Ken stared at them in for a moment, then dropped his head, his sides heaved, and to Franklin ’s disgust, put his head in his hands and started sobbing. He was still gasping for air as they lead him out through reception. Michael led Ken to the car and Franklin went back looking for Ross Fowler to tell him how his apprentices had been treated. Sometimes, this was one of the benefits of the job. If Ross were half the man Franklin thought he was, this would be a big wake-up call for him and his Managers. This should have been discovered and stopped. There would be people who would know or guess what had been going on but, didn’t speak up. Now, maybe someone would take notice. Maybe, they would take a bit more care about who they promoted to supervise the youngsters.They now knew what happened to Clinton prior to him disappearing, but Franklin had a sinking feeling that Ken was going to clam up. The man was terrified, and Franklin was not surprised that Ken was babbling all the way

‘The one causing the song and dance,’ Michael answered. ‘Rumour has it that he’s a bit temperamental.’‘Can I help you?’They spun around, and Franklin gave himself a mental kick for allowing their comments to be overheard.‘I’m Shane Burge the station General Manager. How can I help you?’Both men showed their ID. ‘We’re looking into the disappearance of a young boy called Matt Sunderland. He did work experience here for a while and we were wanting to speak to anyone who may have come in contact with him.’‘Of course, let me find out the details from HR for you. I should be able to tell you how long he worked here and who he might have worked with.’ He walked back to the desk and picked up the phone. ‘Sarah, have we had a Matt Sunderland do work experience?’ He waited, listening. Franklin looked back out into the office. Gary King was staring directly at him. Franklin nodded at him. The news had got out fast and Gary didn’t look at all pleased to see the police at the station. Th

‘Sure. Is there something wrong?’‘I’ll explain when I see you.’ He couldn’t afford the risk of her trying to discuss Clinton ’s case with him until they had checked whether or not her place was clean. He had to convince them that Sam was not worth their attention. And he had to find out who he was convincing.He studied the face of the guy in the pics from Johnnie, spread his fingers on his iPhone to bring it up larger but still didn’t recognise him. He was young, fresh looking. He obviously wasn’t a gang member, maybe he was the real deal and had been bought. Do the odd job for us and we’ll make it worth your while. Still, you could never tell. Most psychopaths were the most charming and good looking. He forwarded the pics to Michael ’s phone and called him into his office. He filled Michael in on what it was about and what they were going to do. ‘If there’s anything there, I’ll bring one in tomorrow. We’ll leave one behind so it will just seem like one is malfunctioning. If they a

She nodded and Franklin could see she was breathless, which brought a grin to his face as he walked back to the car. He wondered if Johnnie was timing how long he was parked in Sam’s driveway. He considered leaving his car there for the night and calling a patrol car to take him home. But sense prevailed and he backed down the drive and headed home, humming to himself.It wasn’t until Franklin got to work the next morning that he remembered he was supposed to have gone for a run. Two things in quick succession distracted him. One was Michael came in to tell him about the licence plate of the Telco. ‘His name’s Adam Taylor and he’s a technical technician for Onetel. Seems like he’s legit, he’s got no record, no known associates, not on the radar at all. Are you sure she didn’t call with a complaint or something?’‘Michael , she doesn’t have a landline!’ Franklin felt he shouldn’t have to repeat important information. ‘So, that means either it was an innocent mistake or he’s a new r

‘Sure thing, boss.’‘And Franklin ?’Franklin turned back, trying to control his breathing. Mark was sweating but didn’t seem to be breathing any heavier than usual.‘Keep this between you and Michael for now. Ok? Keep me fully informed every step of the way. By the way, you could do with a few more jogging sessions, you’ve puffing like a bloody train.’Franklin waited until Mark had reached his car the other side of the car park before he allowed himself to bend over double and try to catch his breath. He straightened and looked out over the ocean, slowing his breathing. It was a sobering thought, looking for the kind of person who could deliver such a brutal beating and what they might do as a warning if Franklin and Michael got too close. Franklin wasn’t happy that he would be working outside the support of his mates on the force. The legal system was cumbersome and difficult to please. Sometimes, they got justice for the victims and their families. Other times, bad bastards