawyer, Erin Yardley.

As a distraction from the day’s events, Leslie and Mary sat in the rear of the car exchanging ideas for setting up their father’s proposed dog-training school.

Leslie compiled a mental list: site security, fencing and gates; lighting; an office and shop; logbook; registration documents; classification of levels; certificates and rosettes; rules of membership; circuit equipment; car parking; sectioning for classes; fees and advertising. Certificate of qualification? Future competitions and displays? Competent trainers? Secure areas for problem dogs. Proof of vaccinations and annual boosters? Ropes, cordons, and stakes. A dog for Dad? Dog licences. Containers for drinking water and a water supply. Contact numbers for veterinarians, local police, doctors, pet shops, dog breeder information, Kennel Club pamphlets? His mind ran wild as ideas stormed his highly knowledgeable brain.

***

Leslie asked his father to stop the car at the offices of the local newspaper.

‘How are we doing with the equipment list for the new magazine, Ed?’ Leslie enquired of Edward Strachan, the local newspaper editor.

‘I’ve got the list Leslie; I just need the rest of the costing figures. Tweety’s working on the publicity as we speak and Billy’s got a great list of future advertisers. I have personally checked out those wishing to advertise. We must have reputable people and companies, Leslie. I will not place cowboys in this magazine, they can advertise elsewhere. This new magazine is going to have such a reputation; it fills me with excitement, laddie!’

Leslie congratulated Ed and his team on their hard work. He also explained to Ed that Will had lost the custody case and that Mary and he were now the wards of their lawyer, Erin Yardley.

‘That has got to be a better situation for you all, I would say,’ Ed commented.

‘I agree with you there, Ed, but as you can understand, Dad is very disappointed. However, Erin has allowed us to live with Dad instead of at the village, so we all win really. I know Erin will not involve himself in our lives unless invited to do so. He sees his position of guardian as an honorary title.’

***

Back at the cottage, Leslie wrote down the list for the school from memory. ‘Do you have a qualification or proficiency certificate for dog training, Dad?’ the boy asked his father.

‘Cheeky boy! Of course, I have! One from the army and two from the security firm in Hong Kong. One for training dogs, and the other to train dog handlers,’ replied Will.

‘It’s just that I didn’t know if it is a requirement or not. We don’t want to go breaking any laws now, do we, Dad?’ he said with a mischievous grin.

The father and his two children sat discussing the list for the school and what rules should be included as conditions of membership. Again, Will was surprised that this lad, a boy who had never owned, or even stroked a dog or any pet in his life, had thought of virtually everything and certainly more than he would have done. He mentioned his surprise to Mary and Leslie.

‘I read a lot, Dad,’ the boy explained and then quickly changed the subject. ‘Another thought has occurred to me. We want you to have your own dog, but under the terms of the rental of this cottage, it is not permitted. We need to move into our own house as soon as possible. There is decorating to do, and furniture and furnishings to be decided upon. That is in addition to setting up the dog school. There is much ahead for us to concentrate upon, and very soon we can be a proper family, living in our own home.’

The children’s father walked towards the kitchen, thinking about the expenses ahead of them and shaking his head. He had no idea how much money his children had at their disposal, and they were not about to tell him about the fortune Leslie had. Will had to prove himself to them, in Marys eyes. They had to regain trust in each other for this relationship to work successfully.

***

Will checked where the access for the training school would go. To the right of the house and front garden was a double gate with a concreted access to a huge yard and beyond that, the first field. At one side of the concreted area stood a long brick building that housed farm vehicles and equipment; it was perfect for the school. The concreted area could be for parking. Training areas could be in the smaller field, and the larger field would be perfect for the more advanced work and displays. The tractor shed could be converted to become an office and a shop. There was a water supply and electricity laid on. Leslie could already picture the school in action; it was an image he transmitted telepathically to his father.

It was Leslie and Mary who had persuaded Will that the house and grounds were just perfect for a school, and it was right next door to the site of the new magazine the siblings were so involved with. One of the bedrooms could be turned into a library for Leslie’s ever-growing collection of books. He had recently purchased all the books he could about dog training. He contacted the National Canine Defence League for advice and found its assistance invaluable. He had located a supplier of agility equipment and placed an order. The wheels were turning quite rapidly as the show was now on the road. All they needed were the keys.

Erin was based in the City of London and doing his best with the legal work. He had engaged a local solicitor to deal with the searches, and he arranged for a surveyor to do a full survey of the property. Erin knew that the Johns family was eager to move in as soon as possible, but he did not tolerate shortcuts.

Leslie and Mary worked on the advertising for the school, whilst Will concentrated on the layout for the fields – ‘This area for distance work; puppy classes there; beginners over there, intermediates here, advanced over there … No! That would mean crossing that area with puppies.’ He screwed up the plan and started again. He did what he had observed Leslie doing: he listed everything he required and then worked out a logical system of progression, ticking each item as he went along. He worked out where water and lighting needed to go. Fences and gates would need to be secure. In some places, he put double gates so that dogs off the lead could not escape onto the road. A shop would help to recoup the costs, and maybe a sponsorship from a big-name dog-food supplier. Yes, a sponsorship would help in such a big way, he thought, as he envisaged a culture of dog owners taking their responsibilities seriously.

A few days later, Erin called to say that he had a completion date for the magazine site of March 1st, that was less than three weeks away. It was perfect if everything went to plan. It would be five weeks before the equipment could be delivered, and then there was installation, which could take two weeks to a month. The setting up of the offices would also take about three weeks, but that could commence as soon as they received the keys.

***

Detective Chief Inspector Royston wanted to talk to Mary and Leslie. He had read the files that Leslie had rescued from a burning house at the village home. Leslie, wanted to talk to Royston regarding the first exposé in the magazine.

Harry Bird, a reporter known as Tweety, had worked on several cases where police mishandling was evident. He had discovered that a recent case was not as it had been shown to be. He had visited the flat of Tim Mathews, an expert in the building trade, who was found dead, poisoned by a gas leak. Tweety interviewed Tim’s work colleagues, relatives in Wales, employers and customers he had done work for. His findings contradicted the official report of negligence, given in a police statement. Tweety was working on other, similar cases from leads given to him by Ed, who had received pointers from Leslie.

The boy did not want to interfere with a possible police investigation into the death of Tim Mathews or the way it had been dealt with. The last thing he wanted was a clash with authority. They might even have to hand over their own findings to Royston; withholding information was serious business.

Leslie and Mary paid a visit to Ed, and Leslie explained the situation regarding the Mathews file.

‘Our new lawyer has just said the same thing!’ said Ed. ‘I have sent Tweety to see DCI Royston and he has the findings with him. I fear they are going to want to see the whole article before we run it; it’s pretty damning. The police are not going to like our magazine from the start, Leslie.’

Leslie thought for a moment and said, ‘Look, I had an idea for an article some time ago; DCI Royston, a Modern Policeman. Let me write the article, and you can do the editing when it is done. If we start out by recognising the value and integrity of officers like him, who can accuse us of being biased?’

‘What a great idea! After all, we can’t tar them all with the same brush,’ the wily editor said with a smile.

‘Detective Sergeant Reginald Muir is another good officer that we could do a follow-up on. There are many good police officers we can bring into the publics’ view. A couple of good stories praising certain police officers will set the scene for the revelations later. The idea of the magazine was to expose wrongdoing, but it can also reveal the good and the dedicated,’ added Mary.

Ed smiled. ‘I’ll be happy to go along with that. Tell you what: we could also run stories about ordinary people who go out of their way to help others. I have someone in mind from an article a couple of months back. It was not fully covered, but I could send Billy to interview the lady in question.’

‘Brilliant, Ed. Get as many good stories as you can to balance the bad ones. What I would also like to see is a short article about each of the team here. From the editor to the man who presses the green button, perhaps one story in each issue. That way, the readers will feel that they know you all as a team and that your stories are aimed at them personally. Oh, did Erin tell you the good news?’ added Leslie.

‘Yes, we should be up and running soon. Mike!’ Ed called to the lad as he passed the open door.

‘Sir?’ the young man answered, peering into the office from the doorway.

‘That story a month or so ago – a woman stopped a bunch of louts from beating up that young lad, you remember? Get me the details, will you? Now what I really want, young Leslie, is your story. You still haven’t told us much about you or Mary.’

‘All in good time, Ed. Perhaps for the second or third issue?’ he grinned as he and Mary made their exit.

***

Will had completed his plans for the entrance and the first field. The second field only needed to be secured, as this one would be for distance work and agility, being the larger of the two fields. He had the scenes in his head – the crowds of onlookers around the edges, the dogs being put through their paces, the demonstrations of perfect control. It would be like Hong Kong but so much better. His very own school! And, the opportunity to pass on his own skills to his children if they showed an interest in learning the work he loved. Will could not believe his good fortune after so many years of sadness, loneliness, anger and guilt.

In Leslie’s mind, the next step was to find Will one or more dogs. The dogs could remain with the owner or breeder until the time was right. Will could begin his training with the dogs as a visitor.

Will drove to several dog rescue centres he saw advertised. There he saw some beautiful dogs needing caring owners. Wide-eyed, inquisitive, mischievous, sad: it was hard to decide between so many deserving canines, but his children left the choice to Will. Their father was the expert and Mary and Leslie bowed to his expertise.

After inspecting and walking with the dogs, Will chose two German shepherds from different centres but with the temperament and attitude he was looking for. He arranged for the two dogs to remain together at the same centre; that way, the dogs could get to know each other.

Will spent many hours alone with his chosen dogs. He was their master and friend, and the dogs were happy to obey his commands. He gave them love and affection, control and purpose. The staff at the rescue centre marvelled at the way he controlled the dogs. In just a few days, the man had the dogs watching him intently for the next command. Leslie too was impressed by the way his father could bend these creatures to his will. It was so beautiful to observe the dogs walk at heel, fetch, sit, stand, and lay down – all done with whispers, whistles, and hand signals.

Leslie and his father may have met as virtual strangers, but they impressed each other in their own ways.

The managers at the two charities he had chosen his dogs from, engaged Will to train all their dogs. Will stated that he could only do so much with the dogs; it would be the new owners who needed training. The charities agreed for Will to fit the dog to the owner. He was the expert, as he had demonstrated. He created profiles of each dog and indicated the type of persons who would be a suitable owner for each dog.

Will was in seventh heaven, doing the job he loved most in the world. He did not charge the charities for his time or his expertise.

Mary saw the similarities between her brother and her father and rejoiced in them, but she said nothing.

Leslie researched more dog rescue centres and mentioned them to his father. In a matter of days, Will had agreements with five more centres to give basic training to the dogs and profile the dogs and future owners. Will’s name was becoming known, along with the love and devotion that he used to control these poor unfortunate animals.

Will had no time for some of the methods he had seen other trainers use. For him, there was a distinct line between control and cruelty. If one had the right relationship with the animal, it would do exactly what you wanted it to do to please you. Will understood the psychology of dogs; he thought as they did. They had been his abiding love through many years, years of pain and misery for what he had loved and lost.

***

Erin called Will to tell him that the purchase of the house and grounds was in the final stages and that he could soon go ahead with his plans. The news pleased his children greatly as their father related what Erin had told him.

The siblings accompanied Will when he conducted his next training session at one of the dog charity centres. Mary and her brother were fascinated by their father’s calm control and the attentive responses of the dogs to his commands. The pair watched spellbound as he put the animals through their paces in artistic displays.

‘Leslie, let Dad teach us to do what he does. I would so love to have the skills he has. This is a thing of beauty to me,’ said Mary.

The words the boy heard from his sister reflected his own thoughts. ‘Dad,’ he asked, ‘can you teach us how to do what you do so well with these beautiful creatures?’

The father was elated that his children wanted to learn his skills. To Will, the skills came naturally – caring and loving master and obedient loving dogs.

Mary felt so proud of her dad, and she felt he was making a very good impression on Leslie. She had feared that the two would build barriers after such a long time apart, but they were making ground. There were many dangers ahead that Leslie was aware of, but not Will. Mary knew of them also, but she let Leslie lead. When the time was right, her brother would unfold his secrets…or maybe he would not, ever. It was not her decision to make, and she would not push him to decide.

***

Leslie determined that as Sir Alastair Woodford was residing at Her Majesty’s pleasure and no longer had any say in the matter, he and Mary could remain at the cottage with their father rather than return to the village. There was only Susan to deal with.

The dear Susan, a maid at Howard House, had suffered emotionally – but not physically – at the hands of the devils who kidnapped her and Joan, another housemaid. Greg Walsh and his gang had plucked the housemaids from the mansion to use as hostages. Susan had feared for both their lives, and was so grateful for that voice in her head that had said, ‘Now run.’ She knew instinctively that she should grab Joan and run like hell. However, Susan had no idea that it was the unseen Leslie watching over her, protecting her from harm.

Leslie had sworn an oath to himself that he would not renege on; he had promised to keep Susan safe. Susan had been the first person after his father and sister who had ever shown him any humanity and warmth. When he was only six, the maid had done more for him with kindness and a soft gentle touch than his own mother had ever done.

Leslie checked the shadows in Susan’s vicinity to make sure that no demons had targeted her. He used his unusual mind powers to ease her distress. The boy felt some guilt that she had been exposed to a situation she was not equipped to deal with, as a hostage in the hands of ruthless thugs.

Mary told Susan that she and her brother would be away for some while and she should not worry. Susan was a little concerned, but it was not her place to question the wards of her employer. The brother and sister packed some clothes, and then Mary telephoned for a taxi to take them to the underground station, making sure that Susan overheard what she said. At the underground station, the pair caught a bus into town and then telephoned their father as previously arranged.

After the children settled into the rented cottage with their father, Leslie pointed out that he needed to find out what had happened when Tweety took his report to the police. He walked to the town and entered the newspaper office.

Ed was not at all happy. DCI Royston had paid him a visit and had taken the whole article that Tweety had written regarding police mishandling. Royston was going to report the content to his superiors and there would be an official investigation. The paper would not be able to print it.

Leslie handed to Ed the work he had done so far on Royston, pointing out that he needed to see the detective to interview him. The article contained details of cases that the DCI had been involved with. It was common knowledge and all the research Leslie had done was at the local library. The boy had sifted through years of newspaper reports and had also tapped into Royston’s memories telepathically.

Ed flicked through the report. ‘This is great stuff Leslie, and yes, an interview will finish it off well. It’s a bit long, though – eighteen pages without the interview. Do you want me to clip it down to a more manageable size?’

‘I was hoping that you would, Ed. I am no reporter, as well you know.’

***

Leslie sat at the desk of DCI Royston, waiting for the chance to ask his questions. Royston returned with a mug of steaming hot black tea.

‘I don’t know how you can drink it like that young man, but I suppose it’s a matter of taste. Now, I am glad you have come to see me.’ He removed a file from a drawer and opened it.

‘When I spoke to you and your sister at the village, you said that you were wards of Sir Alastair. This is your file from Dr Hendricks, Leslie. It shows that you are not orphans unless a provable demise has happened to your father. How is it that Woodford is your guardian?’

Leslie gave a brief history of events, only revealing what was pertinent to the investigation.

‘So where is your father now?’

Leslie told of the extraordinary efforts by Ed and his team and the failed custody hearing.

‘Sir Alastair has a lot to answer for, said Royston. ‘I would say that had your father won his case, he would have grounds for charges of kidnapping against Sir Alastair. Perhaps he still has, to my mind. But I am just a police officer and not a lawyer.’

‘I think that Sir Alastair has enough to deal with at present, sir, what with the village and the asylum investigations. We do have a lawyer considering our case,’ said Leslie.

‘Perhaps you could give me his details Leslie; it may be helpful to us,’ said Royston.

Leslie wrote down the name and telephone number of his lawyer and handed it to the DCI, who looked at it carefully.

‘Erin Yardley, this name … we received a call from him regarding these files. How does he come to be your lawyer? He is in London, and there are plenty of lawyers and solicitors locally.’

‘He was recommended, sir.’ is all Leslie said. He was not about to reveal how he had learned of the lawyer.

Royston could sense the boy’s reluctance to reveal more, and his rapport with the boy was such that he did not pursue the matter. Instead he asked.

‘You had some questions for me, Leslie?’

Leslie told the detective something of his relationship with the magazine and asked his questions. Leslie offered to let the DCI read the article before it went to print.

At one point in their interview, Leslie said to the detective,

‘When you were at Howard House, sir, regarding the call I took from George Thompson. You mentioned that Mr. Thompson was in Aberdeen. Did the Scottish police catch him, sir?’

‘Unfortunately he gave them the slip. Thompson probably realised he had made a mistake giving you a contact number. Or he found out that Sir Alastair and Hendricks were in custody and could be of no help to him, I don’t know. Interpol has a description of Thompson and his bank account has been blocked, so he probably won’t get far.’

***

It was now Sunday 5th of February, 1967. There were just weeks left before Ed and his team could start setting up the magazine site.

Leslie had received a notification that he would be required to attend an official enquiry the next day. The enquiry had been set up by the Secretary of State to investigate the running of the village. A separate enquiry was dealing with the running of the asylum, but that would not affect the boy. The two enquiries were working closely with DCI Royston and his team.

Chief Superintendent Alan Doone had been assigned to oversee the two investigations. Leslie was to be interviewed by him on Thursday. Leslie had known that this would happen, but now that the time had arrived for the first interview, he could feel the stress confounding his thoughts.

Mary did not seem worried; her radio droning away in the next room was testament to that. Dad? Well, he could not be of any help at all. He knew less than anyone and had given up asking.

The snow outside was falling thicker and faster as the confused boy headed to his bed. A good sleep would put things into a clear perspective, Leslie decided. But his sleep was dogged by phantoms and he awoke just after two in the morning. He sat again at the window, looking out onto the golden halos that lined the street below as it meandered down to the bend and then became obscured.

The wind had turned in those few hours of restless sleep, and rain was now washing away the snow and turning it to slush. How like this situation! thought Leslie. Hard cold facts could be watered down and then flushed away. He anguished over the custody case and the cost to his father. Whether Sir Alastair was convicted or acquitted over the many charges he faced, was not as high on Leslie’s agenda as getting justice for his father.

The boy had planned his strategy carefully. The plan was to sink Sir Alastair and his empire. It might not be the court cases involving the village or the asylum that would end his reign, but Leslie still had his nuclear submarine to launch. He had everything planned. He was waiting for the right moment to act on what he had learned that sleepless night, when he first accessed the secret room in the west wing of the huge library in the dean’s residence, Howard House.

***

Monday morning was wet, cold and miserable, full of dread and pitfalls. Traps and lies were all about him as Leslie said, ‘Mary, please come with me.’

‘But of course, silly boy. Did you think I would let you face this on your own? You must think so little of me—’ She stopped mid-stream. Mary knew her brother would have much to deal with and she would not add to his stress.

She began again. ‘I will be right by your side the whole time. Do not worry. Consider the questions and give realistic answers; you are more than capable of that. Think before you speak. Do not allow anyone to push you into giving a hurried answer. Do as you always do –think carefully and consider everything with your cold logic. Leslie, you have a fine brain, use it now.’

***

The preamble of the proceedings lasted some time: the objectives of the panel, the introductions and etiquette. Leslie had his trusted Erin at his side to guide and advise.

‘So how did you obtain this information, Master Johns?’ came the first question.

‘Just tell them what you told me,’ prompted Erin.

Leslie explained how he had rescued the files from the fire at the lodge in the village. In response to the next question, he clarified that,

‘These were the doctor’s files, not Sir Alastair’s.’

Warrants were immediately applied for to seize any files that could be found at Sir Alastair’s mansion at the village, and those at the Woodford Foundation’s London offices. The nuclear submarine had just been launched.

The questioning continued for most of the day. It became apparent to Leslie that some of the panel had doubts about the validity of the files. Various suggestions were made implying that the documents could have been forged or tampered with. No one implied that Leslie would do such a thing, but the boy had given them to a journalist for safekeeping.

The panel also asked him endless questions about his own circumstances – how had he been treated, educated, cared for in health terms. One man referred to Leslie’s brain tumour and the private medical care that Sir Alastair had arranged for him. The boy stated that he was grateful indeed to Sir Alastair for all the man had done for him personally.

***

A police team was despatched to the London headquarters of the Woodford Foundation, another team arrived at the children’s village. Both teams armed with warrants to search and seize all documents and files.

Sergeant Muir entered the west wing of the library in Sir Alastair Woodford’s mansion, uncertain of what he was supposed to find. Whilst his team searched the house, Muir got the key to the desk from Susan and opened it. He found only some loose papers with financial reports. He glanced at the books on the shelves of the library. Architecture, Greek mythology, poetry and prose, Latin America, politics, history – mostly reference books, and a bit highbrow for his tastes.

Beyond the library’s’ west wing were two more rooms. Not accessible from the library, they could be accessed from the hallway outside the library. They were used as store rooms, and they were much narrower but wider than the library rooms. The second room partly projected out from those of the library, at right angles to it.

DS Muir was walking outside the building when it occurred to him that something did not quite fit to his observations. He noticed that the distance from the last window of the library, to the protruding wall did not seem to correspond to the inside of the two wings of the library. Even allowing for thick walls and the bookshelves, something was not quite right. Muir paced the length of the outside wall of the library and returned inside. He paced the two wings – five paces shorter than the length outside!

The sergeant inspected the walls of the hallway outside the library and the storage rooms beyond the library to see if there was a door to another room. He found nothing there, so he returned to the library.

Thoughts began to take shape in the detective’s mind; Locks and Their Designs. Looking along the shelves at the spines of the books, he noticed a very strange book near the window. It had hard covers and metal hinges and corners; it was a very heavy volume with the title he had thought of. He put the volume down on the table and wondered why another title kept nagging at him; Nineteenth Century Politics. It was near the centre shelf somewhere; he had noticed it earlier. He found it and opened it, flicking through the pages as though they might contain something loose. He found nothing inside. He placed the book on the table and picked up the strange book again. He flicked through that book but found nothing in it. He shrugged and pushed the odd book into the vacant space in front of him.

With an audible click, the secret door swung open, revealing a hidden room. Muir had no idea of how he had achieved this. Just good police instincts, he surmised. He soon discovered the keys to the cabinets and removed the files.

When the sergeant began to read some of those files, he was confused by them. He felt daunted by the task ahead. Muir had never come across a case like this in his entire career. He called for help from Royston.

By the time the DCI turned up, Muir had already interviewed the house-maids Susan and Joan, and the cook.

‘Sir, you really need to see this,’ Muir said, revealing the mass of files from the cabinets. ‘Sir, I think we are going to need some help with this lot.’

Royston glanced through several of the files. ‘This looks a really complicated business. Constables, take these files, and be sure you lose none.’

Royston watched every move his subordinates made. Collecting the files with caution and respect was paramount to him.

Susan begged the officer to tell her what was going on. He could not; it all had to be read, absorbed, and disseminated. All this information would be subject to intense scrutiny, not just by the police but by lawyers, judges, and possibly members of Parliament – maybe the prime minister himself. Who could know? The accused is a knight of the realm!

***

It had been a long day for Leslie, and it had drained the boy mentally, especially his guidance of Muir whilst at the same time maintaining his presence in front of the panel.

In the end, the panel decided that it would be better to hold these sessions over shorter periods. The panel had concluded its questions for Leslie, but he had been sworn not to discuss the details with anyone, and to be available should they need to ask more questions later.

Will had not been at the hearing because his children advised him not to go. They were not yet ready to reveal to him things that could affect his own case.

Leslie had reluctantly told the panel of the custody case and the facts surrounding it. Erin had assured the boy that it was the right thing to do, and he was proud of the way Leslie had conducted himself, answering all the questions in a truthful and candid manner. Leslie had given the facts as he saw them and not opinions, suppositions, or conjecture.

On the way, back to his chambers, Erin congratulated Leslie for his courage and honesty.

‘I felt that I did not want to concentrate on my own circumstances,’ Leslie replied ‘but that is the direction they took. Of course, I have no animosity or objections towards Sir Alastair for the way he has looked after my sister and me. As I stated, the dean has looked after us all well and paid from his own account to do it. We are not savages, Erin – uneducated, discourteous, or ungrateful. Sir Alastair has done such ill deeds, but he has also done much good. It will be difficult to find more than a handful of people to testify against him. His Lordship will have battalions to stand for him. How will those few testimonies look then?’

Leslie continued, ‘I did not wish to give any moral support to him, but I had to answer with truth. The panel needs to learn which questions to ask and make them specific in nature. I know the members of the panel cannot be biased, and they ask the questions they feel they need to know the answers to. However, I did detect some support for Sir Alastair in some of the questions. The way those questions were constructed meant that I had to give him praise, recognition, and gratitude. I have no quarrel with that, Erin; he has done me such good personally. But I cannot bear to be a beneficiary of his evil actions.’

‘What do you mean by that, Leslie – beneficiary?’

‘Did I not tell you? Oh, I did not, forgive me. In the files the police are now in the process of seizing is his last will and testament. He has left a huge amount of money to his son James, and the rest he has left to me.’

‘Leslie, why did you not tell me of this before?’ asked Erin, ‘It puts everything into a whole new perspective. It could be in our favour, in that Sir Alastair’s kindness to you was for his own personal gratification, moulding you into the person to succeed him. But for you to carry on his ambitions, he would need to make you just like him. A difficult thing to prove in law. Leslie, he is not going to say, Yes, Your Honour, that was my intention – on the contrary, he is going to see you as a cuckoo in the nest, or a turncoat. Did he discuss his last will and testament with you?’

‘Not at all. I am not supposed to know about it or its contents,’ Leslie replied.

‘You warned me that I might need protection. My dear boy, it is you who needs it more than any other … If you and Sir Alastair did not discuss his will, how do you know of its contents?’

‘Erin,’ Leslie assured him, ‘I have no need of bodyguards or close surveillance. I have my sister. She watches over me night and day and in turn I watch over her.’

‘But that would mean that neither of you sleeps on a regular basis,’ Erin said with concern.

‘Erin, we sleep, as everyone has to. No, we look out for each other.’

Mary, I think I should tell him our secret. He alone deserves our trust, Leslie transmitted.

Tell him only if you feel confident he will keep it secret, Mary responded.

‘Erin, I will tell you something now that only two people in this world know about: I can communicate by telepathy.’

‘What do you mean by that? Erin asked. ‘I have read of it as a show piece in theatres and—’

‘Erin, I am going to convince you! Quickly now, think of a colour … You thought pink, but changed to red and then to yellow, am I right?’

‘Wow! Oh, my goodness! it’s impossible! You got into my head, Leslie. Try something else.’

‘Erin, this is not a fairground side-show; I do not like to reveal what I can do.’

‘Leslie, you have a gift so special I cannot begin to describe it. As a lawyer, you would be infallible. You could read the next question and be prepared for the answer. Oh, my word! You have a gift indeed, young man,’ said the excited lawyer

‘Erin,’ Leslie said seriously, and Erin noted his tone. ‘I have put trust and faith in you this day. This is not to go beyond you and me. Do I have your word on it as an honourable man?’

‘You have my word, Leslie, my solemn word and ultimate promise.’

The rest of the journey passed in silence.

Erin felt such excitement