The Sins of the Father - By Jeffrey Archer Page 0,6

mind.

The two new prisoners were marched down a long green brick corridor until Hessler stopped outside a small shower room that had two narrow wooden benches fixed to the wall, littered with discarded towels.

'Strip,' said Hessler, 'and take a shower.'

Harry slowly removed the tailored suit, smart cream shirt, stiff collar and striped tie that Mr Jelks had been so keen for him to wear in court to impress the judge. The trouble was, he'd picked the wrong judge.

Quinn was already under the shower before Harry had unlaced his shoes. He turned on the tap and a trickle of water reluctantly dripped down on to his balding head. He then picked up a sliver of soap from the floor and began to wash. Harry stepped under the cold water of the only other shower, and a moment later Quinn passed him what was left of the soap.

'Remind me to speak to the management about the facilities,' said Quinn as he picked up a damp towel, not much bigger than a dishcloth, and attempted to dry himself.

Hessler's lips remained pursed. 'Get dressed and follow me,' he said, before Harry had finished soaping himself.

Once again Hessler marched off down the corridor at a brisk pace, with a half-dressed, still wet Harry chasing after him. They didn't stop until they came to a double door marked STORES. Hessler rapped firmly and a moment later it was pulled open to reveal a world-weary officer, elbows on the counter, smoking a rolled cigarette. The officer smiled when he saw Quinn.

'I'm not sure we've got your last lot back from the laundry yet, Quinn,' he said.

'Then I'll need a new set of everything, Mr Newbold,' said Quinn, who bent down and removed something from inside his other sock, and once again it disappeared without trace. 'My requirements are simple,' he added. 'One blanket, two cotton sheets, one pillow, one pillowcase . . .' The officer selected each item from the shelves behind him, before placing them in a neat pile on the counter. '. . . Two shirts, three pairs of socks, six pairs of pants, two towels, one bowl, one plate, one knife, fork and spoon, one razor, one toothbrush and one tube of toothpaste - I prefer Colgate.'

Newbold made no comment as Quinn's pile grew larger and larger. 'Will there be anything else?' he eventually asked, as if Quinn were a valued customer who was likely to return.

'Yes, my friend Lieutenant Bradshaw will require the same order, and as he is an officer and a gentleman, be sure that he gets only the best.'

To Harry's surprise, Newbold began to build another pile, seeming to take his time selecting each item, and all because of the prisoner who'd sat next to him on the bus.

'Follow me,' said Hessler when Newbold had completed his task. Harry and Pat grabbed their piles of clothes and charged off down the corridor. There were several stops on the way, as a duty officer had to unlock and lock barred gates as they came nearer to the cells. When they eventually stepped on to the wing, they were greeted by the noise of a thousand prisoners.

Quinn said, 'I see we're on the top floor, Mr Hessler, but I won't be taking the elevator, as I need the exercise.' The officer ignored him and continued past the shouting prisoners.

'I thought you said this was the quiet wing,' said Harry.

'It's clear Mr Hessler is not one of the more popular officers,' whispered Quinn, just before the three of them reached cell 327. Hessler unlocked the heavy iron door and pulled it open to allow the new con and the old con to enter the home Harry had a lease on for the next six years.

Harry heard the door slam behind him. He looked around the cell, and noticed there was no handle on the inside of the door. Two bunks, one on top of the other, a steel wash basin attached to the wall, a wooden table, also attached to the wall, and a wooden chair. His eyes finally settled on a steel bowl under the lower bunk. He thought he was going to be sick.

'You get the top bunk,' said Quinn, interrupting his thoughts, 'on account of you being a first-timer. If I get out before you, you'll move down to the bottom one, and your new cellmate will get the top. Prison etiquette,' he explained.

Harry stood on the bottom bunk and slowly made up his bed, then climbed up,