DI Lorne Simpkins 09 - Tortured Justice

by M A Comley

  “Yes. Someone broke in, sort of, while we were away and let all the dogs out. I came home to find every boarder and permanent resident wandering the nearby area.”

  “My God, Lorne, that’s horrendous. Who would do such a thing?”

  “I’m guessing it’s Onyx owner. When I looked in her kennel, she and her pups were missing. Even her bed had disappeared. None of the other kennels had been emptied like that.”

  “Okay, it seems strange asking a copper this, but have you informed your lot?” Sue asked, concern evident in her voice.

  “That’s the first call I made. I wanted to ask your opinion, really—if anybody has stolen back a dog, where do they likely take it? He wouldn’t be stupid enough to take it back to his home address, surely?”

  “It’s not unheard of, Lorne, although most of the time, they tend to find an empty shed at a friend’s or a neighbour’s house and store the animal there until all the fuss has died down.”

  Lorne began pacing the lounge. “Oh, crap! Do you think we’ll ever find Onyx?”

  “I have no idea. Sometimes we manage to find the animals before it’s too late, and others, we don’t. I’ve got a phone number for one of his neighbours here. Let me give the lady a call and get back to you. All right?”

  “That’s great, Sue. I’ll be waiting for your call.”

  Lorne hung up and threw the phone at the sofa. “Shit!”

  She flinched when Tony’s arms wrapped around her.

  He pulled back a little and turned her to face him. “I’m so sorry, love. What more can I say or do?”

  “I know, I’m sorry for having a go at you, too. What’s done is done. There’s no point being angry at each other. That won’t bring Onyx back, will it?”

  “Thanks for being so understanding, love. I’m sorry Charlie and I let you down.”

  “Let’s hope we can find the poor dog and her pups soon. I’m waiting for Sue to call back, then we’ll need to sit down and put a plan into action. I think I’ll give Katy a call and see if I can get the day off tomorrow. I’m not going to stop searching until I find Onyx, especially after what Sue just said. I have a feeling this Metcalfe will lock Onyx up somewhere and throw away the key. Maybe, if we give her some time, Carol will conjure up a vision that’ll lead us to her. I just hope he hasn’t harmed those pups. We found them tied up in a black bag, remember?”

  “Ring Katy. I think we need to pull out all the stops to find Onyx. If we throw enough resources at the hunt, we should succeed soon.”

  Lorne picked up the phone again and rang Katy’s mobile. “Hi, hon. Sorry to disturb you at home, but I have some bad news and need a favour.”

  “What’s wrong? Is it Tony?”

  “No. We’ve been broken into, I suppose you’d call it. We think Onyx’s owner, this Metcalfe guy, has taken her and the pups. I came home to find them missing and all the other kennels wide open.”

  “What? All the dogs were set loose? Is the place usually left unattended during the day?”

  “Sore point. Both Tony and Charlie had appointments. I was wondering if I could take the day off tomorrow?”

  “Sure, I don’t see why not. Things are a little quiet at the station with the case now anyway. Just the day, though, okay?”

  “You have my word. We’re all going to start searching for Onyx now. The RSPCA are aware and keeping an eye open. Carol is here, too. We’re hoping she’ll be able to come up with some clues soon. Other than that, I think it’s going to be a case of trawling the streets.”

  “Have you rung the station and reported Onyx as stolen?”

  “Yes, it was my first call.”

  “What about this Metcalfe guy? Did you run his name through the system? We could put an alert out for his car if he has one.”

  “No, I didn’t get the chance to do that. Would Roberts be upset if I did that, do you think? Using the police searches for personal access goes against the rules, doesn’t it?”

  “Not when a crime has been committed, Lorne.”

  “You’re right. Okay, I’ll get back on to the station and see what I can find out. Thanks, Katy. You’re a star.”

  “Ring me anytime. Keep me informed, and good luck. Try and restrain yourself when you finally catch up with the bastard, all right?”

  “I’ll try. Ring you tomorrow with a progress report.”

  “Good luck.”

  Lorne ended the call, and the phone rang in her hand before she could put it down again. “Hello? Lorne Warner.”

  “Lorne, it’s Sue at the RSPCA. I managed to contact the neighbour, and she said she saw Metcalfe leave the property mid-afternoon. Unfortunately, she hasn’t seen or heard him since he left. I’ll get the inspectors to keep an eye out in the area. Apart from that, there is little else we can do at this end.”

  “Okay, Sue. I’m taking the day off work tomorrow to start a thorough search. Do you think he’ll use somewhere near his home?”

  “That’s usually the case, Lorne. I wish I could be more help.”

  “You’ve been brilliant so far, Sue. I’m going to ring the station back to see if I can track down his vehicle registration number. I’ll ask our lot to keep their eyes peeled for his car. Maybe between us, we’ll find him. Be in touch soon.”

  “Okay, sounds good. I’ll call you the second I hear anything.”

  Lorne rang the station and asked the duty desk sergeant to look into Metcalfe’s details and put out an alert. He was all too happy to oblige and also wished Lorne luck in her search. Then both she and Tony walked into the kitchen to find Carol and a subdued Charlie waiting for them.

  “Anything?” Carol asked as she grasped Charlie’s hand tighter.

  “Nothing as yet. I’m taking the day off work tomorrow.”

  Charlie’s red, swollen eyes latched on to hers.

  “Mistakes happen in life, Charlie. You should know that better than anyone, love. It’ll be all right. I’m confident we’ll find Onyx. We have the best detective team on the case, after all. Both Tony and I will be out there searching for her.”

  “That’s great, Mum. Is there anything I can do?”

  “Stay here and look after the other dogs. I need to organise some form of security gate at the main road entrance. Maybe we should have thought of that sooner. I never even imagined someone would attempt to steal the dogs from under our noses. I should’ve known better.”

  “I’ll have a word with Ted, if you like? See if he has any contacts in the trade.”

  “That’ll be great, Carol. One less job to think about. Thanks. Can you keep asking the spirit world? See if anything comes through there?”

  “I keep asking, but there’s very little coming my way. I’ll keep trying.”

  “Great. Here’s the plan if everyone is agreeable. I’ll knock up some quick omelettes—we’ll need some sustenance before we begin. I suspect we have a long night ahead of us. Then Tony and I will set off to start the search around Metcalfe’s house. I fear the worst for Onyx, but I have to give it my best shot to find the poor dog and her pups.”

  “I’ll lend a hand with the cooking,” Carol offered, “then try and find a quiet spot to tune in to my spirit guides.”

  Lorne hated being reliant on Carol’s contacts. However, she sensed this was the only real answer to their problem.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Felicity beamed as she surveyed the group of men in front of her, each either confined to the stocks or chained to the wall. Some of the men were still unconscious, and it was time to bring them round. Each woman whose former partner had been captured had filled a bucket with cold water and was standing within inches of her ex.

  “On my command, let them have it, ladies. One, two, three, and go!”

  Four buckets of water hit their targets in unison, and four men gasped for air, wondering what kind of hell they had woken up to. They glanced around the room and down at their naked bodies then tried to twist out of their confines.

  “Waste of time, gents. There’s n
o one escaping these beauties. Just relax and take what’s coming to you like brave little soldiers, okay?” Felicity said.

  Jordan’s laughter filled the room. He grimaced as if remembering the pain filling his mouth. “Best you keep your mouths shut, guys. They stripped me of all my teeth. I sense they’re about to make your lives not worth living. I hope you have the ability and courage to overcome what is heading your way.” He nodded in David’s direction and said bitterly, “He’s been lucky so far, kept his mouth shut. That’s the key.”

  Felicity applauded his outburst. “He’s right, boys. Keep your mouths shut, and you’ll be let off lightly. Start dishing out the same sort of crap you used to give your partners, and we’ve got all manner of torture techniques lined up for you. Now, what’s it going to be?”

  Silence filled the cavernous room until Felicity prodded the first man in line, Lee, in the side with the pointed poker.

  “Ouch, you bitches won’t get away with this. I ain’t bothered what you do to me. I’m not sure what you’re after, but I ain’t going to start licking your feet or doing anything as disgusting as that. Nothing you do to me will make me regret the way I treated Elaine. Nothing,” Lee roared.

  In spite of the new man speaking out, she decided to inflict more pain on Jordan. The man had annoyed her that much she felt the more suffering he incurred would help keep the others in line. “Let’s see about that, shall we? Obviously, Big Mouth over there hasn’t learned to keep his trap shut yet, so watch and learn, men. Watch and learn.” Felicity dipped behind the curtain off to her left and returned carrying a blowtorch. She had no idea what kind of damage it could do, but she was intent on finding out. The fear in Jordan’s eyes made her want to laugh out loud. Instead, she kept her face straight and full of menace. She walked past the row of newly acquired victims, amidst gasps and murmurings, and halted in front of her challenger.

  “You wouldn’t dare. You could kill me with that. If you can make it work, that is. I’ll be better off to you alive. I’m no good to you dead, dear lady. I have money,” he added, his voice shaking.

  Felicity hitched up one of her shoulders and taunted him. “With all these other volunteers available, who cares if it goes wrong, Jordan.”

  His eyes bulged. He continued to watch her tamper with the control and leaned back when the flame emerged from the spout of the tool. She waited a second or two, sensing the tension mounting from all quarters of the room, before she motioned for Dara to flick the light switch. Dara hesitated. Felicity urged her to get on with it, but Dara dithered too long for Felicity’s liking.

  “Julie, do the honours please?”

  Julie turned off the lights. Everyone’s focus turned to Jordan. He cried out as the flame came nearer, his gaze fixated on the blue hues within its depths. He squirmed more as the heat got closer to the hairs on his chest. Then he started thrashing around when his hairs frizzled under the heat. Then his skin turned scarlet before it wrinkled under the intensity of the heat. His face contorted and he screamed, he blinked wildly as his naked body was overcome by more pain than any human being could bear for more than a few seconds.

  Felicity withdrew the flame and raised her hand for Julie to turn on the light switch again. She narrowed her eyes, daring the barely conscious man to challenge her further. Then he startled her by summoning the strength for one last venomous onslaught.

  “You’ll never break me, no matter how hard you try. You think you have this all worked out, don’t you, leader?”

  “Your insubordination will be the death of you, Jordan. I’d watch my mouth if I were in your position,” Felicity warned, thinking up an extra-special technique to wipe the grin from his face once and for all. Something sparked at the back of her mind. She would need to think things through before attempting to carry out the wacky scheme, and the idea was sure to put a strain on the group if she voiced it openly. As for Dara, she knew the woman wouldn’t agree to such an ambitious plan, but Felicity would go through with it, nevertheless. She was in charge, after all. At least Jordan had cottoned on to that fact.

  Anyone who objected to what she had in mind for this man could leave. They knew where the door was. Felicity placed a finger under Jordan’s chin, angling his head up to look at her.

  “Don’t push me too far. I promise you’ll regret it.”

  The man’s lip curled, then he turned his head to the side, unhooking it from her finger, and spat on the floor in front of Felicity. “Bring it on, lady. Do your worst. You’ve got neither the guts nor the intelligence to get the better of me.”

  “We’ll see. For now, you’ll keep. I’ll use and abuse you because it suits me to do that right now. However, one day, I will teach you a lesson neither of us will forget.”

  He tilted his head back and let out a long, deranged laugh that would have curdled any nearby milk.

  Seething, Felicity worked her way back up the line of men, prodding each one she passed with the poker. She took pleasure in ignoring their cries of pain. She blanked out the noise, intent on working through the mechanics of her new plan. She called the women into the next room and closed the door.

  “This is what we’re going to do—I want you each to tell me what these men have stripped you of. Name three things that you’re eager for them to return, either materialistic or emotional things. Then we’re going to torture each one until he surrenders the items. I think some will relinquish the material items quickly, whereas others, such as Jordan, will require further encouragement. Let me have the three things before tomorrow, and over the weekend, I’ll create a legal document that each of the men will sign. If they refuse, then they’ll suffer.

  “Ladies, we need to get back to our normal lives and routines. Therefore, I suggest we all go home for the weekend. I’ll return periodically to feed and water the men, but it will also do them good to think we have deserted them. Does anyone have a fierce-looking dog they are willing to lend us for a week or so?”

  The group shook their heads.

  “Never mind. I’m sure I can come up with a solution for that.”

  “I saw something on the TV the other night about a local rescue centre being inundated with dogs at the moment. You could give them a call or drop by and see if they have any suitable dogs,” Mags offered from the back of the group.

  “Good thinking. I’ll look them up and call in to see them tomorrow. In the meantime, we keep subjecting the men to small bouts of discomfort. Any lip from any of them, you must promise me that you’ll dish out the necessary punishment, okay?”

  The women all agreed.

  “Very well. Don’t forget to give me your lists, and I’ll get to work on the finer details over the weekend. I also want to look up some possible spells we can use to help guide the men to make the right choices, should they have any doubts.”

  “Spells? What kind of spells?” Julie asked, frowning.

  “I haven’t quite worked out that side of things yet. That’s why I need to have a break over the weekend. Do you know where the special spell book is offhand?”

  “I think so. Leave it with me. Do you need a hand organising anything? I’m free over the weekend.”

  “Thank you, Julie. Let’s see what happens tomorrow with regards to the rescue centre and go from there.”

  • • •

  Defeated, after going door-to-door, Lorne and Tony returned empty-handed from their search for Onyx and her pups.

  “Maybe tomorrow will bring better news, love,” Tony said.

  Tony’s attempt to keep her spirits up worked for a few minutes, until an image seeped into her mind: Onyx lying in a cold, dark place, trying to protect her pups. Tears pricked her eyes. Tony gathered her in his arms, and she could do nothing else but break down and cry.

  “Why? How could he do this to her? He discarded her once. It’s as if he’s saying ‘screw you, lady. She deserves to die.’”

  “I know, love. Let’s try and get some rest, and then we’ll both get out there again
first thing. We’ll find her. I promise you that.”

  “I hope so, Tony. I have severe doubts on this one.” Lorne pushed away from him. He wiped the tears from her cheeks and kissed her on the nose. “I’m going to check in with the station. Can you make us a coffee please?”

  “Will do. I’ll just pop upstairs to see how Charlie is doing first.”

  “Oh, crap! No, I should have thought of doing that as soon as we got home. I’ll go.” Lorne ran upstairs to find Charlie sitting crossed-legged on her bed with her iPod playing.

  “Mum, any news on Onyx?”

  Lorne collapsed on the bed beside her daughter and stroked her arm. “No, love. I take it there have been no calls while we were out?”

  “Nothing. I’ve been sitting here, thinking what we can do, and I keep coming up blank, except for one idea I keep returning to.”

  “What’s that, sweetie?”

  “Call the TV station again, ask if they’ll help find her.”

  Lorne smiled proudly. “I had that same thought then changed my mind.”

  “Why?”

  “I think this Metcalfe will be hoping we do something along those lines. He’ll just sit there, laughing at us. You can be assured that he’s got her tucked away in a secure place out of sight of people.”

  “Oh, Mum. What if he’s already killed her and the pups? Are we to blame for parading Onyx on TV? Is that how these warped-minded people work?”

  “It’s a hard lesson to learn, love, one that I’m not keen on repeating in the future. People who abuse animals are the scum of the earth. It really never occurred to me that they would be devious, too. I guess nothing should surprise me nowadays. Do you want to come downstairs and sit with us for a while? It’s not good to stew things over up here alone.”

  “I’m going to bed soon, Mum.”

  “Okay, shall I fetch you up a drink of cocoa?”

  Charlie smiled. “Just like you used to do at the weekends when I was a kid, you mean.”

  That one tiny off-the-cuff comment stabbed Lorne in the chest. She’d only ever been around to make a fuss of her daughter at the weekend because of work. She told herself she was being silly and that Charlie was turning into a remarkable young woman, despite the mishap that had happened today. She still wouldn’t swap her daughter for most of the teens running around, causing havoc on the streets of London.