Douglas examined her face with a raised head.She held his eyes then, at that point, proceeded with her story. "I guess I had a pretty good upbringing in comparison to what I've seen here today because my father brought us to Australia.But a year ago, I got a house from someone I didn't know.The only thing I knew was that the house looked like someone lived there.I immediately recognized that.My husband thought....Well, he didn't think I didn't know who had given it to me.It made issues for ourselves and I wound up moving into the house all alone.Sadly, I was unaware at the time that a different person had keys.He also began following me.It went on for a long time, and he would have killed me. I could have died.Still finding it difficult to talk about it, she shivered.I had two friends at this point.Johnnie, a neighbor of mine, was one.Johnnie, who used to be a police officer, persuaded me to report it.My life was saved by his advice.She smiled as she gave Johnnie a look.
"You're doing well, little one.I hope you can appreciate how much time she spent telling you this story.At Douglas , he grinned.
"Nevertheless, I met Detective Sergeant Franklin Martin when I went to the police."She smiled once more, looked at Douglas , and her hope grew when she saw that he was listening.Franklin is not your typical police officer.
"Please, oh!"Johnnie entered.Get rid of the romance in this!He is, without a doubt, a policeman."
Johnson observed Douglas 's mouth moving.Johnnie's interruptions were entertaining to him.
Well, he doesn't quite meet my expectations.Regardless, while he was looking into my issue, he gave me a lot of good advice and took my concerns seriously.He literally saved my life in the end.
She noticed that Douglas had tucked his hair behind one ear as he looked at her.She gave him her full attention.They are good people and are my friends.Franklin , on the other hand, was out looking for Clinton as soon as he vanished.Franklin was concerned about Clinton because he was in a group that Franklin helped.
Yes, I do know him.Douglas surveyed the ground.He inquired throughout the skate park.We assumed that Clinton was knocked off because a police officer was looking for him until they found him.
Johnnie came in, "I don't think they were related."Franklin went looking for Clinton when I believe he was already dead.
Douglas overlooked him.
Regardless, Franklin is concerned about the boys.No one cares if they vanish.He cares.Additionally, he is determined to determine the situation and ensure that none of the others are harmed.He suggested that we visit the camp to see if we could find out anything from anyone there.But Douglas , I had no idea what life was like for kids like you, so I reached across and put my hand on his forearm.I also intend to continue volunteering regardless of the outcome of Franklin 's case.I'd like to assist.
"And will you speak with us now that we have compromised the investigation by confiding in you?"Johnnie didn't hold back.
I'll speak with her, not with you.You remain filthy."
"All good.I'll let you two talk for now."Johnnie then stood up, walked back down the hill, and entered the hall.
“BD was fine, but he got into a situation he was unable to handle.He made a change but didn't say much.I once questioned him because I believed that arrogant supervisor was manipulating him.However, he stated that he had met someone who would rescue him from his precarious situation.Fuck-you money for one that paid well.He gave her a look as if he wanted her to understand.When you have sufficient funds, no one can now tell you what to do.Drawing a circle in the dirt between his legs after looking downNo one can tell you what to do anymore because you have so much money.
They stayed there, each in their own contemplations until Douglas inquired, "Anyway, what's it like being followed?"
Johnson gave it some thought for a moment.You are completely helpless, terrified, and vulnerable.You want to scream and hit, but nobody is there and you don't know when he will return.She put her fist to her stomach and said, "When something happens, it gets you here."You feel like you've been hit, and your breath stops.Constantly alarming."
"Yes, I understand that feeling."
Johnson thought back to Douglas 's abuse.I suppose you do, yes.That, I suppose, is how any victim feels.Now that I haven't given it much thought, I assumed I was the only one feeling that way.You felt this way growing up.It's horrible, and it absolutely shouldn't happen!
Douglas gave her a grin.We assist young people one person at a time, but the majority of the time, we are unable to reach the scumbags who commit these crimes.Therefore, I may try to locate some information for you.He got up and reached out to assist her in getting up.After taking a moment to get to her feet, Johnson stepped forward and gave Douglas a big hug.Douglas , thank you.Will you let me know if I can be of any assistance?I mean for the kids.
"Ah, correct.In a crisis, you would be very helpful.Eliminate all of the secrets.As they walked down the hill, he bumped into her, throwing her off balance.Johnson bounced back at him and knocked him against a tree in response to his teasing.Take note, you!I pose a greater threat than you realize.
As they entered the hallway, they continued to laugh and attempted to outdo each other with Johnson 's outrageous notions of her as a warrior for the children.Johnson was relieved and appreciative to Douglas for giving her another chance.
She hurled herself entirely into, still up in the air to help and to attempt to comprehend the children better.It was mid-evening and she was watching a gathering of sincerely frozen kids utilizing workmanship to draw how they felt when Douglas showed up at the entryway and demonstrated for her to follow him.She had to sprint to catch up to him as he was striding up the hill as she left the door.
Your partner will learn a valuable lesson from some of the boys.Inform him of their thoughts regarding the filth.
“But he’s not...” “I know he’s not now, but he’s the closest thing to it, and it’s a chance to get back at them for how they were treated.”I believe they are in the clearing up there."
"Well, I believe he can handle himself,"Johnson recalled how Johnnie's stalker had attacked her and nearly killed her as soon as she said it.Douglas had to hurry to keep up with her as she increased her speed.
They heard a shout and several thumps coming from the other side of the hill as they got closer to the top of the hill.Johnson raced forward, her feet barely touching the ground, her heart pounding and she gasping for air.She overshot the bank's top, stumbled and skidded down the other side, coming to a stop in a dust cloud, terrified of what she was about to see.She was taken aback as she took in the scene.
With six boys who were all dusty, Johnnie was present okay.However, Johnnie was instructing them in self-defense, and they were paired up.Because Johnnie's t-shirt was ripped, she assumed there had been a fight before he took charge.Johnnie turned and stood there, hands on hips, staring at her.Actually, Johnson , you could benefit from some self-defense instruction as well, given that the cavalry have joined us.Douglas , you too,” he said as Douglas skidded down the hill alongside her.
Douglas mumbled, "No thanks."
“What?Are you going to prevent Johnson from learning self-defense skills?Who else will accomplice her?"He then turned around and returned to the boys, adjusting his stance for one group and widening his hand grips for the next.Thumps, grunts, and body flipping were occurring as bodies hit the ground.
"Hold tight folks, how about we figure out how to appropriately fall."Johnnie organized the boys into a line and instructed Johnson and Douglas to reach the end. When they fell, she showed them how to roll to prevent injuries.He put them back into groups of two to practice throwing their attackers to the ground after they had all rolled to his satisfaction.Johnson focused on doing it correctly.Hands on shoulders, one leg bent behind the attacker's leg.The attacker falls back over the leg after being pushed with the hands.
“Wow, that's so.........” "Cool, I know!We should rehash it.Proceed to attack me.It appeared as though Douglas had forgotten that he didn't want to take part.The word, 'cool' and 'debilitated' reverberated around her and Johnson grinned watching the young men put genuine exertion into learning the move.
Stewart suddenly flew over the crest of the hill.All of them turned to look at him.The boys had only ever seen him calm and in control, but now he was puffing and leaning forward with his hands on his hips to regain his breath once he realized there was no fight.He stood up, exhaled, and stepped forward, coming to a stop in front of Johnnie.What's happening?What's going on here?”
Teaching the guys how to protect themselves from an attacker is all that is required.Any concerns?”
Johnson realized after Stewart looked around the group that he must have heard Douglas tell her that the boys were going to teach Johnnie a lesson.Typically, we like to know what the boys are learning.But when he realized that the boys were waiting to see how he would react, his voice softened.
"Well, the class wasn't really planned out.That's just how it came to be.You want me to put an end to it?Johnnie gave Stewart his authority back with that question.The fact that there was always one person you deferred to and who made the rules for the benefit of the group was an important lesson for the boys to learn.
"Is this okay with you boys?"Yes, that's cool!Stewart, look at what we learned.'A couple bowed and moved onto the ground. 'See?If we roll, we don't get hurt.'The partners of others flipped over their partners' legs.And if we are attacked, we can defend ourselves!Look!”Then came more demonstrations.Stewart laughed out loud.Although it is not exactly what we planned to do this afternoon, I suppose it is quite practical.Okay, continue.I will send you a few volunteers to assist.'Before turning and returning over the hill, he stood and watched for some time.Johnson smiled when he saw Johnnie's eyes.After giving a wink, he returned his focus to one of the bigger boys.That's pathetic, you big girl's blouse!'That night, Johnson learned that rolling on stones and bumps is covered up by concentration until the bruises show up later.She groaned as she scrubbed off the dirt and dust, but she was thankful for the hot shower.She had bruises on her hip, buttock, and left side of her back.She fea
"Okay, halt!"She felt Douglas 's hands on her shoulders, and he quickly turned her around three times, leaving her feeling a little shaky and lost.Presently take the blindfold off and return us to camp.'When Johnson removed the blindfold, she realized that she was not only unaware of her location but also of the camp's direction.But I'm not sure where....'Not wanting to disappoint Douglas , she was frantically scanning the area around her.And to her surprise, the tree she had felt along the way was there.Similar to what she had done while blindfolded, she walked over to the tree and touched its bark.She was certain that it was the Johnson e tree.She observed the ground's downward slope as she looked around.She made her way to the bottom of the slope because she remembered going up a slope with increasing excitement.She didn't know whether Douglas was going in the right direction as he silently followed her.She looked around again for the leaves she had felt.Vulnerability overwhelme
They crossed the road, walked into the reception area and showed their IDs to the receptionist who looked way too young to be sitting in reception. Franklin wondered why she wasn’t still at school and, she had on too much make-up. He asked to see Ken Watters and mentally prepared himself for the coming interview. At this rate, he’d go straight for the jugular. God, he hated people who took advantage! And when it came to kids, even if they were tall, 16-year-olds, they were still kids. They had a right…‘Can I help you?’The voice spun him around and he stopped. The man facing him was of solid build, ruddy faced with grey hair and was Franklin guessed, in his sixties. He was wearing a pale blue shirt with Auckland Steel embroidered on the pocket. Franklin guessed that this was not the man he was looking for. The receptionist was not as young or as empty-headed as he had assumed, this was obviously one of the Managers. He stepped forward, his badge out in front of him and introduced
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
Franklin didn’t want to give any details to Sam, but he knew she wanted the truth, no matter how bad it was. If she was willing to face the reality, he was willing to share it with her. ‘No, no he didn’t. He coerced Clinton into giving him blowjobs in the toilet out the back of the factory. It was his idea of pulling the young guys into line. He knew the other boys knew about it and, I guess, it made them toe the line and prepared them for what was coming next. We’ve got him for doing the boys and it turns out, he hurt his wife once too often, so we’ve got him for GBH for that as well. I’m hoping that when we tell her about the boys, she might be willing to think of more charges against him to compensate for her years of being his punching bag. Who knows, she may even know something, too.’There was nothing left to say.‘Well, that’s one more step forward for Clinton .’ And Sam stood on tiptoe to give him a kiss on the cheek. ‘Good job, Franklin .’ And she turned back to the stove.
‘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
‘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
‘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
Outside, Franklin lifted his head and listened. Everything must have been going to plan in the warehouse, it was always a good sign when there had been no shots. But another sound caught his attention. Franklin knew what the sound was, an approaching motorbike. If the whole gang arrived, they would be totally outnumbered. However, they wouldn’t know that there were police there until they got into the warehouse. There was still no sign outside that there was anything out of the ordinary. It crossed Franklin ’s mind, that if he shut the gate, he would not only stop anyone from leaving, but he would also keep any backup out of the warehouse yard as well. But what the hell, they might as well catch all the rats in their trap. He clicked the radio and let Mark know there was at least one more bike coming their way. As he pulled back into the shadows, Franklin saw a bike move slowly through the gate and pull up in front of the warehouse and then just sit there with his bike idling. Fran
He nodded, humbled by her reaction.She took his hand and led him inside. But she didn’t stop in the kitchen or the lounge. She kept walking straight down the hall into the bedroom. Franklin ’s heart thumped in his chest. She turned to face him, and he started to apologise for not being there for her when she put her finger across his mouth. ‘Shut up.’ She pulled him closer and stood on tiptoe to reach his lips. He lowered his head and allowed the feelings to swamp him. And suddenly, he took control. He turned and backed her against the wardrobe door and kissed her the way he’d dreamed of. And she responded exactly how she had in his dreams, but the feeling that surged through his blood was more intense than in the dream. It was pure bubbling champagne in his veins.Later whenever he thought of that moment, he never could figure out how they made it to the bed, but he sure remembered every touch, the taste of her and every movement they made together. It was simply perfect.Lying ther
Mark heard the air hiss from Franklin as he called a warning to Tommie to drop the bat. The boy’s sobbing subsided as he realised help was at hand and he scrabbled away from Tommie’s vicinity. Sobbing turned to a soft hiccupping, and they all looked at Tommie, waiting. No one moved. One person prayed for Tommie to try something, there were now four guns aimed at him. Tommie slowly lowered the bat.‘Toss it away from you, towards the back wall.’ Mark’s voice was soft and dangerous, and Franklin wondered if he too would like to take Tommie down.The bat was tossed and before they could say anything else, he dropped to his knees, putting his hands behind his head. He knew the drill.Two of them moved forward, still cautious while two remained with their guns trained on him. He was handcuffed before Franklin made a move towards Bubba. Tears were streaming down his face, leaving tracks in dirt. ‘I think he’s broken me bloody knee.’ His bottom lip wobbled, and Franklin put one arm aroun
Johnnie leaned over and put it on pause. ‘Yea,’ corrected Johnnie, ‘except for if you’re recording this and you want to get as much detail in as possible.’ He started it again.‘Okay, keep your hair on. Don’t let your shiny new Gold Wing bike go to your head.’ There were chuckles in the background.Franklin had snapped to attention. ‘Play that again.’ They listened to it again and Franklin sat back in his chair. ‘My god, if we can tie him into that bike, we’ve got him.’‘Really? The guy who’s at the back of all this?’Franklin nodded. ‘Where did you say you got this again?’Johnnie lifted one eyebrow. ‘Apparently, I found it on my doorstep tomorrow morning.’Franklin nodded. ‘Cautious aren’t they.’‘Wouldn’t you be? Well, I don’t know about you, but I think I’ll head home to get some beauty sleep.’ Johnnie finished the last of his drink. ‘Don’t say it, I need more than a sleep to fix that.’Franklin walked him to the door. ‘Thanks man, this could be the best link we have so far.
‘Yes, I met her in the coffee shop.’‘Her maiden name was Arbruzzio.’Franklin stared at him. ’She’s his aunt? Arbruzzio’s?” He breathed out. ‘She told me Arbruzzio had helped her. I got the impression that she owed him.’‘You got sucked in, man. She must be good.’Franklin shook his head. ‘Unbelievable, I totally believed her. So is she a part of everything too?’ Franklin felt his world shift. He had hoped that she might look out for the boys but there was a strong possibility that she was in it with Tommie and Arbruzzio up to her neck. ‘Damn it, women aren’t supposed to take advantage of young boys. Call me old fashioned, but it’s just not right.’ He took a minute to take it in, then continued. ‘So, what about the finances? Anything shonky?’‘Other than it seems that the place has an unusually high turnover for a coffee shop that size, nothing really.’‘You think they’re laundering money?’‘Looks like it but the tax office did an audit on them and they were able to explain the tu
‘You deserve that. You did great, Babe. I’m proud of you.’ And he raised his bottle, clinked it against her wine glass and took a swig.She took a tentative sip. ‘Bit early for this, isn’t it?’‘Nah, let’s live dangerously.’ Johnnie looked down, swallowed then looked at her again. ‘I’m sorry Babe. I knew it was bad, but I had no idea…’‘Johnnie, it’s past. Finished. Don’t get upset about it. I’m sorry you had to hear that but I felt he was getting sympathy and that was the only way I could think of that would change the mediator’s point of view.’Johnnie grinned. ‘Did you see the look on his lawyer’s face?’ He took another swig. ‘Just as well Franklin wasn’t there, he would’ve wanted to kill him. I mean I did too, but I’m glad Franklin wasn’t here.’‘Don’t forget, Franklin investigated the stalking at that time and he interviewed David. He was the one who warned me not to meet him for a while and then only in public. He knows what David had become.’‘Are you going to ring him and t
She nodded and walked back towards the kitchen. Some of the boys at the other tables watched her walk past out of the corner of their eyes, but no one made any smart remarks. Not to Maria. None of them were that stupid.Bubba headed home when he had finished his coffee, he didn’t want to hang around while he was carrying his payment on him. He’d got paid and he’d helped Alex and the guys who were trying to find who’d killed Clinton . As he got to the top of the hill at the end of his street, he looked back at the city sparkling below. It looked like a sideshow at a fair, all lit up to tempt you to come and play. But he knew only too well, the kind of playtime this could be. His bruises were healed for the moment, but his scars ran deeper. He looked from the sparkling yellow lights to the clear sky above. Stars were twinkling, some shining brighter than others. Bubba searched the sky until he found one bright enough for what he was looking for. That one. He watched it for a moment, shi
‘Calm down, Babe. He’s requested a reconciliation meeting with you through your lawyer, who is obligated to pass it on to you. You don’t have to do that if you don’t want to.’‘Really? I don’t have to?’ Sam dropped into a chair, relief clear on her face. ‘But that reads as if it is one of the steps to the divorce.’‘Yea, well I believe that they like to try to get the couple to reconciliation if at all possible. Tell your lawyer that you are frightened for your life, that meeting him would be traumatic for you and leave it with him.’ Johnnie crouched down beside her. ‘As long as he doesn’t get either your mobile or your address, you’re safe. And besides, you’ve been doing my self-defence course, you’re better placed to protect yourself if the need arises.’Sam shivered. ‘It was horrible. I didn’t think I would have to see him again. But I’ll sound so much like a coward if I don’t attend that meeting. I should go, tell them that there is no way I would feel safe being in the same room
‘He’s really working that table. He’s trying hard to impress.’Martin glanced in at the table again, watching the ceremony of honouring the older men, the showing of respect for these elder businessmen. ‘I think he’s just showing respect. He’s Arbruzzio’s new partner so he’s got to work to be accepted into their business world. And this is the way to do it. Those guys coming and going at the end of the table, they are making an appearance and showing the same respect.’‘How long do you think this lunch is going to go for? They’ve been here two and a half hours so far.’Michael checked out the table. ‘They’re not at coffee yet, so it may go for a while longer. Relax Martin, how often do you get a great meal like this paid for? Franklin would give his right arm to be seated where you are now, but Arbruzzio knows him. Watch out, here comes another one.’ Michael picked up his phone, lifting his sunglasses to get a better look at the screen. He lifted the phone and aimed it at Martin, ‘