Retribution - A Dish served Cold

Chapter Forty-Two

Chief Superintendent Walker held his hand up. "I'm going to have to stop you."

"If you'd let me finish," John continued, "I will tell you why we did what we did."

A knock on the door interrupted the conversation.

Walker stood and went to the door and spoke quietly. "I'm busy. It can wait." He closed the door. "Carry on, but you're running out of time, and my patience is thin."

"How many thugs have you hauled into this station to release them later because some smarmy lawyer gets them off? Don't even think about it. I can tell you hundreds because no one will give evidence against them. With information from Angela, my friends and I ensured crime did not pay. I can't tell you the number of times we mugged a drug dealer with hundreds of pounds in his pockets. Naturally, they could not call the police, and we donated the funds to the local pensioners. Wife beaters, we did the same to them as they meted out to their wives and partners. We did hear over the grapevine that the women did not inform the authorities of their partner's disappearance and were happy to lead a life without being battered once a week. Over many years this town became a no-go area for most of them. It was easier to move on.

"We couldn't deal with every crime, and even if we had, petty crime would keep happening. So, we dealt with those where we could achieve a result. This town became a better place.

John shook his head slowly. "I admit our activities did not always go as planned, but we did what we could."

Walker smiled. "You made a mistake, John. I find that hard to believe."

John nodded. "Not so much as a mistake. A cock up. We placed the villain, Joe Mercer, inside a car, ready to enter the crusher. We waited until the ether we drugged him with wore off and gave him the usual ultimatum. He told us to go away. My friend started the machine, and you should have seen the fear on Mercer's face as the wreck shunted forward. We did the usual, stopped the machine, and offered him his life so long as we never saw him again. Of course, he agreed. As we went to untie him, the damned machine started, and before we could turn the power off at the main supply, he became integral with a cube of scrap steel. Strange, no one reported him missing, but I often wonder where he ended up. With any luck, he's part of an RSJ supporting some new construction."

Removing the drug dealers was straightforward. My team, dressed in black with IRA-type hoods, mugged them as they distributed drugs to their people. We took their expensive watches, the stuff they carried and wallets. Their expensive watches and drugs disappeared into the nearest drain, the money we posted through pensioner's letterboxes. We also warned them that we would be back if they continued their illegal activities. Some even employed a minder, but they were no match for us. In the end, we convinced most to move to another location. Unfortunately, there will always be drugs, stabbings, and domestics, but we levelled the playing field."

Walker rose to his feet. "John, I have an important meeting to attend. It's time you left, but answer me one question. Didn't you ever consider that your wife might report you? You and your pals would have been in the dock if she had. At best, I would have given you a week in prison before you wound up dead."

"It's an interesting scenario, but it would have been my word against hers."

"Didn't you ever doubt her?"

John rubbed his chin. "Never. To me, she was the best thing since sliced bread."

"It's academic, but I'm not that surprised," said Walker as he strolled to the door. "She always thought the sun shone out of your backside."

"Anyway, you're right; it's time I left. Help me up, and I'll never bother you again."