“Maybe not to you but she does to me.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“She isn’t as innocent as she likes to play either. Revenge is sweet.”
“This isn’t all about revenge on me?”
“Not for me. I had my revenge on you for making me carry that boy. Why don’t you ask how Angie is?”
“You wouldn’t?”
“Oh but I did.”
“You psychotic bitch. You will pay. You have no idea who you’re messing with. In either me or Jane.”
Chapter 16
Jane didn’t even knock she gave one nod of encouragement to the guys and walked straight into Bill Rogers office, who happened to be in the middle of a phone call. Jane thought at first that she saw a flash of irritation wash across his face as he heard his door go. But as he eyed his current situation before him he recovered quickly. This man was smart and Jane knew just how to play that. Jane stood there on the spot at the front, with Eddie and Charlie to her right and Mark and Tony at her left, tapping her black patent heel with impatience with a sweet smile on her face but a flicker of fire in her eyes. Bill continued his conversation with what was now a slight hint of amusement on his face; he never once took his eyes of Jane. With a matching glimmer in his eyes to rival her own she guessed he was trying to unnerve her so she lost the dramatic edge she walked in on. But Jane refused to cower down or look away. If Bill Rogers thought she was the kind of female that could be put in place by a man he was wrong. With growing up with an abusive father to her mother, an alcoholic and a cheat, Jane vowed never to be a dependent woman on any man.
After an awkward five minutes of staring and the impatient tapping from Jane's heel that she persisted to continue Bill eventually ended his phone call with someone who he named Helen.
“Detective I assume, how lovely it is finally to meet the beautiful fiancé of Perry Fierce."
"How nice it is to put a face to the name. Now cut the crap why don't you tell me everything you know about my elusive fiancé."
Jane put, as much venom in her voice as she could muster which under the current situation was easy to draw on. Jane had so much pent up rage it was like loosening a canon.
“I'm sure I have nothing of use to tell you that you don't already know and what Eddie here hasn't given you already."
"Ok let me be clear, the Perry fierce, my fiancé, that I know and love, I have come to learn is a fictitious character. It's who he played to use me as a pawn in his sick, twisted little game. Now what I want from you is clarification you’re the head of security. There is no way you don't know everything that goes on. But just to be clear and to give you some incentive I'll share what I do know. I know the fact that you have been siphoning money out of this company and I'm also aware that Perry doesn't know this. So if you want to continue looking like the man you do. That information won't be passed on to Perry. So you were saying?"
“I was saying that unfortunately you are correct. Perry has led you astray. He is in partnership with Peter Ray not Eddie here. You are all pawns he enjoys the game of ruining people. Your lucky Detective the end game would either result in you loosing the one thing you truly depend and care for, your job, or your life."
"What other motions has he put in to play?"
“Well he had himself kidnapped, Blake kidnapped, who had a leg chopped off and eventually died and then a mass shooting at his casino. He played no hand in Angie if you’re wondering even he isn't that evil. So next my guess is he will have someone else kidnapped. Maybe even a friend he made at the police department, one who say helped him change his game, say Frank."
"You have to be kidding?"
"Afraid not cold, callous and ruthless. That is an even better fitting description for Perry more so that Peter Ray. I mean did you hear what himself and Angie did to Charlene. Tying a sick, drug dependent girl to a bed, all so she could keep his baby. It’s disgusting. But hey who am I to judge. Neither him nor Peter picked the location; Charlene must have. So it isn't one of our premises so I have no clue where they are. Now did I help enough Detective?"
"Yes you did help but don't worry I know exactly where they are. And you my good sir are under arrest. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you do say can and will be held against you in the court of law. If you need a solicitor but you cannot afford one, my guess is you can with the money you stole, you will be appointed one."
“What the fuck? You can't arrest me you said you wasn't going to tell Perry.”
"That's right I'm not but that doesn't mean I gave you immunity from the charges of theft. You’re under arrest and by the way swearing at a police officer is also an offence so I suggest you utilise your right to remain silent."
By this point Jane had his hands behind his back and handcuffed as she was leading him out of his office. Just as they made it into the lobby with a confused, surprised looking receptionist Bill tried to struggle and twist free from her grasp. Jane planted one hard knock to the back of the knee causing Bill to loose his footing and stumble with one knee crashing into the floor.
"If you resist arrest I will have you man handled out of here. Now be a good boy stand and walk."
Bill did as he was told because by this point the commotion in the lobby of the security firm had drawn more attention, employees were gathering to see the disturbance. Jane paid no attention to the people gathering in the lobby but continued to frog March Bill out the front door. Jane loaded him into the back of the car she had travelled in with Eddie. As they both took their seats in the front they headed off to the station. Once they arrived Jane unloaded Bill and took him straight to a holding cell only quickly filling in one form for the charges she was holding him on. Jane organised for one of the other officers to file the report and notify Bill Rogers of his right for representation again and for the ability to post bail. Jane on the other hand went to check on Frank. As Jane reached his office Jane was shocked to find that the door was open and the person standing at the desk was not Frank but Detective Inspector George Reynolds. It was the one person that Jane did not want to bump into as of yet. She was not ready to include him in the new turns of her investigation and she certainly did not have her emotions under control enough if he happened to push the wrong buttons regarding Perry.
"Detective Inspector Reynolds you are not who I would expect to see in this office. Do you happen to know where Frank is?"
“No I came in search of him myself and he must have already left for the day. How is your investigation going I must say I'm shocked to find how little me and my unit have been involved in the investigation? At the end of the day detective this is our area of expertise and I find your slight highly disrespectful. If I offended you with my opinion of your fiancé I apologise but my job is not to worry about your feelings it's to control organised crime. Every attempt I have made to even contact your superior has led to me being ignored. I do have to warn you I will be going over your head now and that could lead to ramifications of great detriment to your career."
"Are you quite finished threatening me?"
Jane awaited a response but the Detective Inspector looked shocked and rather taken aback by Jane’s tone. Jane didn't wait long before jumping into her tirade she didn't really have time for his claptrap.
"Good now let me be clear I did not take offence to your accusations to my fiancé. I am a grown woman very much capable of making educated decisions on people. So that played no part in your accusation of you being shut out of this case. If you feel the need to go above us feel free because we already did. We got permission to handle this case as I already have rapport with the people on the street due to my relationship with Perry. So I very much doubt you going above the Superintendent that it will have the desired ramification affects you desire. Now my suggestions don’t threaten people when you have no clue whom you are dealing with. If you have no clue where Frank is I will be leaving. Good day Detective."
With that Jane turned sharply on her stiletto
heel and marched straight back out the office and out the station without a backwards glance. Jane did not even slow down when she made it that far.
“That was quick. Whoa slow down there Detective everything ok?"
"Yeah just no Frank and some asshole trying to rattle my cage. Let's go were going to need to catch up with the rest of the team. You drive I'll phone them."
“Where am I driving to exactly?”
“My house we will rendezvous there.”
Jane didn’t have time to explain on the phone, there were too many details to repeat it over and over again. Jane, Eddie, Charlie, Tony and Mark made it back to the house first where they all helped themselves to coffee and Jane repeatedly tried calling Frank to no avail. The Superintendent, Ian along with Eric and Joanne were quick to walk in. All four of them were looking beat. Jane wished they had more time to slow things down but they didn’t. If Jane was right Perry and Ray already had Frank and it would only be so long before he was tortured or worse. Jane was only processing this in her head when the phone that Perry had left her began to ring, which was strange because the only people that had that number were standing in the room with her. The puzzlement wasn’t just on Jane’s face it was clear to see on everyone’s.
“Hello?”
“Why the confusion dear, you must have known we would find out about this number. Now what did we tell you about arresting any of our associates?”
“That you would cut Perry up and send him back to me piece by piece. But who exactly have I arrested that would break those rules?”
“Well you should know Detective but let us clarify. First there was George Mason and now Bill Rogers.”
“Ok firstly George Mason is not under arrest he is in protective custody, you mentioned nothing about me not being able to do that. He was very badly beaten and is in hospital. It was a rather vicious attack no doubt in response to you kidnapping Perry. Which is on your shoulders by the way. So if you care so much about your people you will end this before someone else gets hurt. Secondly as far as I am concerned I did you a favour arresting Bill Rogers. If you lot had paid closer attention to your finances like I have been doing you would have known that Bill Rogers has been embezzling money from the security firm for years. So you were saying I broke your rules of conduct how?”
“Through technicalities and loopholes you may have gotten away with this but as a small reminder who your are playing with there should be a package on your back door step. We can get to you anywhere, anytime Detective. Just you remember that or your be next.”
The line went dead but the cold sting of the threat from Peter Ray had left the hairs or her neck standing on end. Jane was nervous to go check the back step. Jane knew she needed what was there but the fibres in her body did not want to respond to the commands she was giving them. As much as she was angry and betrayed by Perry, she couldn’t just switch of her feelings, she loved this man, and now the thought that a body part, even the smallest of appendages sitting on her back door step was causing her heart palpitations and dizziness. Jane needed to heed the panic and just go look. When Jane reached for the package wearing a pair of evidence gloves, the box was no bigger that a cigarette pack, Jane slid the inside of the box out to reveal the contents. There shining in bright red blood still was a little finger. Jane swallowed back the bile, believe it or not this wasn’t the worst package Jane had ever received, and neither was the leg of Blake Jones. Nothing would beat the tongue of Thaddeus victim Valerie Brook being sent to her, it was at the top of her revulsion list. Controlling the urge to drop it Jane went into the living room and set the box down on the side.
“Blood pooling in the box around the finger is still blood red, suggests that the removal was not done long ago as the blood has not oxygenised from being exposed.”
“Whose finger is it?”
“I believe it to be Perry’s I saw an outline of a tattoo on the underneath. It is only small, well it is a little finger but Perry had a heart on his little finger of his right hand to symbolise Parker.”
Joanne who now had a pair of evidence gloves turned the finger gently over to confirm while Ian was placing a phone call to the coroner to pick the finger up. The Superintendent looked awash with shock.
“Well we can confirm it, this is definitely Perry’s finger it has the heart tattoo. I’m sorry Jane.”
“Don’t apologise Joanne, Perry got himself in this mess.”
“Are we still suggesting that Perry would go to this length to fool us all? Surely he must know we would have heard the claims of him being on the other side.”
“He probably does think that you have heard them. But he believes in his capabilities so much, his ego is second to none; he believes he has Jane convinced. All the time while he thinks she is on his side he has no doubt that you will continue to go along with it.”
“Ok so what do we do?”
“There is another problem. This they have sent as a warning because of what we did with George and me arresting Bill Rogers. But we also believe they have Frank.”
“What?”
“We went to speak with Bill Rogers the head of security who made the suggestion of them taking someone from our side. Someone other than myself who he is close to that has also angered a lot of people. It makes sense for it to be Frank. Frank is the one that Perry supposedly went to work for and who helped him have a lot of people arrested and put away.”
“Well we need to find them and fast. Do you have any ideas Detective Charlene said you are the key to working out where they are?”
“I know and I have figured it out. Quick question all of you what is my one biggest flaw when it comes to catching people. I did it twice with Thaddeus.”
“Your reckless when it comes to your own personal safety. Twice you went off on your own with Thaddeus and it nearly cost you your life.”
“Exactly thank you Ian. I am reckless, especially when I am emotionally involved. Perry knows that and is going to count on it. He had Charlene drop the hint that only I could work it out like Thaddeus did last time. It rubs my ego until I am the one that solves it and then I go charging off on my own. That’s what Perry wants, that is what he will expect me to do.”
“So don’t do it.”
“Oh I’m not we are going to pretend I have and then you are all going to storm in including you guys if your up for it Eddie?”
“Oh we wouldn’t miss this for the world would we boys?”
There was unison of cries of no from the rest of the lads as Jane then continued to explain her plan.
“Good glad to hear you all have my back. Let’s get suited and booted and were go.”
“But Jane where are we going?”
“Back to where it all started for Charlene. Back to where I shot her brother.”
Chapter 17
Jane was nervous. There was no denying it and she probably wasn’t doing the best job of hiding it either. Every time Jane thought of what she was about to do she felt on the verge of hyperventilating. Jane had felt like this once before, all those years ago, one of her first cases was the one where she confronted Charlene’s brother. It hadn’t meant to end like that. Jane had managed once again; I suppose it set the trend, to get separated from the rest of her team. And there she was just a rookie newbie cop standing in a room with a serial rapist who had left six victims for dead. Jane could feel her heart beat in her eyes as her chest pounded. The hairs on her neck were standing on end as fear and anticipation tingled over her skin. The fraught energy of who was going to strike first was all that filled the silence and as he pounced Jane shot. The look on his face as the colour drained from his skin and Jane was left with a lifeless body, the first and only life she has ever taken, was a memory that still haunted her from time to time. And now more than ever sweat was trickling over her forehead as the nerves built.
“Jane are you ok?”
“Yeah sorry Ian I was lost in thought. Are we all ready to go?”
“Were all suited and b
ooted. Where is this place?”
"It's a house out down mucking tip road. It looks abandoned and like it should be torn down but round the back is still standing. Edward Torrens was hiding out there evading arrest."
"Ok let's go."
Jane sat in the passenger seat as Ian drove to the house. The superintendent was in the back of their vehicle talking about the fastest way to get there. Jane's head was spinning; the confusion of the last two days was more than she could bear. And now to be reminded of a case that she had long forgot, other than the death of Edward Torrens, to have to go back to the house of where it all began was enough to make Jane want to be sick.
“Detective how is this going to go down?"
"If they have Frank he is our main priority to get out. He doesn't deserve to be wrapped up and caught in this. Then Perry. What ever happens to Peter Ray and Charlene will all depend on how they react."
“Do you really think Perry is involved as they have been saying an suggesting?"
The Taken (Detective Jane Sparrow Book 3) Page 14