THE MAN WHO ESCAPED (Episode 13)
SYNOPSIS: Eric Masters, a man who knew Coke before Coke went to prison, phoned a man called Hugo. Masters was terribly worried. For some reason, he was very afraid of Coke.
Coke reached London just before 6. The huge city was just beginning to wake up but the streets were still dark. He drove to a block of small flats not far from the river in the south east. There was a light on in one of the ground floor flats. It was shining in the kitchen. He went to the window and tapped softly. He was still standing at the window when the back door opened. When he looked up, a woman was standing there. He hesitated when he saw her and almost went back into the shadows again, but she looked at him calmly. [bad word] in, Ted. I've been expecting you," she said very softly. He walked towards her and stood in the open doorway.
"I haven't got any right to ask for your help," he said after a pause. "But there's nobody else you can go to, is there? You'd [bad word] in," she answered calmly.
Baxter caught a very early train to London. When he got to Scotland Yard, the Chief Inspector was waiting for him. When Baxter went into his office, he was sitting at his desk and looking at a photograph. The Inspector looked at Baxter quickly, then back at the photo. "Perhaps it was a good thing you didn't catch Coke after all," he said suddenly. Baxter stared at him in surprise.
"What do you mean, sir? I don't understand."
"I have a picture here of a man who knew Coke in the army. He was also a witness at Coke's trial. I've been interested in the man for some time now. Perhaps we'll be able to find out more about him now that Coke's free," the Inspector said, and gave Baxter the photograph.
"This is the man. Watch him. Follow him everywhere!"
Baxter looked at the man in the photo carefully. It was Eric Masters.
"You really shouldn't help me, Kate. It's against the law," Coke said.
He and the young woman were sitting in her kitchen. He was eating breakfast hungrily. Kate did not say anything.
"I mean, everybody thinks I'm a spy," he went on.
"But I don't think so," she finally said. Coke finished his breakfast silently. Then he said, "You were the only person who ever believed I was innocent. That's why I came to you. Who else will help me?"
"Help you to do what, Ted?" Kate asked.
"Help me to find the real spies," he answered slowly.