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CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Another Hitch-hiker

Peter and John walked out of the police station. ‘It’s wonderful,’ John said. ‘I didn’t think the police would let me go.’

‘The police had to let you go,’ replied Peter, ‘because Tommy Logan said that he had killed your uncle.’

‘I know,’ said John slowly, ‘but I don’t think he wanted to kill my uncle. I think it was an accident.’

‘That’s true,’ agreed Peter.

Peter and John walked around to the back of the police station and got into Peter’s lorry.

‘What do you think will happen to Tommy Logan?’ asked John.

‘I don’t know,’ answered Peter, as he drove the lorry out onto the road. ‘He is very young to go to prison. The person who should go to prison is Bob Steel, because he tried to make money out of your uncle’s death.’

‘But why aren’t you angry with Tommy for trying to hit you with his motorbike when you were chasing him?’ John asked.

‘Because I expect I would have done the same in his situation,’ said Peter. ‘Don’t forget that Bob Steel had frightened Tommy and told him that the police would put him in prison for the rest of his life,’ replied Peter.

‘I don’t know what I’m going to do now,’ said John. ‘I don’t want to stay at school. I must try to find a job.’

‘Why not come to Universal Transport with me,’ suggested Peter, ‘and see if they can give you a job?’

John looked at Peter. ‘Do you think they would give me a job?’ he asked.

‘I expect so,’ said Peter, smiling.

‘I hope so,’ said John. ‘I would like to drive lorries from Bristol to Manchester. There is someone I would very much like to see again in Manchester.’

Peter turned and smiled at John. He knew that John was thinking about the girl called Susan who he had met outside the cinema.

‘I’m afraid you can’t drive a lorry until you’re twenty-one,’ Peter said. ‘But you can get a job helping to repair lorries. That’s how I started when I left school.’

‘I would like that,’ said John.

Peter and John drove out of Bristol to Bridgwater. John was going to stay the night at Peter’s house and go to Universal Transport with Peter the next day to ask for a job. Just outside Bristol they saw someone standing by the side of the road.

‘Look,’ shouted John, ‘it’s a hitch-hiker. Will you give him a lift?’

‘Of course,’ replied Peter and stopped the lorry. The hitchhiker was a boy of about sixteen.

‘Where are you going?’ Peter shouted through the window.

‘I don’t know,’ answered the boy. ‘I’m running away from home.’

‘Oh no!’ said Peter, with a laugh. ‘We can take you to Bridgwater if you like.’

The boy got in and sat down. He looked very nervous.

‘So you’re running away from home, are you?’ said John to the boy with a smile.

‘I expect you think you’ve killed your uncle too,’ Peter said to the boy.

Then John and Peter looked at each other and started laughing.

‘I don’t understand what you are talking about,’ said the hitch-hiker. ‘And why are you laughing at me?’

Peter and John were laughing too much to reply.

‘Let me get out of this lorry,’ shouted the hitch-hiker. ‘I think you are both mad.’

Peter stopped the lorry and let the hitch-hiker out. Then Peter and John drove off towards Bridgwater. They were both still laughing.