Page 65 of The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels
AB:Are you alright?
OM:Yes!
AB:What happened?
OM:It was the praying bit. The spiritual guys leaned on the chairs in front of them, heads bowed. When I did it, the chair collapsed. Buckled the moment I touched it. Like it knew I shouldn’t be there.
AB:The monk who helped you up … bit too old to be Jonah.
OM:He knew I was an imposter or he wouldn’t have ushered me back out here.
DS:[A disgruntled stranger. EC] Ssh! We’re trying to listen.
OM:It’s inLatin!
DS:Ssh!
[A bit of scuffling and throat-clearing. Silence. Then the chanting resumes. OMG, Mand, you have nine lives. EC]
File 6
AB:Jonah? [Didn’t you say using his cult name would trigger him? EC] Jonah?
BJ:[Not being crude or disrespectful, but if he’s Brother Jonah then I have to call him BJ. EC] Who are you?
AB:Amanda Bailey. I’m writing a book. About the Alperton Angels.
BJ:[Long pause. EC] Oh. [Someone interrupts with what sounds like ‘Brother, you are expected in the kitchen’, but BJ must wave them away. EC]
AB:I understand. You want to forget and move on. But a big part ofthat is being able to talk about it. To understand what happened and why, so it can never happen again. Your knowledge can help others, those at risk of falling under the same spell. The very act of telling your story will help them see through the lies and protect themselves. Your lived experience is valuable to the world.
BJ:How did you know it’s me?
AB:Intuition. Something. Do you speak to Holly? Do you know where she is? [He must shake his head to these questions. I can’t hear any answer. EC]
OM:You must be really embarrassed—
AB:To have us descend on you like this. Especially after … in the chapel.
BJ:Brother Benjamin doesn’t usually bring the house down. How did you find me here? [He has a rich, calming voice. I expected him to sound like a teenager. EC]
AB:Someone, I can’t remember who, gave me a mobile number. I asked for Jonah. They said he’s at Quarr Abbey. Who has that phone now?
BJ:An old friend.
OM:I once gave my old mobile to my dad. Big mistake. Suddenly he gets calls from my ex, old uni friends, old workmates, but he’s quite a … he was a practical joker and one time, my boss called late at night to tell me there was an early editorial meeting tomorrow. Dad says fine, I’ll be there, see you at eight. I forgot to say we have similar voices. Had. So I get to work at nine the next day to find the meeting almost over. They thought I was late. Had to explain it was just Dad playing a joke on them. [WTF? EC]
AB:See, anyone can be a victim. All it takes is for someone to pick up on what you lack, need or simply what you want to hear, and give it to you. They create dependence and ultimately shame, in having believed a lie. No one wants to admit they’ve been tricked. The most vulnerable people are those who think it can’t happen to them. That’s the key message we’re aiming to deliver with this book. Jonah … I’m sorry, I know that isn’t your name.What should we call you?
BJ:Jonah.
AB:But that was the name the angels gave you.
BJ:Yes, I’m Brother Jonah here.
AB:We’d very much appreciate spending some time with you. We could talk about the angels, what happened that night and how you escaped.
BJ:I’m needed in the kitchen for lunch or I’ll be very unpopular.
