Chapter 8

Next day Mario and I were up at 8 am getting ready to go for our morning run, both of us gliding through the streets of Enfield Town, my watch beeped to tell me it was 3-kilometres, Mario turned around while calling out. “I’ll see you home in a while!” I carried on running as I smiled, thinking. “we will be running the whole distance together soon.”

When I got back to my apartment, Mario was just finishing off his other exercises then headed for the shower. I did my stretching until Mario was done, then I went to get cleaned up as well.

I was finishing off drying my hair when the doorbell rang. “Mario can you get that mate.” A few minutes later I heard a female voice. It was Jacky, “I’ll be 2 minutes Jacky!” I shouted.

“Not before we have breakfast!” Mario called out.

Entering the kitchen, Mario was sitting there in front of a Mcdonald’s takeaway bag just grinning. Jacky sitting opposite looking at the kitchen clock all guilty. “Jacky you are spoiling him. Ok, just today tomorrow back to healthy food.” Walking to the fridge getting myself some yoghurt. Watching him feasting on a muffin, I put down my food, grabbed the bag, taking one as well. They both looked at me in shock then started laughing. “What!” I said.

After we had finished Jacky said. “Come on boys let’s go.” All three of us got up.

“Where are you going, Mario?” I said.

“Someone has to open the gym before you say anything else Mr Brown will be coming to help me out,” Mario said.

Walking towards my car with Mario, Jacky stopped next to a Range Rover TDV8. As I learnt to open the driver’s door, she shouted. “Today we go with this car George.”

“Come on Jacky I know the way it’s best I drive,” I said.

“Who said your not.”

When I approached her, she handed me the keys. “Happy Birthday George.”

Looking at the keys then the Range Rover. I smiled pressed the button a couple of times locking and unlocking the car, then doing it again to make sure I understood it. “One beep the car locks, two beeps it unlocks,” I said.

“Are you ok with an automatic boss,” Mario said while chuckling.

We dropped off Mario at St Barnaby’s, Mr Brown was waiting there for him. Pulling up next to his car I said. “Thank you for coming to help Mario.”

“No problem George. by the way are you ok driving an automatic.”

I looked at Jacky, she looked back at me. “You do seem to be getting confused with the pedals there.” She said.

The drive to Salisbury took just under two hours. Getting on the M25, I was doing 60 to 70 kph. Just before we reached Junction 15 to get the M4, I pushed this monster to 120 kph. It was just after eleven when we reached our destination.

The sat nav said, “You have reached your destination.” Pulling over the monster, we got out. Walking along the parade of shops looking for the storefront signs with the name Riley Forensic Documents. We checked all the stores twice but could not find it. Jacky decided to ask one of the store keepers. I waited outside giving all the shops the second scan, just in case we missed it. When she came out, she said. “They told me it’s in that block of offices across the road.” Pointing to a newly built building opposite.

At the entrance of the building was a high board which had about twenty different companies on it. Scanning the names quickly I saw it in the middle of the board. Walking up to the main door, to it’s left a row of buttons with the names of companies in order as they were on the board. Pressing the button which said Riley Forensic Documents we waited for someone to speak through the intercom.

“Good morning, Riley Forensic Documents may I help you?” A female voice said.

“We would like to see Dr Riley,” I said.

“Sorry, but we are closed on Saturday, and we can only see someone by appointment.”

“Please just five minutes of your time,” Jacky said.

There was a long silence. Then the voice came on the intercom again. “Take the lift to the second floor we are on the left as the elevator opens, you will see the name on the left of the door.” There was a buzz which unlocked the door for us to enter. Reaching the second floor, we turned left like the lady said, waiting there was a woman in her sixty’s.

Jacky said. “We are sorry we did not call you before coming.”

Turning around walking back in she said. “Come in your here now let’s see if the doctor can help you.” looking at each other we followed her.

Entering a large room with a conference table in the middle with chairs all around it, facing a flip board at the end. The wall opposite was glass looking into a lab with large magnifiers overlooking documents. Behind one of the magnifiers was a grey haired gentleman in his sixty’s wearing blue latex gloves handling a piece of paper, being careful he doesn’t damage it. Walking up to the glass the lady knocked on it to get his attention. Looking up he quickly took off his gloves, coming to the other room.

“Thank you for seen us at such a short notice Dr Riley.” My name is Jacky Taylor, and this is my son-in-law George Michaelides.” Then Jacky explained to him that we wanted to know if the two signatures were the same, that it was the piece of the puzzle to finding my grandson, my son-in-law’s boy.

When Jacky finished, the lady said. “I am sorry, but we are three months backlogged.” We both dropped our shoulders on hearing that.

“I think the Romans papyrus can wait, they’ve been dead for over two thousand years Debbie.” He said to her. Focusing on us he said. “Now let’s have a look at your documents.” Taking them in his hand, he pulled a small magnifier from his pocket putting it close to his eye while leaning forward to study the signatures on the paper. “Mr Michaelides when I was a young lad I wanted to be a boxer. I didn’t have it in me. But I followed it all my life. One of the greatest fights was the one you had with Radovan Brankovic. I remember that fight, you fought with your heart. Go enjoy our village I will have these documents ready by 2 pm.”