by MA Comley
“I think you need to call for backup.”
“I don’t. Not yet. Let’s get closer, see if we can hear anything.”
Lorne shrugged. Katy was in charge of this operation. She could make suggestions as to how to proceed, but at the end of the day, it was Katy’s call.
They didn’t go far before they heard raised voices and then a scream, which froze Lorne and Katy in their tracks. “Call for backup, now,” Lorne urged.
Katy opened up her phone and gave the go-ahead for the primed teams awaiting her call.
Lorne continued up the carpeted hallway, towards the door, to see if she could hear what was being said.
“You stupid, bitch. I told you to dress up. You call that a nice dress?” A slap accompanied the man’s insult. Then another followed. A woman’s sobbing filtered out of the room.
Lorne felt sorry for the woman taking a bashing until she remembered that she was a probable killer, too. Katy joined her and mouthed, “They’re on their way.”
“Good. The sooner they get here, the better. It’s all kicking off in there,” Lorne whispered in return, aware of the necessity to keep quiet and not to show their hand too soon.
They listened to the numerous insults and the anger in the man’s voice. It went on for a number of minutes before the room descended into quiet.
Lorne and Katy exchanged worried glances. Then Bella pleaded for the man not to hurt her anymore.
“I’m sorry. Please forgive me. I didn’t mean to take it out on you. Now, go into the bedroom and get changed. Your date will be expecting you shortly,” the man said.
Lorne’s mouth turned down. “Shit! We need to find cover, fast.”
“No, wait. Listen.”
The woman screeched at her accomplice, “I’m not going to do it anymore. If you want to kill anyone else, you’ll have to do it yourself.”
“What?” the man shouted threateningly.
“You heard me. No more,” Bella replied with a trembling voice.
When a scuffle broke out, Lorne’s eyes widened, but Katy shook her head and warned, “We have to wait.”
“For how long? Until he kills her?”
Katy got out her phone, which she had on vibrate, and read a message she had received. She gave the thumbs-up signal, and Lorne breathed a relieved sigh. Backup had arrived and were making their way upstairs.
The seconds ticked by. Lorne tried to hear what was going on inside the flat. However, things had gone ominously quiet again.
The door at the end of the corridor opened, and four burly men dressed all in black and carrying Glock 17 handguns and M26 Tasers headed toward Lorne and Katy, who put her finger to her lips and met them halfway to explain the situation. The commanding officer of the SCO19 team beckoned Lorne over and told them both, “Okay, ladies, we’ll take it from here. Stand well back until we secure the suspects. Do not enter the room until we give you the all-clear to do so. Am I making myself perfectly clear?”
“Yes, sir,” Lorne and Katy said grudgingly.
The officer motioned for his men to get into position. He gave one final glance over his shoulder to make sure Lorne and Katy were staying put, and then he ordered his men to break down the door.
Lorne was disappointed not to hear some form of shouting from the suspects when the men disappeared into the flat. Katy inched up the hallway, poked her head around the door to the flat, and immediately called Lorne to join her. Together, they entered the flat to see a man lying face-down on the carpet and a sobbing handcuffed woman kneeling on the floor beside him.
“I didn’t mean to do it. He forced me to kill them. If I didn’t kill them, he said he was going to kill me. Don’t you see? I had to do it—had to.”
Katy, given the all-clear to enter the room by the officer in charge, ran forward and turned the man over to see who the killer was. She looked up at Lorne and shook her head. Lorne approached the corpse and gasped. “No! It can’t be.”
“You know him?” Katy asked.
Lorne turned to Bella, “What’s his name?”
Confused, Bella replied, “Morris Trotter.”
“Really? I think you’ll find he’s Jerrard Lamont, Dr. Jerrard Lamont.”
“Doctor? As in GP doctor?” Katy frowned.
“No, doctor as in Jade’s psychiatrist. You met him the other day, without his disguise.”
EPILOGUE
Lorne and Charlie linked arms and watched the dogs go through their paces. Rusty, of course, came out on top in every challenge thrown at them.
“Isn’t he brilliant, Mum?”
“Thanks to the wonderful work you did with him, love. Who would’ve thought a rescue dog, a dog his owners had kicked out onto the street, would prove to be such an asset? A lot of that is down to your efforts and love, Charlie.”
Her daughter hugged her. Charlie was crying the happiest tears someone had ever shed. “I love you, Mum, for believing in me. I doubt I’d still be here without your belief in my abilities.”
“Nonsense. I have no doubt you’re going to go from strength to strength now, sweetheart. You have a wonderful talent with animals, especially dogs.”
Charlie kissed her on the cheek. “Thanks, Mum.”
Jeff finished his display with Rusty and joined them. “Isn’t he a born natural?”
“They all are, Jeff. We’re so glad things have worked out well. Listen, when Rusty or the others come to that, get too old to carry on working, will you promise me that we can have the option of rehoming them first?”
“That goes without saying, Lorne. If any other dogs of similar ilk show up on your doorstep, will you contact me right away, before Charlie gets too attached to them?” He winked at Charlie, and the colour rose in her cheeks.
“That’s a deal. We better be going, the family are descending on us later for a barbecue.”
“Come by in a few weeks to see how much the dogs have improved.”
“That’d be great,” Charlie said, beaming.
• • •
Katy arrived along with the rest of the gang. Keen to get an update on Bella Croft and the case, Lorne hurriedly finished preparing the food and swept Katy into the lounge.
“Right, this is what we’ve got so far. First off, I have to say how accurate Carol was yet again. Maybe we should start listening to her first in future.”
“She’ll be pleased to hear that. However, she’ll be the first to admit that the information she gives can be sketchy at times.”
“There is that. Anyway, she was totally right on the Brady and Hindley angle. Bella says that Lamont turned her into a killer. She said that she’d never hurt anyone in her life until she met him. He got off on some kind of sexual fantasies, told her that tempting the victims and killing them would make their relationship that much stronger.”
“Crap, and she believed him? How gullible of her. Not sure a jury is going to take her word on that. Are you?”
Katy shrugged. “Who’s to say on the day what the jury will think? All I know is that she’s sitting in a cell at present, distraught and utterly regretful. There again, all that could be an act on her part.”
“Maybe. She did end up killing Lamont, though. That’ll probably go in her favour in court.”
“You’re probably right.” Katy leaned in closer and said in a hushed voice, “Jade was lucky.”
Lorne looked over her shoulder at the door to make sure her sister was still in the kitchen with the others before she responded. “In what way?”
“You know how we couldn’t figure out how Lamont—or Trotter, as we knew him then—was selecting his final victims?” Lorne nodded, so Katy continued, “Well, the final two victims, Susan Samuels and Madeline Vincent, turned out to be two of his patients.”
Lorne gasped and reached out to grab Katy’s forearm. “Shit! I made Jade the appointment with him. Christ, what if…?”
“Don’t. It’s best not to think of what might have happened. He obviously picked on his most vuln
erable patients.”
“Yeah, but once he knew that you and I were on the case, he could’ve chosen Jade as his next victim.” Lorne paused for a second or two as she played out the scenario in her mind. “Damn, remember when we went to seek advice from him? He must have laughed his socks off when we left. No wonder he could tell us a lot about serial killers.”
“That’s right. Maybe he was intent on going one better than Brady and Hindley, or worse, I should say.”
Lorne shuddered and stood up. “Anyway, thanks to us, he didn’t manage to get away with too many murders, enough granted, but I think we succeeded in nipping his world-domination exploit in the bud pretty quickly. Come on, let’s join the others.”
They walked back in the kitchen and helped to carry all the food out into the paddock, where Tony was slaving over the hot grill. Lorne put the food on the table and went up to her husband. She wrapped her arms around his chest and laid her head on his back. “I’m so lucky to have a well-balanced man as my husband.”
He swivelled around to face her, a big grin on his face, and teased, “I wish I could say the same.”
Lorne’s mouth gaped open temporarily, then she put her hand on her chest and said, “What, you’re after a well-balanced man, too? Who’d have thunk it?”
They both laughed and shared a kiss that said neither of them would exchange their partners for all the gold in Fort Knox.
NOTE TO THE READER
Thank you for reading Virtual Justice; I sincerely hope you enjoyed reading this novel as much as I loved writing it.
If you liked it, please consider posting a short review as genuine feedback is what makes all the lonely hours writers spend producing their work worthwhile.
CRUEL JUSTICE (Justice #1)
The headless body of a wealthy widow is discovered decomposing in Chelling Forest. Then a second victim is found. Detective Inspector Lorne Simpkins and her partner, DS Pete Childs are assigned the case. Before they can discover the identity of the killer they must make a connection between the two victims.
After a third murder, Lorne receives a grisly surprise. Clearly, a vicious serial killer is on a rampage…and Lorne has become the killer’s fixation.
Lorne can’t allow her failing marriage or her new boss—a man with whom she shares a sensuous secret—keep her from focusing on her job. She must catch the macabre murderer, or risk becoming the next victim.
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IMPEDING JUSTICE (Justice #2)
For eight long years, Detective Inspector Lorne Simpkins has tracked the vicious criminal known as The Unicorn. But the killer has frustrated MI6 at every turn and remained successful at Impeding Justice.
When Lorne is targeted in a trap that results in the death of her partner, the tragedy shakes her confidence to the core. Before she has time to recoup, her teenage daughter is kidnapped. More than Lorne’s professional reputation rests on her bringing The Unicorn to justice.
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FINAL JUSTICE (Justice #3)
A ruthless killer returns—and former DI Lorne Simpkins is forced to revisit her ugly past.
After suffering a breakdown and quitting the force, Lorne Simpkins finds herself embroiled in an MI6 covert operation to hunt down her old enemy, a sadistic and merciless criminal whose ambition is to become the world’s richest man.
Lorne tracks the madman through France, attempting to thwart his plans and bring her long-time nemesis to Final Justice.
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FOUL JUSTICE (Justice #4)
Detective Inspector Lorne Simpkins is back on the force. Before she can get comfortable with her new partner, newly-promoted DS Katy Foster, the two are assigned a tragic murder case that looks like a robbery gone wrong. However, when another wealthy footballer’s family meets the same deadly fate within twenty-four hours, it is clear the crimes involve something far more sinister.
Keeping her focus on unravelling the complex case isn’t easy for Lorne when she learns news that throws her personal life into a spin—her fiancé, M16 agent Tony Warner, is involved in a dangerous covert operation in Afghanistan.
But innocent people are dying on her patch, and someone must catch the killers. Lorne can’t allow this Foul Justice to prevail.
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GUARANTEED JUSTICE (Justice #5)
Retired DCI Lorne Simpkins thought she knew what she wanted when she started an animal rescue centre with her husband Tony. Although saving and retraining exploited dogs is fulfilling, Lorne can’t help but feel that something vital is missing from her life. Linda Carter is brutally raped and left for dead in an alley. By some miracle, she survives, but now she lives each day terrified by the perpetrator’s final threatening words—that her sister, Fiona, will be his next victim.
The sisters decide to adopt a guard dog and contact the rescue centre. During a home check to see if the girls and their flat are suited for a German Shepherd, Lorne witnesses Linda’s horrendous injuries. The young woman knows the identity of her rapist—wealthy, playboy Graham Gibson—however, the police haven’t made an arrest. The shocking story turns into a life-altering moment for Lorne. She decides to become a Private Investigator, and urges the girls to let her take up their case. Little does she know that more victims will come forward to accuse Gibson of rape.
Lorne is determined to see this vicious criminal behind bars, but is anyone ever guaranteed justice?
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ULTIMATE JUSTICE (Justice #6)
A ship wreck—
Dozens of bodies washed ashore—
Clear evidence that evil has made port in London.
The horrific case piques the interest of P.I. Lorne Simpkins. It doesn't take long before Lorne learns that young, helpless women are being caged and sold to the wealthy and salacious. Old wounds are wrenched open when she suspects a cover-up by the very authorities that should be keeping lawful order. Can she trust the self-serving journalist bent on making the human-trafficking ring his next big story? When her daughter is involved in a life-threatening accident, it's difficult for Lorne to keep her head in the game. But Lorne and her ex-MI6 husband, Tony, are determined to end the repulsive slave trade and bring the criminals to justice—even if it means Lorne ends up locked in a cage herself.
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TORN APART (Hero series #1)
Everyone understands about the no-go districts—areas of the city so overrun with gang violence even the police stay away. In this book, the first in a new series, DI Hero Nelson sets out to combat the issue.
When Saskia Hartley and her nine-year-old son are run down outside a restaurant, DI Nelson knows it is no ordinary hit-and-run incident. He's looking at a homicide case…and the evidence points to the brutal Krull Gang. When two prostitutes are murdered, but little interest is given to the women on the Krull's payroll, Nelson connects the dots.
DI Nelson has to decide whether he's dealing with a turf war or something far more sinister.
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SOLE INTENTION
Former police officers Ellen Brazil and Brian Lynx have joined forces to start a successful missing persons investigation firm which has just been contracted to find the wife of bodybuilder Will Endersbe. Ellen discovers that a number of women with similar features and hair colour have also vanished in the Worcester area. Ellen and Brian suspect a serial kidnapper is to blame, and without a body, the police are happy to leave the case in their hands to solve.
Hoping the women are still alive, Ellen digs for clues and races to find the women, despite her troubled private life and a meddlesome stepfather with a violent secret.
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It’s A Dog’s Life
This is a 12,000 word novelette that takes place between Cruel Justice and Impeding Justice and is based on actual events.
It may not be homicide, but to DI Lorne Simpkins it’s still murder.
When a reporter frie
nd of DI Lorne Simpkins gives her a tip about a story involving ex-racing greyhounds, Lorne is sceptical.
But after delving into it, she’s horrified to discover the grisly fate of racing dogs that are no longer useful to their owners—and she’s determined to bring the cruel and uncaring owners to justice…
“Animal welfare is so close to my heart, the real-life plight of these former racing dogs moved me to tears. I’m delighted to donate all profits of the book to PUPS, The Protection of Unwanted Puppies Society.”
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Merry Widow
This is a 5000 word short story to accompany the best-selling Justice series.
It’s just an ordinary day in the life of D I Lorne Simpkins until she gets a phone call from a woman whose husband has died in unusual circumstances.
Lorne takes up the case with disastrous results for both her and her partner DS Pete Childs.
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A Time To Heal (a romance novella)
Family Liaison Officer, Chloe Fullerton is helping hero pilot, Captain Steve Ewing, recuperate from injury after he landed his stricken plane, avoiding a major disaster.
Chloe’s sworn off love ever since she lost the love of her life. But the spark between her and Steve makes her feel she may yet love again. There’s turbulence ahead though—Steve’s ex-wife is determined to wreck his and Chloe’s blossoming relationship.
Novella approx 33,000 words.
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A Time For Change (a romance novella)
Based on a true story.
Danielle Pires’s life is going well. She has a boyfriend who wants to marry her and is building a reputation as a talented and hard-working interior designer. Keen to expand her portfolio, Danielle is delighted by a request to breathe life back into the Victorian Mansion that handsome Scott Jordache is renovating.
Her parents, meanwhile, have organised a surprise Caribbean cruise to give her a much-needed break.
Danielle sets sail only to discover Scott aboard the same ship, but mysteriously travelling under a pseudonym. Intrigued, she feels torn between mistrust and being drawn in by his charm.