The couple at number seventeen finally heard from their son.
The man was about to leave the house to catch his bus, when he found the note in an old, reused envelope. He and his wife spent a long time reading it. They decided to remain silent. They would be patient. He didn’t go to work that day.
The note read:
Hi Mum and Dad
I hope you get this note. I gave it to the elderly gardener who comes here twice a week. He’s very nice. He said he would put it in an envelope and deliver it in the early hours. I don’t want you to look for me. It would be too dangerous. The people who brought me here a few months ago, not sure how many, just want me to lay low, they say. They actually apologised about the whole thing being a case of mistaken identity. The kidnapping went wrong when they found out who I really was. They said they didn’t want me to worry, that I am only being detained. I think this is some kind of hospital. The weather is very warm, so I may be a long way from home. The gardener wouldn’t talk about that. I think the men that put me in this little room are probably quite ruthless. They always wear masks but I know they both have guns. I’m allowed out for an hour each day to walk in a fenced-off section of the grounds. I have made friends with a cat that jumps the fence sometimes. One of the men explained that they are planning the kidnapping again. He said if it goes well this time and the ransom is paid, they’ll let me go. He said they would blindfold me again and drop me near home. They can’t promise anything, but they hope to get me home for Christmas. They keep telling me that they’re not killers. The food’s nothing special, frozen meals mainly, and my bed isn’t comfortable. I don’t want you to worry about me. They said it would go badly for me if the police get involved. So, don’t say anything, please. I find that I’m getting more and more bored as time goes on. I told them that, the other day. The tall one said if it takes any more than another month he’d bring in a portable television. So, please don’t worry. Hope to be home soon.
Alec