Page 146 - My Home on the Earth

On his way back, he saw a figure in the distance and recognised the tall man. It was Mr Bannister heading towards the factory. Staying back and keeping out of sight, he watched him pull the fencing back and stand in front of the factory. Then his mobile rang and he began speaking. It wasn’t a long conversation and he carried on walking in the direction of the bay. After he turned a corner, Jake ran to the gap and sprinted across the yard. Listening for any sounds, he crept through debris and took the short cut back to his shed. Feeling in his pocket, he pulled out his key, but before going inside, peeped around the corner of the building. Mr Bannister was no more than twenty metres away so Jake unlocked the door, slid inside and locked it. He sat on his bed and waited. Footsteps stopped outside the door and an envelope was pushed through a gap. The footsteps started again and he waited until the sound faded.
He picked up a white envelope – the sort used by businesses – and ripped it open. Inside were three twenty pound notes and a typed letter:
Please accept this money as a gift from the Terrence Foundation. If you would like to know more about what we do and what we can offer, please come to our Supper Van tomorrow at 6 o’clock outside the Baptist Chapel in Anchor Lane.
Jake fingered the notes and wondered if they were real. He wasn’t frightened of the man. After all, the police recognised him. But he was curious about the foundation. People don’t usually lie about these things, or do they? he thought. When he stayed at the children’s home, some boys, who had done terrible things, were streetwise and
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