The Sins of a District

by Alexander Whittle

  “You’re hurting me!” he cried as he started hitting Wayne’s hand in vain,

  “C’mon Peterson he’s just a stupid kid,” said one of his friends as he leant over the table and made a loud snorting noise.

  “I’m going to tell on you!” Harry stated,

  “Oh really? Well let’s see how you like this!” replied Wayne as he continued to clasp his arm tightly, he led the young boy towards the cellar entrance by the outside of the house. The rain was still pouring and quickly soaked Harry right through the clothes he would sleep in. Wayne opened the cellar door removing the wooden plank that held the handles in place; he pushed Harry inside watching him fall down eight steps to the sandy floor below. He then closed the hatch leading down there and left Harry in the dark, all he could hear was the sound of the harsh rainstorm as well as the wooden plank being placed back in between the handles. This would prevent any escape as Wayne told his friends it would ‘teach the boy his place.’

  The cellar was dark and dingy with the only light being provided by the occasional lightning strike in the distance. There was no way out, and with the storm it would be impossible to be heard. He was only seven and not nearly strong enough to break through the wooden hatch that provided the only entrance or exit. All Harry could do was sit tight in the pitch black, and wait. Wait and hope Wayne or someone else would eventually let him free.

  When Harry was eventually found the next day by the woman who ran the household she didn’t even offer much sympathy, she too had a proven mean streak and chuckled to find him lying in that cold and dark cellar all night. As Harry thought that his problems had now vanished, that all he needed to do was steer clear of Wayne and avoid causing trouble, he couldn’t have been more wrong. Over the following several months he was subjected to both physical and emotional abuse by both Wayne and the woman. It was mainly Wayne though, who at any point in time would just grab Harry and throw him in the cellar to appease his own sick and twisted pleasures of watching him suffer. This continued for many months until eventually Wayne moved out. He had left however, a string of emotional and physical damage on a young boy who could barely defend himself and could barely understand what he was doing wrong, if anything. Things finally managed to settle down for Harry in the years after Wayne left, everything seemed more peaceful and returned to status quo. Even the other children seemed more approachable and kinder to him, he had perhaps found some trace of normality after all.

  Chapter II

  Ryan Mathers’ investigation into Eli Walker’s past was beginning to catch fire, Harry was being held to ransom over something other than petty gambling debts from his past as well as a falsified conviction. It had to be something else. Walker was the one who tried Peterson’s case and convinced the parole officer to pay a visit to his apartment that day so his hands would be far too close to the coals if this ever got out. Ryan had devoted much of the past week staring at his walls and his timeline that he had constructed aimed purely at one man, but still, he was getting nowhere. With no actual physical evidence it would be impossible to take anything to Ellis, or to the press.

  Meanwhile, across town as Harry was coming off of the phone having just had a conversation with Eli, he was now due to meet with the man in question at Meadowbrook Park. Later that night, as Harry drove all the way out to Silver Spring, just North of Washington D.C. He had his shining silver unregistered Colt 44 Magnum riding in the passenger seat beside him. Meadowbrook Park is a secluded place; he was simply taking a precaution. Eli had been more than unstable lately upon seeing Peterson lurking near the school as a janitor. The moon shone fully throughout the sky and the stars were fully visible on the clear April evening. The main road Harry was driving down forked, he turned right as he arrived on Meadowbrook Lane. It was dark and quiet, with nothing but a small wooded area to the left of him. This place was the epitome of the word seclusion. Harry could make Eli disappear forever if he wanted too, it was that sort of place, devoid of witnesses and civilisation, but that would be a step too far even for him, Harry was no killer. His car turned left towards the small parking area by the open field, there was not another car in sight, besides a black BMW skulking at the far end. Eli was pressed against the side, leaning back almost relaxing as he rubbed his gloveless hands together to warm up in the breeze. Harry chose to park his car nearer towards the opposite end. The two stood there and looked around for a few seconds, both examining the situation, until the pair began to slowly walk up to each other. The Colt 44 was no longer placed in Harry’s passenger side seat, but instead tucked underneath the back of his jacket tightly in his belt hidden away from view. All the while Ryan, who had seen the need to start tailing Walker, had somehow picked the opportune evening to do so. His car approached the secluded park from the opposite entrance to Harry’s. Making sure to turn off the lights and approach quietly, he drove down a dirt road that veered away from where he could be spotted and continued on foot. Ryan also brought his gun to the party, as well as a pair of binoculars. Still in his suit he clambered over fallen branches and darted over muddy puddles until he had an ample place to observe just what was going on. He had no idea that Eli would be here to meet Harry,

  “So would you like to tell me or should I just guess?” asked Harry, the two finally reached talking distance, yet still stopped ten feet apart not wanting to get too close to one another.

  “I just thought this would make a change, a change from your house as well as a change from Mickey’s. Besides, if Peterson is following me which I fully suspect he is, I don’t want him knowing where I go regularly,” replied Eli. He placed his hands inside his coat pockets. This sudden movement by Eli caused Harry to flinch for a split second, about what he might be reaching for.

  “I just wanted to tell you that you have one week to do what I asked. If not, well let’s just say I wouldn’t like to be you,” Eli said as he smiled ready to turn and walk away. Ryan however was in agony in the nearby bushes over not being able to hear clearly what was being said. Eli started taking steps; he heard a rather familiar sound of a gun being cocked back. He didn’t need to see it to know that it was already pointed squarely at the back of his head and ready to blow him in two. Rather than risk dying he casually lifted his arms from his pockets and held them above his head,

  “You have got to be kidding me?” he said with a smile. Eli turned to see Harry holding his life in the balance being gripped in his right hand. Harry didn’t reply a word he just shook his head, and continued holding a gun to Eli,

  “Is that thing even loaded?” Eli asked jokingly. All of a sudden Harry quickly pointed the gun in front of where Eli was stood and fired a shot. It let off a loud bang that echoed all across the park causing nearby birds to panic and flee their nests, it even caused Ryan in the nearby tree line to jump. Most panicked of all however was Eli, who realised this simply wasn’t an empty threat, Harry may actually shoot him.

  “So this is it huh? You’re actually going to do this? To kill a high profile like me, boy I hope you’ve thought this through,” Eli said attempting to talk Harry down. The air was quiet, nothing but a slight breeze and the wind shaking the trees could be heard.

  “All my life, I’ve had someone holding me down, keeping me in a place where I don’t want to be kept, not anymore,” said Harry; he prepared to pull the trigger yet again. At that moment in the bushes Ryan let out a small sneeze that unfortunately for him couldn’t be contained. The sound alerted both Harry and Eli that someone was cowering in the bushes nearby, the two unsure of exactly where though. Rather than take the risk Harry lowered his weapon and Eli began to laugh,

  “See, I knew it!” he shouted at Harry, perhaps goading Harry on at this particular time was not the wisest decision, but Eli obviously didn’t care in the slightest. As far as he was concerned he had just cheated death and unbeknownst to him it wasn’t the first time and probably wouldn’t be the last time either. Harry backed away and hastily climbed into his car and escaped from the Meadowbrook car pa
rk.

  “You are useless Peterson! I can feel you a mile away!” shouted Eli towards the many tree lines in the park, before he jogged back to his black BMW. He must have assumed that it was Peterson who sneezed from a distance and that he was the one surveying the action, but instead it was Ryan. Who at this point had ventured through the trees, after both cars had vanished in to the night sky, the area was all clear for him to appear. He headed towards the small hole in the road surface where Harry had fired his warning shot towards Eli. In his haste to escape whoever may have been watching, he neglected to think that they would reach down and collect the recently fired bullet from the middle of the car park. Finally Ryan had something, he could see that wasn’t Harry’s regular gun, and he also he could run a trace of the type of gun and the striations on the bullets’ outer shell. Hopefully, to connect them both to any previous solved or unsolved crimes, in the hope of finding out just what on earth was going on between the two men. He carefully used the end of his pen to scoop out the evidence left lying in the middle of the road. In the dead of night he quickly pocketed to the bullet and started running back towards his car. He decided to move quickly just in case Harry chose to return. He was a smart District Commander who rarely made a mistake, this time though he did and chose not to return. Instead he continued driving East on the 410 highway back towards downtown Washington D.C. like nothing ever happened.

  * * *

  Ryan wasted no time in heading on over to the forensics laboratory at the station in the early hours of the morning. Except for one or two other civil servants, he had the building near enough to himself, which was helpful as he was still serving a suspension that was handed down by the Commissioner. Ryan was camped in the ballistics room with his eyes moulded to the view given down the end of the microscope. He examined the bullet that Harry had fired; he prepared to run it through their system to see if it matched any other shootings on record. Ryan couldn’t help but feel concerned about the potential powder keg of scandal, corruption and deceit he might be setting a spark to. This would be forever a black mark on not only his oldest friend, but also the entire force. Which is mainly why he breathed a rather large sigh of relief as the detective found out that his gun had not been used in any other crimes, this cleared Harry of any other wrong doing in Ryan’s eyes. The computer had drawn a blank with its search, although he was desperate to learn the truth he couldn’t risk the integrity of everyone he knew. Ryan was also glad Harry didn’t aim the weapon at Walker and then pull the trigger, the storm that would have created because he would have been forced to come forward, would have been even more devastating to all those involved. At this time during Ryan’s complicated and sometimes confusing existence is where he would dive for a nearby bottle of something. He was struggling to battle with the constant urge to have a drink when the times were tough, and this was no exception. Ryan drove home passing dozens and dozens of corner stores and bars, all of which where he could have easily destroyed all of his recent hard work. For the sake of his recovering daughter April however, he decided to stay on his best behaviour and travelled straight home without making a forced stop. He was greeted upon arrival by April, who was still awake, and sitting on the top of the stairs leading to the second floor where both of their rooms were located. She was wearing her bathrobe and slippers waiting for her father,

  “I feared you would have been cruising bars most of the evening and would return in an almighty state,” she told him. April was looked surprised though to find Ryan as dry as the desert sand and in complete control of himself.

  “Relax sweetheart, I’m fine I was at the station doing some work,” Ryan said to his daughter knowing exactly what he was about to be interrogated about.

  “I was just making sure” she replied, continuing to wait at the top of the staircase. Ryan ventured up and through his bedroom door; he had forgotten his makeshift evidence board was still plastered to one of his walls for all to see. It wasn’t until he had finished tossing his jacket down on the bed that he turned around to find April with a worried look on her face gazing up and down through all of his work.

  “You weren’t exactly meant to see all of that,” he said softly,

  “Dad, why do you have all this stuff pinned up about Uncle Harry? And about Christy’s father?” she asked,

  “It’s just business, nothing you need concern your young self with,” Ryan replied knowing full well that wouldn’t be the end of it.

  “Maybe I can help?” April asked. Ryan knew she didn’t particularly want to help her father on this, because he was clearly digging around into her friend’s father Eli and their close family friend Harry. She wasn’t the type to want to stick her nose in other people’s business, especially people she knew and cared about if they could get hurt. However, she was that desperate to spend time with her father she would do almost anything for an afternoon of attention.

  “No I’m afraid you can’t help me out, there’s nothing to help with. This is all rubbish and needs taking down, I thought I had a hunch but I turned out to be wrong,” Ryan told her much to her relief as she sighed. When April headed off to bed after kissing her father goodnight, Ryan also looked upon his bedroom wall. He began to piece by piece remove the pins and newspaper clippings and throw them in the waste bin. There was nothing else to this story he realised, only that Harry once had a gambling debt and that he helped Walker break the law once like he confessed at Dupont Circle a few months ago. He could take that confession alone to Ellis, but he realised that all involved would just deny any accusation as there was no proof. As for Harry pulling the gun on Walker, Ryan just chalked that up to bad blood between the two and that Harry mustn’t have been thinking clearly and the fact that he witnessed it should be left unsaid.

  Chapter III

  Wayne Peterson had spent most if not all of the previous week camped out at Keokee Street in Langley Park, on the North Eastern side of town. He was contemplating what his next move should be against Eli Walker. While using an old jail mates’ domicile as a safe house, he was able to avoid any trouble after hearing that someone was once again setting him up. This time, it was about apparently threatening the councilman’s daughter. His friend Jeremy was also attempting to become a reformed man since he was released, but constantly found himself still selling the equipment he could make to other criminals. Jeremy Redmond’s house was small and inconspicuous, located at the end of the street; he could avoid the neighbours noticing the many undesirables he had marching in and out at all hours of the day and night. It was indeed an inconspicuous, one levelled and five roomed converted workshop for Jeremy. The floors were tidy, however every work and desktop was cluttered with wires and scrap metal. Spare parts littered the shelf space,

  “Here, if you’re going to get this guy you will need some of these,” Jeremy said as he dumped a container, that in Wayne’s eyes, looked to contain nothing but junk and rubbish. Jeremy wasn’t a particularly imposing man; he was small and spindly still sporting an out of style Mohawk haircut. He was in his early thirties and had spent most of his natural life playing around with electronics, and living behind bars. Jeremy even spent some time incarcerated with Wayne several years back. He was arrested for being part of a bank heist, albeit a small part, his job was to help disable the security alarm then get out of there, he failed.

  “What the heck is all this crap?” Wayne asked, he lifted what appeared to be a rather poor attempt at a pair of homemade night vision goggles.

  “This man, is all the gear you will need to successfully take down this Eli fellow,” Jeremy replied,

  “Look, I don’t need all this stuff. I have no use for...an EMP?” he wondered, removing it from the box, “I’m not bombing people I just need something small that I can bug his office with. Nothing too technical though,” Wayne said as he gently placed back in the container, the electromagnetic pulse device that was capable of rendering every electronic device within a five mile radius completely useless. It looked shoddy and inferi
or at best, in fact, Jeremy’s devices had probably killed more criminals than he had helped. Unfortunately for Wayne however, this was the only man he knew who could make a simple recording device that he could then plant in Eli’s office to record his conversations.

  “Why not just buy all of this stuff from one of those hi-tech gadget stores?” Jeremy asked,

  “Because, no one can know what I’m up to, I need complete confidence,”

  “Here, use this,” said Redmond. He held a small circular object in between his thumb and forefinger. As he carefully dropped it in Wayne’s open hand he instructed him on how to use it.

  “Now this is more like it Jeremy, just what I needed,” said Wayne as he held it up towards the light to examine the small listening device,

  “Simply press that tiny button in the middle then place it where it cannot be seen. It has a range of about ten metres so make sure you get the placement of it exactly right. I can’t imagine you will want to break into this man’s house or work more than once,” stated Jeremy. He lectured Wayne on the do’s and don’ts of amateur spy work. He also handed Wayne another small device, it was similar to a computer but different from a regular laptop.