(aka Bike) Part 1840 by Angharad Copyright © 2012 Angharad
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At ten minutes to eleven I presented myself at the police station, dressed in smart casual of below knee skirt with knee high boots, with a jacket and crew neck long sleeved top. It wasn’t cold but the weather had been unreliable to say the least, with very heavy showers and blustery winds. Welcome to autumn–unfortunately, it seemed to begin just after Easter.
It started to rain as I got out of the car, so I grabbed my bag and trotted into the reception area of the building. It was a young woman on the desk so I wasn’t greeted with a scowl, like last time.
“I’m Cathy Cameron, I was asked to attend for an identity parade at eleven.”
“Oh, I don’t think we have any scheduled for today, have you got the date right?”
“Yes, I know I’m pushing thirty but even I can remember something from the evening before, which was when one of your officers came to ask me.” If this was a wild goose chase I’d be furious.
“Can you tell me what it’s related to, Mrs Cameron? Then I might be able to find the officer in charge of the case.”
“Yesterday, about lunch time a woman was attacked as I returned to my car, over by Gun Wharf Quay. Two men were subsequently arrested, one of whom had been accidentally stabbed by the other.”
“Oh, how’d he manage that?” she asked glancing at a computer screen.
“He was trying to stab me at the time.”
“Oh,” she blushed, “You weren’t hurt were you?”
“I have some bruises only my husband sees, but I wasn’t stabbed, so I’m thankful for small mercies.”
“Quite,” she said then her face lit up, “Got it, have a seat, I call the inspector handling it to come down.”
“I hope his name’s not Morse or Allen.”
“No, it’s Marple.”
“You’re joking?”
“No, Inspector John Marple, he’s nice.”
“But you have a Brunetti as well here?”
“Oh Rick, yeah, he’s nice too.” She obviously missed my point and wasn’t a reader of detective fiction.
I sat down and kicked my heels, about five minutes later a man of about thirty appeared and introduced himself, Detective Inspector Marple, or John to his friends.
“Cathy Cameron,” I offered and we shook hands. He led me off to an interview room where the table had chewing gum stuck under the table and graffiti on the top of it. The chairs were metal with an attempt at cushioning on both the seat and back rest, it failed, they were as hard as hell. Maybe it’s a surreptitious form of torture–tell us what we want to know or sit there until you bum goes numb and then starts to hurt.
“What happened to the identity parade?” I asked.
“What identity parade?” he looked bemused by my question.
“Commissario Brunetti asked me to attend for an identity parade.”
“Commissario? I thought his name was Rick?”
“You don’t read detective fiction?”
“Only if I want a laugh, their procedure is always to cock.”
“I read them for entertainment,” this guy must live and breathe policing.
“Yeah, so do I but...”
“Procedurally, they’re all to cock, you said.” I finished the sentence for him. “Brunetti is the hero of a series of whodunits set in Venice.”
“Oh right, what nicking gondolas and so on?”
“Yeah, you know the sex fiends are charged with having canal knowledge.”
“Canal? Don’t you mean carnal–oh Venice, right–yeah, very good.” He chuckled to himself while I began to think it could be a long time till lunch.
“Identity parade?” I reminded him.
“I asked him to invite you to come in for interview.”
“For what reason?”
“I wanted to meet the woman who took out two local thugs.”
“You had my address.”
“Yeah, but I know people are nervous of having police cars call by.”
“One did to invite me–we had a discussion on Italian food–then he asked me to attend for this identity parade which doesn’t exist.”
“I asked him to get you to come and see me–I let them use their initiative.”
I wasn’t sure if that placated me or made things worse. “Well now you’ve met me, aren’t you going to offer me a telephone kiosk so I can change into my Supergirl outfit?”
“Oh yes, you really are very funny.”
“My lawyers aren’t, now why am I here?”
“Okay, one of the guys is filing a complaint against you that you used excessive force.”
“And?”
“I’m investigating that complaint.”
“Okay, so am I under arrest?”
“No.”
“Nor am I under caution?”
“You seem to know the procedure?”
“Well, I read all those corny stories, don’t I?”
“Yes, that must be it.”
“You have my statement, I saw the woman being attacked by them, one of them pulled a knife, I grabbed my wheel brace and went to help.”
“You broke two bones in his hand.”
“He was holding a knife and pointing it at me.”
“Did you have to hit him on the hand?”
“No, next time I’ll bash him on the head.”
“Mrs Cameron...”
“Lady Cameron,” I corrected.
“Lady Cameron is it? Okay, Lady Cameron, why did you get involved?”
“I don’t like to see people hurt.”
“That seems an odd statement for someone who mixed it with two thugs, broke the nose of one, the hand of the other and during the fracas the first man got stabbed.”
“Is there CCTV in the car park?”
“Yes.”
“So, it should prove that I intervened because no one else was going to.”
“It showed several people walking past, rather quickly. Why didn’t you?”
“Because I won’t allow a woman to be attacked by men.”
“Have you had a bad experience with men, yourself?”
“I’ve had my share of encounters with ne’er-do-wells.”
“So I see, I also see you’ve dealt with police corruption and organised crime. Why? Why would a woman with dozens of kids, a demanding job and millionaire husband get involved with these low lifes? Are you some sort of thrill seeker, or just plain mad?”
“I don’t go looking for them, Inspector–but if they arise in front of me, I don’t walk away either.”
“D’you know what they were doing with that woman?”
“No.”
“They’re enforcers for a loan shark–she owes them money because she can’t get a loan from one of your banks.”
“If you ask her to contact my husband, I’ll see if we can help her.”
“Oh, Lady Bountiful, is it?”
“Why are you accusing me? I don’t work for the bank and they are a business. If you recall, they were accused of loaning money to people who couldn’t afford to pay it back, so make your bloody mind up what you want them to do, and how much longer have I got to sit here for your amusement and sense of moral injustice?”
“You can go whenever you like. I just thought it was ironic that the woman whose husband caused her problem, also saved her from a beating.”
“Would you care to put that in writing?”
“Probably not.”
“I didn’t think so, but I can see why some people call the police pigs. Good day Inspector.” I stood up and walked out of the room and back to reception. I ignored the girl on the desk and walked in a state of fury back to my car. Once inside it I screamed, then started the engine and drove home, my hands still shaking when I got there.
“What’s the matter, Mummy?” asked Jacquie.
“It’s been a pig of a morning, kiddo, any chance of a cuppa?”
“Comin’ up,” she replied and switched on the kettle.
Comments
A touch of swine fever
Well at least she didn,t fall down the stairs or walk into a door in the Police station,all she got was a whiff of bacon and a pointless discussion with Dixon of Dock Green.Thank you and carry on the good work.
devonmalc
victims
If a victim tries to defend themselves then under the law and they can be arrested and be charged with a crime. The only thing you cannot be tried for these days is stupidity. When I was in school as a kids bullies shoved me face first into closed workers and the principal wanted to suspend or expel me for being a victim and walking down the hall while going to classes. Luckily my mom threatened them with a lawsuit but the bullies got off by buying the school new televisions and a large donation to school booster fund.
Hugs,
Jenna From FL
Moderator/Editor
TopShelf BigCloset
It is a long road ahead but I will finally become who I should be.
Easy As Falling Off A Bike pt 1840
Pigs and Plods need to stop pushing her buttons.
May Your Light Forever Shine
Cathy should never visit police without
her lawyer present. Visits never seem to go well.
Civil Servents
Trying to become Civil [bullies} Masters. It is easier to bully the law abiding good people so the bullies start early by hunting those of us that have been labeled as food or prey. Allowing Prey to fight back would solve the problem so the bullies can't have that. It that fear of becoming the victim keeps others from standing up and becoming the next lessons.
The law enforcement and the criminals are the opposite sides of the same coin and have a lot more in common with each other than they do with the rest of us, so both want for the general public to be a pacified public. Toothless helpless and defenseless.
As an American First People decedent, I remember our history and although I do not tilt at windmills, I can not run away so I peacefully stand my ground. It has only taken 48 years to get back to where I was at 10, and 2 years of counseling to come back to this conclusion.
Self Respect Demands This.
Michele Kira Whitewolf
With those with open eyes the world reads like a book
Lazarus Long
Who was the universe's oldest living man (2,000+ years) made the comment that Civil Servant is semantically equal to Civil Master. For those not already aware of it, Long can be considered a fairly good representation of the author - Robert A. Heinlein. RAH does have a way with words.
"Life is not measured by the breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.”
George Carlin
Was this ...
one of those deviations you mentioned in your blog? Characters or organisations or just ideas in your head, taking on an identity or path of their own?
A sort of rant-relief thing.
XX
Bev.
Askin for trouble.
The inspector was acting completely Alien. Maybe she should have looked out back for his saucer.
G
well, well, well
that's different.
*sighs*
To be honest, that call to the precinct sounds a bit dodgy... Requesting she appear under false pretenses. Could get some folks in more than a little bit of trouble.
Folks on THIS side of the pond are finding difficulty getting loans from banks in the current economic climate... Even folks with good credit. So, someone having trouble getting a loan from "Simon's" bank - yeah, I can see that. Loan sharks... Not a good place to go but, some folks just seem to not see any alternative.
Thank you,
Annette
So lets get
this straight, Cathy faced with a man with a knive hits him with a wheel brace and breaks a couple of bones in his hand and the guy then complains, Cannot help but think he got off lightly, So why complain ? Could it be be its because he has heard Cathy and her family are rather rich and he fancies some damages, If thats the case he ought to think on because the one thing rich people can do is employ expensive legal help, Maybe the aptly named Marple ought to take the foolish thug on one side and explain the realities of life instead of crossing swords with Cathy.... After all we all know there is only likely to be one winner...
Kirri