“Emmitt? He’s the one with the scarred face?” the American agent asked.
“That’s him,” Riley said.
Without another word, Clarke started running in the direction Emmitt had gone.
“Go with her,” Riley ordered the Marines, and they did.
“Let’s get him back,” Riley said, hauling the suspect back to his feet. “You did good.”
“What about the broadcast?” Ruth asked.
“The Prime Minister was shot, but it was only a glancing blow. She gave a slightly shorter version of her speech, and then they cut to the pre-recorded broadcast. No one will ever know.”
“But she was shot?” Ruth asked.
“She’ll be fine.”
“Emmitt escaped,” Ruth said. “Again.”
“You managed to wing him,” Riley said. “And you caught a suspect. That’s not bad for a cadet. Weaver will be pleased.”
“And Mitchell,” Ruth asked, though she wasn’t sure why.
“He’ll be pleased you’re still alive.”
Epilogue
TRUTH
Ruth sat at the small desk in her bedroom staring at the odd coin she’d found in the commissioner’s drawer. Coincidences did happen, of course they did, but not like this.
THE TRUTH LIES IN THE PAST. She read the inscription again, and then reached up to the bear that sat, almost forgotten, between a collection of dog-eared detective novels. She’d been clutching the bear when Maggie had found her wandering alone in the immigration camp. Other than the rags she’d been wearing, it had been her only possession.
Around the bear’s neck was a singed ribbon. Carefully, she untied it and laid it flat on the desk. On it, one word was visible. ‘Ruth’. That was how she had gotten her name. Except it wasn’t ‘Ruth’ but ‘RUTH’. There was a ragged hole in front of the ‘R’ and the ribbon ended after the ‘H’. She held it up to the light. Could the letters ‘THE T’ have once preceded the ‘R’? Possibly.
She picked up the coin again. When Maggie had found her, the only word of English that Ruth had known was ‘five’. Separating each word of the coin’s inscription were five stars. Coincidences did happen, but surely not ones this large. Surely not.
She brushed a little dust off the bear and then placed it back on the shelf. After a moment’s thought, the coin and ribbon went next to it.
There was a connection, she decided. That meant there was a link between the coin and her. Not with her directly, but perhaps with her real parents. Of course, that meant there was some link between them and the commissioner. She mulled that over. It was unlikely to have anything to do with the counterfeiting. That, she decided, was the coincidence in all of this. But what should she do?
“Be a detective,” she said. “Find the proof.”
Which was easy to say. She would begin with the commissioner. Not with what he’d done recently, but who he’d been in the past. Then she would find out where the camp was from which Maggie had rescued her. She would go there and then… then she would see.
She took the uniform down from the hanger. It was already looking ragged. Some stains just wouldn’t come out. She’d have to put in for a new one. As she dressed, she wondered whether she should make that request of Mitchell or Weaver. She left the house, but she didn’t head directly to work. Instead, she went to the home of Mr Foster, their landlord.
She knocked on the door. When there was no answer, she tried hammering.
“Coming! I’m coming!” she heard from inside, followed a moment later by feet stamping down the stairs.
Foster opened the door bleary-eyed and sour-breathed. “What the hell is it? What are— Why are you dressed as a copper?”
“I’ll keep this brief,” Ruth said. “I get paid in three months’ time. We’ll pay what we owe then. You can evict us if you want. But if you do, or if you ever threaten us again, I’ll have my colleagues tear your house apart looking for contraband. Every day, Foster. We’ll rip out the floorboards and dig up your pitiful excuse for a garden. That’s a promise. Understand?”
“You can’t—” he began.
“Try me,” she said, her eyes fixed unblinking on his.
He stared back. Seconds crept towards minutes. Finally, he blinked.
“Fine,” he said, and slammed the door.
Feeling as if she’d won a victory greater than when she’d arrested the man on the beach, Ruth started cycling to work. The case was far from over. Emmitt might have escaped, but they had a suspect in custody, and there were many questions she wanted to ask him. In her short time with Serious Crimes, she’d learned that there were always questions. Perhaps if she asked enough, she would start finding answers.
The end.
The investigation continues in Book 2.
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Other titles:
Strike A Match
1. Serious Crimes
Work. Rest. Repeat.
A Post-Apocalyptic Detective Novel
Surviving The Evacuation
Book 0.5: Zombies vs The Living Dead
Book 1: London
Book 2: Wasteland
Book 3: Family
Book 4: Unsafe Haven
Book 5: Reunion
Book 6: Harvest
Book 7: Home
Thanks for reading.
Strike a Match (Book 1): Serious Crimes Page 25