Chapter 6: Daddy To The Rescue?

The first thing John Griffiths did after his revealing and distressing talk to Marty was to get back to Potts. That gentleman was sympathetic and promised to contact the prison. John took the first available flight. Three days later the two were talking in Potts's office. That gentleman had been making good use of the last few days. Now that there was testimony from an ex prisoner about Lisa's punishment, the prison no longer saw any point in hiding behind their former wall of secrecy.

"I have arranged for you to visit the prison and talk to the governor about your daughter's case. He did not deny that Lisa is in strict solitary confinement. I asked him if she was in good health and he said she was, but had suffered food poisoning recently in common with pretty well everyone else in the prison. He said they had improved her diet to help her regain her strength after a shattering few days. I got the feeling he is a basically decent man, but with no imagination. He obeys orders and imposes rules laid down by the system. But you can talk to him yourself. I will drive you there and back and will be with you at the interview."

Potts's descripion of Governor was right, thought Griffiths. This was a man who applied rules strictly and fairly according to his lights, but had little idea of flexibilty. Sensing that the diplomat's presence was not helping, he asked Potts to leave and pick him up later. The Governor offered him the hospitality of his house and Potts promised to be back in exactly two days. When they were alone, Menendes visibly relaxed.

"I am sure this must be very painful for you, Mr Grifiths and I sympathise. I have a daughter of Lisa's age and I sometimes get pretty scared about her getting into some sort of scrape! It is a long complicated story, but your daughter was originally given one hundred and four weeks in solitary. I confirmed the sentence three weeks later and that is that, I am afraid.Once a sentence has been countersigned by the Minister of Justice, only he can amend it and he would need facts not available to him at the time. These simply aren't available. I could not release her even if I wished without sanction from the Justice Ministry and that, as I have sai, is unlikely, although you are welcome to try and persuade them.

She is kept in total isolation in a temperature of ten degrees, or fifty fahrenheit if you still prefer old money! There are a number of rules and they are enforced by monitoring her round the clock on a CCTV system. Each infringement earns her an extra week and the timing device to unlock her cage is adjusted accordingly. Again it is difficult to reverse such a decsion, although I do have some influence there if I feel we may have been unjustly severe. For instance, I did get authority to have twelve of her extra weeks rescinded, so that brings her release a little closer! "

"How many extra weeks has she had?"

"Sixteen, so far. Twelve were incurred very early on. Until she became ill and fainted a couple of times and suffered two messy atacks of diarrhoea, she had committed no offences since the early ones. She is a model prisoner who has adjusted to her punishment with great courage. I know you think it harsh, but this is a harsh country in many ways. I have spoken several times with the excellent Mr Potts and share the view that the evidence on which Lisa was convicted was thin to say the least. That woman in the photograph did not look like her to me, although it is so blurred that it could be any fair-haired young woman of about that height and build. But she came here as a convicted felon, Mr Griffith. She came here to be punished and my job is to provide that punishment."

Griffiths said nothing. He knew he must not antagonise this man, despite his contempt for the fellow's utterly hidebound mindset. The Governor went on.

"I judged that she had committed three offences, Mr Griffiths. She admitted to starting two fights and lied about the first fight before changing her story. That meant eighty eight weeks and I felt she should also serve the sixteen weeks her lie had nearly cost her first opponent. I am sorry, now, about the extra sixteen weeks, but I doubt the Ministry will seek to change it.Nevertheless I will write to them and ask them to do this.It seems unfair that you have come all this way for nothing. But, first, would you like to see your daughter? I have the monitors for the isolation block in my office. Come!"

Griffiths followed him over to the sliding panel and was soon looking at the screens. All were blank except one. Lisa had been the sole prisoner since Sandra had been freed. A tear trickled down his face as he recognised the person he loved most in the entire world, aside from his dear wife.

"Thank you, Governor! I must say she looks amazingly well! Pale skinned, of course, but fit and well. And her hair looks amazing - I always told her she should grow it long like that, but she preferred it shorter! How does she keep in such shape, I wonder?"