Chapter 6: Lewis the Twitcher

It looked to me as if it was by human hands.’ Lewis continued. ‘To protect the other pair or at least catch whoever was responsible, last week I set up a camera hidden in a tree branch so I could monitor them without disturbing them. When I came out of school today, I checked the camera on my phone and saw three people in the clearing. I recognised Jack and Floyd but not the oldest one.’

‘I watched to see if they were going to attack the nest, but realised immediately they were more intent on attacking Jack. I didn’t want to dial the emergency number, just in case I was mistaken. Whilst I kept watching I rang a policeman friend of mine, Constable Dexter.’

‘He and a colleague arrived just as I realised how serious the attack on Jack was. I met them close by and took a video on my phone as we entered the clearing to see the attack still in full swing. A copy of that has been given to the police. I have also made a copy of the video taken by the hidden camera and given that to the police too.’

Aiden had things to do, so Tom took the tapes off to get them typed up whilst Lewis, Terrence and Jack went up to the canteen for a coffee. As they sat down with their coffees, Terrence told Jack he was lucky to have a friend like Lewis. ‘I know.’ Jack said smiling at Lewis.

‘How long have you been a twitcher?’ Terrence asked Lewis. ‘A what?’ he asked. ‘I thought as much,’ Terrence said grinning. ‘It’s a bird watcher.’ ‘Let me answer my own question. About a week?’ he said grinning again. Lewis just smiled back. ‘You’re very perceptive.’ he told him.

Tom soon arrived with their statements. Jack and Lewis each signed their own. Then Terrence signed both to say he had been present. As he got up to go, he wished Jack all the best then as he shook Lewis’s hand he winked and said, ‘Keep up the good work with the sparrows.’

Tom dropped Jack and Lewis off at the shop and said goodnight. Lewis opened up and took Jack through into the back room. As soon as Jack had finished hugging him, he made them both a coffee.

‘It’s all over now,’ Lewis said. ‘It’s extremely unlikely that the police will need to contact you again. What I want you to do now, is to come back here either Friday evening or Saturday. Then I’ll see what we can do to get it all out of your mind. We’ll also see if we can boost your confidence more.’

‘In the meantime, tomorrow at school I want you to find Isla and smile at her. If she comes over and keeps you company, instead of concentrating on struggling to speak to her, listen carefully to what she is saying to you.’

‘From what you’ve said, it sounds to me like she is just as shy as you are. If that is the case, she will be dying to ask you out too. But if she’s too shy, just like you she won’t be able to. What she might be doing instead is dropping you hints that there are places she would like to go to if she had someone to go with.’

‘You have probably been too busy in the past worrying about saying nothing to pick it up. So, listen carefully and if she mentions there is any where that she would like to go to, no matter where it is, offer to take her. That will be your first date. After that, neither of you should have any trouble communicating.’

As Lewis showed him out and locked up, he told him to let him know Friday break if he was coming Friday or Saturday. ‘We won’t fix a day yet just in case you’re out with Isla.’ he told him. Jack walked home feeling as happy as Larry. Not only was his problem solved but there seemed a possible date with Isla was on the horizon.

When Lewis got home, he texted Isla.

‘Hi, hope you’re ok. If you haven’t tried the McDonalds plan yet, tomorrow might be a good time.

Best wishes

Lewis x.’

Shortly a reply came in,

‘I’m fine thanks to you. I’ve been having some lovely dreams too. I’ll try tomorrow.

Thanks.

Isla x.’

WEDNESDAY

On his way to school, Lewis had a call from Aiden. ‘Hoped I’d manage to catch you,’ he said, ‘I’ve got a pass to see Theo at the prison this morning. I can pick you up at school in ten minutes if you can make it.’

‘I’ll be outside the main gate.’ Lewis told him. He rang his form teacher. ‘Sorry its short notice sir,’ he told him. ‘Something urgent has just cropped up. Can I miss today.’ ‘Of course, Lewis,’ he said. ‘Good luck.’ ‘Thank you, sir. By the way you might like to let Floyd Cartwrights form master know he was arrested last night. He was caught in the act of violently raping a minor. He could be absent for quite some time.’ ‘Ok Lewis, thanks.’ he said.

Aiden arrived and they drove over to the prison some distance away. After the entrance formalities they were shown into a room with a table and chairs in. Soon after a guard brought Theo in. Because he was on remand, he was still allowed to wear his own clothes. He wasn’t in handcuffs either, not being considered violent.

Aiden showed him his warrant card and told him who he was. ‘Lewis, I think you know.’ he said. Theo recognised Lewis from the night he had been caught but still had no idea who he was.

Aiden told the guard he could leave them. They sat at the table, Theo on one side with Lewis and Aiden on the other. Lewis had brought his laptop with him. He put it on the table.

Aiden told him, ‘What happens now is between you and Lewis. I’ve brought him to see you because he wants to help you. Whether you accept his help or not is nothing to do with me.’

‘You probably know by now,’ Lewis said, ‘That all the girls whose videos were in your phone have come forward and given a statement. With the five statements and the videos you don’t have a leg to stand on. You will go to prison for a very long time.’

‘Before I tell you why I asked to see you, I want to show you another video.’ Lewis pressed play and turned his laptop round to face Theo. The video was a selection of the videos taken by the managers of both factories, carefully edited and put together by Lewis.

Theo watched as all his staff from both factories screamed death threats to him, then all cheered at the suggestion the factories were driven bankrupt before they started up their own replacement factories.

As the video came to a stop, Lewis took his laptop back and closed it. Theo had been looking down when he came in, now he looked even more so. ‘I’ve really made a mess of things, haven’t I.’ he said glumly.

‘You’ve certainly let your cock rule your head,’ Lewis told him. ‘You have lost everything by your own actions, so there is no one else to blame and nothing you can do to turn the clock back.’

Theo had his head in his hands. Lewis let that sink in for a few moments, then he said, ‘But there is something you can do to that might encourage the judge to go a little easier on you.’

Theo looked up, a slight hope in his eyes. ‘There is no doubt you are going to go to prison,’ Lewis told him, ‘But the question is, for how long. I’m sure your solicitor will have told you what the maximum sentence is. With five underage victims plus your threats to their parent’s jobs, you’re likely to be looking at a sentence very close to it.’

‘There is however, one thing most Judges like to hear. Aiden,’ Lewis said turning to him, ‘Can you tell me what often happens when a Judge feels the perpetrator is showing true remorse and repentance.’

‘They usually reduce the sentence or suspend part of it,’ Aiden said. ‘Sometimes they do both.’

Lewis continued, ‘There can be no guarantee,’ he said, ‘But then you really have nothing to lose. The Judge is used to people saying sorry in court, he needs to see something very special for it to affect his sentencing.’

‘What would I need to do?’ Theo asked feeling a slight bit of hope. ‘If you do nothing,’ Lewis said, ‘Twelve months from now, both your factories will have closed down. I think you realise that. All you will own are two empty buildings. The taxes and upkeep of them will mean that by the time you come out of prison they will have probably been repossessed. So, you would come out to nothing. No money, no job.’

‘Now what I am about to suggest is just my idea, but it has worked on a Judge before. You tell the Judge that you are so upset and appalled at your behaviour. You’ve been so upset since you realised how you made those poor girls, and their families suffer that you have been trying to think of a way to make amends. You could also tell him you are concerned that all the jobs of your employees are now at risk because of you. ‘Your Honour,’ you could say, ‘It, has taken me twenty years to build up my business, but without my staff it could never have happened. They don’t deserve to suffer because of my stupidity.’