The Daily Dormouse. (aka Bike, est. 2007) Part 2660 by Angharad Copyright© 2015 Angharad

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This is a work of fiction any mention of real people, places or institutions is purely coincidental and does not imply that they are as suggested in the story.
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It was a couple of days later that Andy Bond popped by at the house and informed me that no further action was going to take place.

“You mean I won’t be referred to the CPS?”

“No you won’t be referred for prosecution, the new film backed up your statement very well.”

“I tend to be pretty honest, Andy.”

“I know, Cathy, but people forget things in the heat of the moment.”

“And then you prosecute them?”

“We don’t prosecute, we investigate and collect evidence.”

“What about enforcing the law?”

“That’s a different function, but yeah we do some of that as well.”

“Agents of the state and all that...”

“You are so cynical, Cathy. Remember that I didn’t have to come and see you, I could just have waited for you to enquire or heard on the grapevine.”

“Well thank you for telling me, at least I don’t need to save my energy for defending myself against spurious charges. I hope your Chief Inspector hasn’t got a mortgage.”

“Cathy, if I thought for one moment that you’d stoop to those levels, apart from it being illegal, your esteem in my eyes would have dropped significantly.”

“Okay, I wasn’t really serious but I wasn’t feeling full of the milk of human kindness.”

“Look I know you’ve had some tribulations with us over the years but I thought you were beyond those now.”

“Now hang on a moment, Andy. At times my interaction with the police has been dreadful and I’ve been shown actual violence on more than one occasion, but I’m also aware of the deaths of several officers while trying to protect me and my family, whose sacrifice I shall never be able to repay.”

“I knew two of ’em, good blokes.”

“Indeed. At times it seems the police are made up of two distinct types: the good guys, such as yourself; and the bad guys or incompetents such as your Chief Inspector.”

“He was just doing his job as he saw it.”

“I’m glad no one agreed with him.”

“They did before the fresh evidence appeared.”

“What they were seriously going to prosecute?”

“It looked that way,” he blushed.

“And did you agree with them?”

“Not my job to judge people, just collect evidence.”

“So you said before—you didn’t believe me, did you?”

“I wanted to, Cathy.”

“Well thanks for being honest—at least I know where I stand now. Et tu, Andy.”

“You’re adding two and two together and making six.”

“So tell me where I’m going wrong?” I really wasn’t sure about my relationship with the local plod any more, but at least they’d stopped accusing me of being a man in a dress—not that nice guys like Andy ever did, but there were plenty who did or would if they could because the environment was still skewed towards aggression in policing and having been on the receiving end of aggressive behaviour, I certainly didn’t want others to have it befall them.

“I have a duty to investigate possible crimes.”

“I don’t have a problem with that Andy, except you seemed to be investigating just one side of things. Remember I’m the one he attempted to assault, I’m also the one he nearly killed on a busy junction, yet I’m the one who was being investigated and by someone I thought I could trust.”

“My warrant comes before friendships, Cathy.”

“So I see, but I still don’t understand why he attempts to assault me and when I try to assist him to prevent injury, I risk being charged with assaulting him. Don’t you see my difficulty, or do you lot just persecute the innocent now as it’s easier?”

“That’s below the belt and you know it.”

“Well explain to me how that man is able to flout various laws and yet I nearly get prosecuted for something of which I was innocent?”

“His lawyers complained, we looked at the film and saw their point. It really looked as if you’d slammed him into the van and he seemed to confirm it.”

“I hope he’s going to be done for knowingly making false accusations.”

“That is being looked into.”

“It better had or I’m going to bring a complaint against the force and the last one cost you dear.”

“I’m well aware you took half a million off us.”

“The charities I supported did quite well, though in truth it’s my taxes which I’m getting returned and for being beaten up and accused of being a homosexual man posing as a woman. I think you got off cheap—next time I’ll go all the way to court and bankrupt the force.”

“What would that achieve?”

“It would enable the whole world to see how many idiots are employed by the police.”

“Sounds more the objective of a spiteful woman.”

“Who has reasonable grounds to feel spiteful.”

“I won’t argue with that but what about those who died protecting you—are you going to punish them as well or their families?”

“Tell me that Quentin is being prosecuted.”

“Or what?”

“Just tell me.”

“I’ll tell you something, Lady Cameron, I used to know a lovely young lady who would help anyone or anything. She possessed a magical touch and everyone loved her—then she became older and more cynical which just made her more and more bitter. Does she remind you of anyone, Lady Cameron?”

With that he left. “Oh where’s PC Bond gone, I’ve just made some tea,” wailed Phoebe.

“He’s gone.”

“Is everything all right, Mummy?” she asked.

“No it isn’t, we’ve just treated each other as if they were collateral damage while pursuing bigger fish.”

“You don’t go fishing, do you?”

“There’s a first time for everything.”

Her facial features contorted as she took on board what I’d said and her response to it. “Sometimes you frighten me, Mummy.”

“Sometimes I frighten myself.”