A Day Away Update

Hello, it's me again,

So I went down to the police station 15 minutes early, announced my presence and took a seat in the waiting room among about 30 rather amusing Chinese students who were being ripped off to the tune of £34 each for the right to renew their education visas in that charming the way this government of ours has. After 20 minutes, the copper on the desk called me over and informed me that he'd tried to get hold of the relevant officer and she was nowhere to be found. "I don't know how long you want to wait," he said. "I'll wait as long as it takes," I told him, "I don't particularly want her to show up two minutes after I've gone so I end up getting done for jumping bail." Then I went and sat down again.


After an hour he called me over again. "I've tried again and I still can't get hold of her, mate," he said, "as far as I'm concerned you can go and get on with your day."


"Fair enough," I replied. "But I want to be assured that my presence here is recorded just in case she does show up." What I really meant was, "Please give me a signed document stating that I was here because one thing I've learned during this investigation is that you can Never Trust The Police."


He began writing out the details on a bit of special Police headed notepaper when the officer on the desk next to us asked if he'd looked up by details on some record or another, which with typical police inefficiency he had not. She did so, and it turned out I've been rebailed until the 10th of August. Apparently, they don't bother informing you of these things. "That's not too bad actually," I said, "at least it's after the Tour de France, so I won't miss anymore stages."


"That it is," he said, and winked. "Enjoy it, mate." So he seemed a fairly decent copper, anyway.


And with that I went round to watch it with a friend, who happens to be a Breton, and we drank quite a lot of crème de cassis mixed with cheap Breton wine.


I suspect the delay is due to the fact that they're having a bit of a problem coming up with any evidence - and I hope my naive belief that if you are innocent of a charge you will not be prosecuted for it proves to be true, but I wish this could be over and done with. Right, now let's get back to bikes.

Cheers people,


John Orbea.