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A family of evil Chapter 14
‘If you were to guess, what do you think he might be getting up to when he left here?’‘Well, like most kids I suppose. He probably had people he hung out with which mightn’t have been the best influence.’‘What makes you say that?’Gary shrugged his shoulders. ‘Kids that age, you know.’They waited, watching. It usually worked.‘I do know there was someone he was scared of though.’Bingo! ‘Keep going.’ Franklin could smell the truth behind his apparent attempt at looking like he was cooperating.‘Well, I walked out of the studio with him once and he stopped. There was someone sitting in a car outside. He asked me if there was a back way out. I told him to come with me through the basement and I could drop him off wherever he was going.’‘And did you?’‘Well, that was the funny thing, we just got down the road and he asked to be let out.’‘And?’‘He got out and I never saw him again.’‘What kind of car was it?’Gary looked at them and elation shot through Franklin as he knew that th
A family of evil Chapter 15
‘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
A family of evil Chapter 16
‘Aunt Amelia, you didn’t need to bring veges, I picked them up on the way home.’ Franklin came forward, bent and kissed her on both cheeks, taking the bags from her.‘Huh! But these are from Stepan’s garden. Not the tasteless shells you get at shops. And there is some goulash from the dinner you missed. Good goulash, make you grow. You too small.’Franklin caught Sam’s eye and she could see how much he loved having his family around.‘And about time we meet your girlfriend.’ Amelia turned to face Sam. One sweeping glance and Sam was summed up, assessed and approved. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Sam in the warmest hug Sam had ever had. She was completely enveloped in a loving circle. Sam stepped back, blinking. You could face anything life could throw at you if you were a part of this family.If Sam thought that food would dampen down the chatter, she had vastly under-estimated their humour and energy. They had the ability to eat, tease, question and laugh all at t
A family of evil Chapter 17
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
A family of evil Chapter 18
Ken buried his head in his arms, moaning softly.‘I bet he begged for mercy. What do you think, Ken? Think he would’ve begged them to stop?’ Michael ’s voice was quiet. ‘He probably tried to crawl away and that’s probably why both his legs were broken.’Ken whimpered again.‘Is that what you think might happen to you, Ken?’Ken raised his head. ‘Of course, you moron! That bastard wouldn’t hesitate, he’d squash you and wouldn’t even notice he’d done it!’’What bastard Ken? Come on Ken make it right for Clinton . You’ll be out of harm’s way, but what about other boys out there? Look Ken, as you’ve said, you’ve done these things to get these lads back to work. It was your responsibility to do this and you took action.Ken sniffed. ‘That’s right, no one seems to realise that.’‘We know you were under pressure and you were just trying to get the work through. But it’s time to put all your fears to one side and make up for what you have done. Who did you see in the car that day?’ Ken sat u
A family of evil Chapter 19
‘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
A family of evil Chapter 20
‘And?’‘He came flying out of the road in front of a car. The guy driving said he shot out without looking. He’s got a sports bag full of cash, Franklin . I think it may be something connected with Clinton . You need to get here faster than whoever owns the money does.’As Franklin jumped into his car, the passenger door opened and Johnnie slid in. ‘Before you say anything, I’m coming. I might be useful backup cos no-one knows me. Now get moving, you’re wasting time.’The streets of suburban Manurewa were quiet this time of night and no one slowed them down as they raced towards Papatoetoe where Middlemore hospital was situated. Huddled groups of youths dressed in the required black hoodies even gave them the finger of approval as they speed past. But peace soon changed to bedlam as they approached Middlemore Hospital. The emergency unit was seething with Saturday night drunks, fight victims, domestic violence cases and generally anyone who found themselves battered and bloody.Frank
A family of evil Chapter 21
Franklin grinned ruefully, ‘Hadn’t got round to hiding it, just wanted it out of sight. Here, there’s this too.’ And he handed over the CCTV CD. ‘And we got some pics of the back of them as they were walking out. I’ve already sent them on to you. One of them is called Tommie. He said to tell the boy that his Uncle Tommie was coming back for him.’‘Good work.’ Mike looked at his watch. ‘We’re moving the kid as we speak. By tomorrow, there’ll be no record that he was ever there. As soon as we’ve got him tucked away and able to talk, you and Michael can interview him.’‘There was a nurse at reception, Sister Lamb.’ Franklin started to say.Mark shook his head. ‘It’s okay, she’s with us on this. Apparently, you were very convincing that he was in danger, she was more than happy to help. That Croatian charm of yours worked again.’‘What do you think they’ll do when they discover that the kid’s disappeared along with their money?’Mark looked out the window, not seeing the reflection of