Influence

by Andrew Snadden

  “Would you have done the same Ian?” He asked.

  “Ha, ha! Yeah of course I would have, but I tend to think things through a bit more than you and I know that it would be better to get the evidence first! Go home and see Laura, it's been a shit night, we'll see what we can do about this Foster and Drayson mess tomorrow, including your up and coming arrest!” Richards replied with a smile.

  Ten minutes after leaving the station, Anaura pulled up onto his driveway and opened the door as quietly as he possibly could. He walked straight through the hall and into the kitchen where he removed a bottle of red wine from the wine rack and sat down at their large country style wooden kitchen table. As he poured out a large glass, he reflected on how he had never in his whole career had a shift that had been bad enough to make him drink to forget it had ever happened; without a doubt he now had.

  “Peter!? You're back early, I thought you would be sleeping in the office because of the O.P.” Laura said as she appeared in her nightie and took a seat in front of him.

  Anaura nodded rapidly as the emotions began to well up after seeing her.

  “What's the matter? Are you OK?” Laura asked with concern.

  He put his knuckles up to his mouth and closed his eyes whilst giving her a nod and trying pulling himself together, although he was always himself in front of Laura; crying had never been his thing. However, a minute later the tears began to flow freely. Laura walked around the table to hug him and asked what had happened to make it such a bad night but he was unable to answer her. After five minutes of continuous crying, he stopped and composed himself.

  “Peter? Tell me what's happened? I've never seen you upset about work like this, I'm really worried about you!” Laura said with an expression of deep concern for her husband.

  “Where do I start?!” He said with a huff.

  “From where ever you want sweetheart!” She replied.

  Anaura took a sip of his wine, looked at Laura through his reddened eyes and began telling her what had happened. Laura's concerned expression suddenly turned to sheer horror as he explained what had happened. After hearing the story, she asked how something like that could have happened in the police, and how Foster could have believed what Drayson had told him was real.

  “I guess it's just what happens when someone weak and vulnerable is influenced by someone evil and deranged! I wish I could have done more for Foster” Anaura said.

  “Everybody is influenced by somebody Peter. And Foster was influenced by Drayson, you couldn't have ever stopped that or helped him.” Laura replied before pouring herself a glass of wine too.

  Anaura told Laura that he loved her and she reciprocated, also stating that he would always have her love and support. He smiled back at her before the couple continued to talk through what had happened in the comfort and safety of their home, relationship and a large glass of red wine.

  No Winners

  Chapter Thirty Six

  Drayson switched off his computer after seeing that it had turned one o'clock on his office clock. Although the pain of his swollen lip was bothering him and he still felt a little concerned about how things were going to pan out, he was one hundred percent in a better position than he had been a few months ago. He smiled to himself, the Gang were gone, Foster was gone, and Anaura would soon be gone too; what real evidence could there really be or believed. He cleared his desk and left the office to walk down to his car.

  He walked out of the basement doors of the station and towards his car which he had positioned perfectly to drive out of the car park with minimal fuss. He climbed in, started the engine and put his Pink Floyd album on remembering that he had been listening to it the night he had influenced Foster into carrying out his devilish deeds. Drayson looked up to drive away and caught a glimpse of a figure walking his way which he believed was more than likely a response officer finishing a late shift.

  BANG, SMASH. Drayson felt as though he had been hit by a freight train as he was violently slammed up against his seat with his brain desperately trying to establish what had just happened through the pain and shock. Drayson struggled to catch his breath as he looked down at his shirt which was becoming saturated from the flowing blood. He looked up through the windscreen to try and see who it was coming towards him, but was unable to due to the now opaque effect of the damaged windscreen. As the shadowy figure drew closer, Drayson tried to muster what little strength he had left to place the car in gear to get away; but he couldn't. The figure appeared at his open car window and as Drayson turned his head to see who his attacker was, the man fired another two shots into the car, causing the darkness of the cabin to illuminate twice with the muzzle flashes of the gun and the quiet car park erupt to life with the ensuing explosive echoes.

  “Bradford says hi, bitch!” Poultan hissed as he spat on Drayson's now deceased body and ran off as fast as he could out of the car park and into the darkness of the nearby Kings estate, knowing that when he saw Bradford again he would be made a very, very rich man, and would be able to escape to somewhere hot without an extradition treaty.

  Out of breath and well away from the scene, he stopped to call Bradford; but there was no answer..........

  The End