The Front

by Mandasue Heller

  ‘What the bloody hell did you think you were playing at?’ he barked. ‘You put your own life in danger, that of one of your fellow officers, and the lives of these ladies!’ With flaring nostrils, he nodded curtly at Jane and Vanda, who were standing beside the car, clutching at each other in mute terror.

  ‘Well?’ he barked, still glaring at Paul.

  ‘I, er, thought I was doing the right thing,’ Paul stuttered.

  ‘Well, you bloody weren’t!’ Jackson blasted him. ‘There are procedures to follow in cases like this, and doing a Starsky and bloody Hutch is definitely not part of that procedure. Do I make myself clear?’

  ‘Yes, sir!’

  ‘Good! Now get these ladies out of harm’s way, then get your arse back over here and tell me what’s going on.’

  Turning, he marched over to the unmarked car he’d come in and radioed in to the station to inform Superintendent Clarke that the PCs were present and unharmed.

  ‘That’s why they call him the Dragon Master,’ Eddie muttered to Paul under his breath. ‘See the flames?’

  Paul let out a shaky breath. ‘I can understand why, though,’ he said quietly. ‘It was a pretty stupid thing to do.’

  They led the women over to another unmarked car and left them with the driver, then went back to DCI Jackson with dread in their hearts.

  Paul immediately apologized for his rashness, explaining that it was the only thing he could think of doing since he hadn’t wanted to let the cars disappear from view. Jackson told him they would discuss that later. For now, he wanted a complete rundown of everything that had happened.

  Paul explained all about seeing the two cars together, and the men bringing out the redhead Mrs Lilley had ID’d. Then he told him Jane’s story about the driver of the Escort.

  ‘So you see, sir,’ he concluded, ‘it all matches what we know of that night.’

  Jackson digested the story, and contemplated the likelihood of these being the right men. He had to agree that it was far too coincidental for there not to be some connection, but they had a problem now. They couldn’t just arrest anyone without some sort of hard evidence to substantiate the suspicion.

  As he considered it, one of the men from the ARU sprinted across to tell him that something was happening and Commander Oliver wanted to speak with him.

  ‘I’ll be right there,’ Jackson told him. Then, turning back to Paul, he threw him the bulletproof he’d brought along for him.

  ‘Put that on and stay out of the way,’ he said. ‘And you’d better ask one of the unit boys if they’ve got a spare for Hutch, here!’ He thumbed towards Eddie Walker, then walked away, shaking his head.

  ‘Spark’s worse than his flame!’ Mac whispered to the PCs before trotting off after him.

  Jackson approached Commander Oliver. ‘What have we got?’

  Oliver led him to the edge of the park fence. ‘Not quite sure yet,’ he said. ‘But there’s been movement. I’ve got some of my men inside the park heading in that direction. We should get word back soon if it looks like we’ll have to go over.’

  A light suddenly started to flash on his radio receiver. ‘Yes?’ he hissed into the tiny mouthpiece.

  Jackson couldn’t hear what was being said as the message was relayed to the Commander via an earpiece. He waited patiently, feeling a tingle of relief that something was happening – with luck, something that would justify his request for the ARU.

  ‘Seems one of your men from the second car has approached the others, and they’re having an argument,’ Oliver told him at last. ‘Looks like it’s getting heated, so we’re going to get into position in case there are any weapons involved.’ With that, he turned and ran – Jackson was impressed how silently – along the fence to a gap, where he ducked through and disappeared.

  ‘I wish we could get a bit closer and see what’s going on,’ Mac said.

  ‘We’ll know soon enough,’ Jackson said, rooting through his pockets for the cigarettes he’d left on the table at The George. ‘Damn!’ he said when he realized. ‘Give us a fag, Mac.’

  Mac flipped his pack open and tutted. ‘Four left. It’s gonna be a long night!’

  ‘Stop moaning!’ Jackson said, reaching over to take one. ‘I’ll buy you a pack when we get back to the station. In fact, I’ll buy you a whole carton if we pull this off!’

  28

  Incensed by the proof of Suzie’s betrayal, Mal had managed to get the car door open. Dodging past Ged’s grabbing hands, he had jumped out and stormed towards the group on the pavement, screaming Suzie’s name.

  ‘Oh my God!’ was all Ged could say, as Lee’s mouth fell open and Sam dropped his head into his hands.

  None of them moved an inch as Mal ran towards the group, seeming even smaller than usual the closer he got to the taller, broader men.

  ‘Raas!’ Max said, putting his hand into his pocket for the gun.

  ‘Max!’ The Man hissed. ‘Not here!’ He turned to Suzie. ‘Who’s this, Red?’

  Suzie’s face had drained of all colour. ‘It’s M-Mal,’ she stuttered, completely confused to see him here.

  ‘Your boyfriend?’ Jake asked with a sneer.

  Suzie nodded, too shocked by Mal’s unexpected appearance to say anything. She flinched as Mal threw himself at her, but The Man quickly blocked his path, knocking Mal down to the ground and advancing on him as he struggled to his feet, looking all around to make sure there were no witnesses.

  ‘How did you get here?’ The Man hissed down at him. ‘Eh? You follow me, claat?’

  ‘Yeah, I fuckin’ followed you!’ Mal spluttered, crazed by paranoia and too strung out by coming down from his coke high to realize the danger he was in. ‘That’s my girlfriend!’ Jumping to his feet, he pointed an accusing finger at Suzie. ‘I got every right to follow me own bleedin’ girlfriend when she’s slaggin’ about! You dirty bleedin’ WHORE!’ he screeched at Suzie, struggling to force his way past The Man.

  The Man easily held him at bay, laughing at his futile fury. ‘So you think your girl’s been chattin’ with me, eh?’ he asked. ‘Raas, you’re a dumb fucker! An’ y’ got no respect for your lady, dude! That’s a special little lady you got there, an’ what do you do, eh? You treat her like a ho’, disrespecting her in the street! You got no shame?’

  ‘Don’t tell me about my girl!’ Mal squawked. ‘She’s mine! Not yours!’

  The Man shook his head, grinning at Jake and Max. ‘What we gonna do with him?’

  ‘Saved us a journey,’ Jake sneered. ‘Let’s tek ’im somewhere quiet, eh?’

  ‘You’re not taking me nowhere,’ Mal snorted indignantly, totally unaware that they’d been about to come looking for him. ‘I’m taking her – home!’

  ‘That so?’ The Man laughed again, amused by the little squirt’s feeble struggling. ‘Listen up, junkie bwoy—’

  ‘I’m not a bleedin’ junkie!’ Mal yelled. ‘You bleedin’ arsehole!’

  The Man reached out and grabbed Mal’s throat in his huge hand. ‘Don’t cuss me, bwoy!’ he snarled menacingly, shaking Mal like a doll. ‘See, the trouble with you junkie dickheads, you don’t got no respect for your betters! I seen how you think you is a big man.’ He pointed at the slowly fading bruises on Suzie’s face. ‘But that don’t mek you a hard man. That jus’ mek you a piece a shit!’

  As The Man’s voice got louder, it reached the others in the car. Lee started to freak out.

  ‘We’ve got to do something,’ he groaned, looking to Ged and Sam frantically. ‘We can’t just leave him on his own out there! They’ll kill him!’

  Ged shook his head. ‘He deserves everything he gets, the bloody idiot!’

  Sam sighed heavily. ‘I agree. What good’s it going to do if we go out there now? If he’s lucky, they’ll just give him a kicking and let him go.’

  ‘What if they don’t?’ Lee moaned.

  ‘It’ll be worse if we go over,’ Ged said. ‘We know they’ve got a gun. If they think we’re coming after them, they’l
l probably use it on us all.’

  Inside her flat, Marie was watching TV. Hearing raised voices out on the street, she flipped the volume down and went over to the window to see what was happening. When she saw who it was, she called Linda over.

  ‘Here, Linda! Come an’ look at this! Simeon’s got some little farty bloke by the scruff of the neck, ragging him like a dog!’

  ‘Simeon!’ Linda squeaked delightedly. ‘Where?’

  She ran to the window, squeezing in beside Marie and pulling the net curtain up over her head. It had been days since she’d seen Simeon, and she was desperate to put things right with him. Spotting him, she started waving like a lunatic. Marie laughed, pulling her hands down.

  ‘He can’t see you, luv, and you’re blocking my view! Anyhow, shut up, ’cos I can’t hear what they’re arguing about, you giddy moo!’

  As they watched, The Man suddenly threw the little man aside and put his arm around the girl who was standing beside him with her back to them. Linda’s excited grin dissolved in an instant.

  ‘Who’s that tart?’ she screeched indignantly.

  Marie pulled her head back, giving Linda an amused look. ‘Whoa there, green eyes! What’s all this about?’

  ‘That – that . . .!’ Linda spluttered, pointing out of the window furiously. ‘I’ll rip her flaming head off, the bitch! Where’s my shoes?’

  She ran from the window like a mad woman, throwing things aside as she searched for her shoes, muttering and cursing as she found them and dragged them on.

  ‘He won’t thank you, luv,’ Marie told her, watching the jealous display with amusement.

  ‘I don’t care!’ Linda yelped, jumping to her feet and rushing for the door.

  ‘Wait, Linda – wait till he comes up!’ Marie shouted. But it was too late. Linda had wrenched the door open and was already racing down the stairs.

  Marie shook her head and turned back to the window. Seconds later she saw Linda hurtle out of the downstairs door and fly across the road, screaming: ‘Simeoooon!’

  ‘That’s Linda!’ Ged said, shocked to his core to see his daughter tearing across the road and launching herself at The Man. ‘What the hell is she doing here? And what the bloody hell does he think he’s doing to her?’ he added, growling.

  Tearing the door open as he saw The Man roughly grab Linda by the arms, he heaved himself out of the car, yelling at the top of his voice: ‘LINDAAA!’

  Hearing his voice, Linda stopped dead in her tracks. ‘Oh my God! My dad!’ she whispered, looking around, her face white with shock.

  ‘Dad?’ The Man said, holding her at arm’s length. ‘What d’y’ mean, dad?’

  ‘Yo! That’s the dude with the wallet!’ Max said as he recognized the man hurtling towards them.

  ‘Where?’ The Man asked, becoming more confused by the second. ‘What you talkin’ about? What the fuck is goin’ on here?’

  Ged reached them at a run, crashing into The Man, almost knocking him down as he himself fell. ‘Get your filthy hands off my daughter!’ he yelled, rolling over and struggling to his feet.

  ‘Dad!’ Linda screamed. ‘Don’t!’

  ‘Yo! Yo!’ Max shouted, pulling the gun from his pocket and pointing it at Ged’s head. ‘Hold it right there!’

  Ged stopped dead with his hands raised to strike, and for a second, the road became deathly quiet. Then they all heard the shout coming from the bushes behind them.

  ‘Go! Go! Go!’

  The Man spun around. ‘What the—’

  Jake turned on his heel and tried to run, colliding with Mal, who’d had exactly the same idea. They were instantly pounced upon and thrown to the floor.

  In seconds, the pavement and road were teeming with armed police. Surrounding the group, they trained their guns on them as yet more officers swarmed through the gates of the park, barking at them all to put their hands on their heads and drop to the floor, face down.

  Max felt the world close in around him as he raised his hands, the gun dangling from his finger. A second later he was face down on the ground alongside Jake, The Man, Ged and Mal. His hands were wrenched sharply up behind his back as three armed officers pounced on him and handcuffed him.

  Linda screamed as an officer grabbed her arms, pulling them back behind her to clap the handcuffs on.

  Ged twisted his head around, bucking at the men kneeling on his back. ‘Leave her alone!’ he yelled at the men holding his daughter. ‘She’s only fifteen!’

  The Man cursed loudly. ‘Fifteen? Raas!’

  ‘Yeah, you stinking piece of scum!’ Ged growled at him sideways. ‘Fifteen!’

  In the car, Lee and Sam had sunk to the floor, trying their best to hide as the police swarmed all over their friends. They both jumped, cracking their heads together, when the door was suddenly wrenched open.

  ‘Well, well!’ DCI Jackson crooned, looking down on them, and smirking gleefully.

  Lee groaned. ‘Oh, no. Wacko!’

  ‘One and the same!’ Jackson grinned evilly. ‘Out you come!’ He stepped back, exaggeratedly waving them from the car.

  ‘I didn’t do nothin’!’ Lee said, climbing out, an arrogant sneer on his face. ‘You ain’t got nothin’ on me!’

  ‘We’ll see about that, me laddo,’ Jackson grinned. ‘Now, if you wouldn’t mind . . .?’

  Lee was convinced he could worm his way out of this because he hadn’t set foot out of the car during the disturbance. He became cocky as he turned to face the car, putting his hands back behind himself, ready for the cuffs.

  ‘I’m gonna love seein’ your mush when you have to let me go, Wacko,’ he jeered. ‘I’ll sue the bollocks off you for wrongful arrest! You just watch me!’

  ‘That right?’ Jackson snorted scornfully, snapping the cuffs on and turning Lee around by the shoulders. ‘You might think you’re out of this one, sonny – but what about that little job you pulled off last Sunday, eh? Reckon you’ll walk away from that, do you?’

  Lee blanched visibly, then quickly pulled himself together. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ he said, sniffing casually. ‘I ain’t done nothin’!’

  ‘Well, I hope you’ve got a good alibi for Sunday night,’ Jackson said. ‘Not that it’ll do you any good when our eyewitness pulls you out of the line-up!’

  ‘What you talkin’ about?’ Lee sneered disbelievingly. ‘You ain’t got no eyewitness! No one saw—’

  ‘Lee!’ Sam muttered sickly.

  ‘No one saw what?’ Jackson asked, grinning jubilantly. ‘Didn’t see you down at the supermarket at approximately twelve thirty-five on Sunday night?’

  ‘I ain’t saying nothin’!’ Lee blurted out, only too aware of the blunder he’d made. ‘I want my brief!’

  Jackson snorted with amusement. ‘Of course. You’re entitled to a solicitor. You’ll be able to call one when we get you to the station.’

  ‘What about me?’ Sam asked.

  ‘No doubt you’ll be wanting a solicitor too,’ Jackson said. ‘And the same thing applies – you can call one when we get you down to the station.’ He peered at Sam hard. ‘I don’t think I know you, do I?’

  Sam shook his head. ‘No.’

  Jackson shook his head. ‘Well, if you will keep company with this little villain, we were bound to meet at some point, weren’t we?’ Turning back to Lee, he smiled sarcastically. ‘Here we go again, eh?

  ‘Lee Francis Naylor, I am arresting you . . .’

  29

  It was almost three in the morning before they had all their prisoners booked in. Jackson, Mac, Paul and Eddie travelled back together, and stayed to the bitter end, determined not to miss one second of the action.

  Too shaken to drive, Vanda and Jane were driven to the station in Vanda’s car by a uniform. They gave their statements, then Jane gave a separate one about Lee’s visit to the casualty department – although she refused to make a formal complaint about the indecent assault, wanting to get the ordeal over with in one go rather than face the pros
pect of a separate court case. Apart from anything else, both women were due to start their shifts at the hospital in just three hours, and they wanted to get home for a bit of sleep.

  Paul walked them out to the car and thanked them for their help, promising to ring Jane the next day to let her know what happened.

  Back in Jackson’s office, the mood was one of elated exhaustion.

  ‘Well, that’s what I call a good result,’ Jackson said. Then he turned to scold Paul once more for his foolishness. ‘Which is not to say I endorse your methods, lad. You should have put your and your friends’ safety first. But all’s well that ends well, I suppose. We’ve got some good stuff here, and a belting chance of making it stick.’

  Mac yawned noisily. ‘What exactly have we got?’

  Jackson read from the printed sheet on his desk.

  ‘Maximilian King we’ve got by the proverbial short and curlies! Armed and endangering life. And when we get the results from the lab, we’ll know if the shooter we caught him with was the murder weapon. We’ve still got him for possession of firearms if not, and we’ll be searching his house first thing – see what else turns up.

  ‘Lee Francis Naylor,’ he went on, grinning. ‘Scummy little sod! We’ll have him and his mates in a line-up tomorrow, see if our Mrs Lilley can’t put them at the scene.’

  ‘I thought she only saw three men?’ Mac reminded him. ‘He might worm his way out of it.’

  ‘You think his mates are going to let him walk away scot-free?’ Jackson asked, smiling. ‘I don’t think so! I reckon when we get them positively ID’d, they’ll all start talking. Anyway, we’ve got that blood we took from the scene. If that matches Naylor, we’ll have all the evidence we need to place him.’

  ‘What about the girls?’ Paul asked.

  Jackson looked back to his notes. ‘Linda Grant’s been released to her mother, and we’ll be interviewing her tomorrow. Her dad’s staying in, and we’ll see if he’s the big one Mrs Lilley saw running to the car that night.

  ‘The other one, Suzanne Edwards. Obviously not involved in the murder, but she did go later. We’ll see what she’s got to say about that. Threaten her with conspiracy, see if we can’t get her to finger the others, eh?